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It never rains but it pours. After a long drought of no processor upgrades being available for the PowerBook FireWire 2000 (AKA Pismo), not one, but two 500 MHz G4 7410 upgrade products were announced late last week by PowerLogix and the revivified Newer Technology respectively. 
On the basis of what I know, which is thus far what I’ve gleansed from press releases and Website information, these two upgrade products seem remarkably similar. They both use the Motorola 7410 G4 chip (possibly the same one that was used in the rare 500 MHz version of the G4 Cube), and both sell for a relatively modest $299.00. The fly in the ointment, so to speak, is that in order to get one of these upgrades installed, you have to send your PowerBook to the vendor, where the old G3 chip will be unsoldered from the motherboard (perhaps the lowish price for this upgrade reflects the core value of the removed G3 chips?) by a subcontractor, a the G4 7410 replacement soldered on. In either case you will be sent a prepaid shipping box for the PowerBook to be transported in. It should go without saying that you should do a global backup of your files a remove any PC cards or expansion may devices other than the DVD drive before shipping. Does a processor upgrade for the Pismo make sense? Maybe. If you have a 400 MHz Pismo you will likely notice a substantial boost in speed. For Pismo owners with 500 MHz machinse, such as myself, it is more of a conundrum. Unless you use Altivec optimized applications (eg: PhotoShop) on a more than casual basis, the speed gain will likely not be all that dramatic. On the other hand, the OS X Aqua user interface dips into Altivec, and one could reasonably expect an improvement in OS X Finder response, which I have found annoyingly sluggish sluggish on by 500 MHz Pismo. However, installing this G4 upgrade will not bring the Pismo any closer to supporting the Quartz Extreme graphics subsystem that is coming in OS X Jaguar, and the video system in PowerBooks is not upgradable. Another potential caveat is heat. That G4 chip, even the lower-powered 7410 version, is presumably going to run a lot hotter then the copper G3 chip it replaces. Upgading users should be prepaerd for the cooling fan to cut in more often. However, with those things considered, I think that a lot of Pismo owners will be delighted with the availability of this upgrade to extend the useful life of one of the nicest PowerBooks Apple ever made. In my humble opinion, neither the iBook nor the Titanium PowerBook matches the Pismo in many respects, which is of course one of the reasons why I bought one. Compared with the newer ‘Books, Pismo has a expansion day, a second Fire Wire port, and supports analog sound-in -- all features that I find attractive. Pismo’s polycarbonate case is also more rugged and durable than the TiBook’s scratch and dent-prone, thin, painted sheetmetal skin. Will I upgrade my Pismo? I’m going to wait and see how the dust settles first, but since my Pismo is my OS X machine, it’s an attractive prospect. The Press Releases (Can’t both be “first,” guys. However PowerLogix got its press release out first, while Newer/OWC are first with order details on their Website, so it’s a dead heat.) Newer Systems Technology and Other World Computing Introduce First-Ever G4 Pismo Upgrade Available Exclusively Through Other World ComputingNewer Systems Technology and Other World Computing today have introduced the NuPowr G4 Pismo upgrade, the first-ever upgrade available for the Apple PowerBook G3 FireWire system, originally code-named “Pismo.” The G4 Pismo upgrade, which is available immediately for $299.95, allows owners of PowerBook G3 400MHz and 500MHz systems to upgrade to a G4/500MHz processor. “The G4 Pismo upgrade will save PowerBook G3 users literally thousands of dollars by not having to buy a brand new Titanium PowerBook in order to get a G4 processor,” said Rick Estes, president of Newer Systems. “We have a lot of loyal customers that have been requesting this product, and with their help and feedback, we are ready to make it available to the public. We are confident that it will be extremely well received, and help to once again reinforce our position as a leading provider of computer upgrade products for the Apple community.” Customers interested in purchasing the upgrade can do so exclusively through OWC at www.macsales.com. Customers will be required to send in a component to NewerTech in Wichita. NewerTech will test the customer’s system prior to and following the installation of the