Review: Apple G4 Powerbook

Trackpad and Keyboard

Trackpad for your grubby mitts Keys to tap tappety tap The track pad used is of a 'capacitance variance' based rather than pressure based detection. All this means is that you only need to 'slide' your finger in the horizontal plane, unlike most laptops where you must push down and forward for any drastic motion to take place. The keyboard has translucent key-caps and is wider than most laptop keyboards and has a very nice tactile feel and even run silently. There are two 'tabs' built into the keyboard, which allow the user to access the area where the system RAM is located and even the PMU (Power Management Unit) reset button. Reset that PMU Below the location of the PMU reset is where the ribbon cable of the keyboard connects into the mainboard of the laptop. This design allows easy access to the core components of the machine, but would also allow any liquid spilt over the keyboard directly over the circuit boards. Keep that mug of coffee a safe distance away from your powerbook, as it's best to be safe than sorry. I would feel that this would be common practice among all laptop users, as very few can survive drowning in coffee. Under the keyboard