G4 Pismo upgrade to ensure the system is running optimally. NewerTech is committed to completing the install and testing, and return the systems within two weeks of their receipt and will also cover freight by FedEx 2nd Day for the customers to send in their components and for the return of their systems. “This is a much anticipated day,” said Larry O’Connor, president of OWC. “The NuPowr G4 Pismo upgrade is the first and only upgrade available today for the Pismo model. “Prior to the G4 Pismo upgrade, PowerBook G3 owners did not have an alternative to upgrade their processors, other than to purchase a new Titanium system. NewerTech has always been recognized as an innovator, and as its partner, OWC is excited to be the exclusive distributor of this bleeding-edge technology.” All sales, distribution, tracking and customer support will be handled by OWC. Consumers should visit http://www.macsales.com and http:/www.newertech.com for more information on the NuPowr G4 Pismo upgrade. NuPowr G4 Pismo Accelerate your Apple PowerBook G3 “Pismo” to the max with the NuPowr G4 Pismo! Employing the supercomputer processing power of the 500MHz Motorola PowerPC G4 7410 processor, the NuPowr G4 Pismo will add years of usability to your existing investment. The NuPowr G4 Pismo is fully compatible with all of your existing peripherals and other components, unlike upgrading to a new PowerBook! Upgrading to the NuPowr G4 Pismo brings your computing experience to an entirely new level with the Velocity Engine! Tasks that took ponderous amounts of time with your G3 processor simply fly with AltiVec enabled applications such as: This upgrade is compatible with the following Apple PowerBook G3 system(s) This NuPowr G4/500MHz upgrade is performed on your own system by highly trained technicians at Newer Systems Technology, Inc. Upon purchase of this product, Other World Computing will ship a padded container to your address with detailed instructions on how to dispatch your system for upgrade. Your PowerBook G3 Pismo must be in complete working condition with a fully charged battery to participate in this upgrade. You will only be shipping your PowerBook for this upgrade, with it’s CD/DVD drive and one charged battery. We of course recommend that you back up any important data when shipping any computer system. The shipping container is prepaid for the outbound service from you using Airborne Express service. Your upgraded PowerBook will be returned to you within eight to ten business days using the same shipping method. At this time, this upgrade is only available online for US domestic customers. If you are outisde of the USA and would like to purchase this upgrade, please contact one of our sales team by email and they would be glad to quote the additional shipping costs for you. Price: $299.95 For more information, visit: PowerLogix Announces First PowerBook G3 “Pismo” UpgradePowerLogix today announced the BlueChip Pismo G4 500 processor upgrade for PowerBook G3 “Pismo” (aka PowerBook FireWire or PowerBook G3 2000) laptops. The upgrade consists of a Motorola PowerPC G4-7410 processor running at 500 MHz. The BlueChip Pismo is the latest in a full line of PowerBook G3 upgrade cards offered by PowerLogix. The BlueChip Pismo requires that the the original processor card have its G3 processor removed, and replaced with the G4-7410. This is due to the proprietary nature of the Pismo processor card. Customers who wish to have their laptop upgraded with the BlueChip Pismo send the laptop to PowerLogix. The original processor card is verified and tested prior to the chip swap, and retested prior to shipment back to the customer. Turnaround time is guaranteed to be five business days or less for domestic customers. The actual chip swap is subcontracted to a local Austin firm, located about ten minutes from PowerLogix, who are experts and specialize exclusively in chip rework of this type. Customers are provided with complete instructions about the process in a shipping package which is overnighted direct to the customer after order placement. The BlueChip Pismo card is warranted for two years, and is fully compatible with all software and hardware, including OS X. Availability: The BlueChip Pismo will be available for ordering June 17 on the PowerLogix website. Pricing: Retail price on the BlueChip Pismo 500 is $329. Price includes Fedex overnight shipping both ways. A special introductory price of $299 for the Blue Chip Pismo upgrade will be in effect through July, 2002. For more information, visit:
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