On Sunday, March 16, 2003, at 05:03 PM, James Rohde wrote: > On 03/16/2003, Andrew Johnson wrote: > >> I would say the the code names make things easier usually, when >> someone >> says wallstreet, I know what they're talking about. But if someone >> said >> "I've got a PowerBook G3 that has problem X..." They could be talking >> about the WallStreet (PowerBook G3 Series, multiple bus speeds, >> 233,250 >> and 300 mhz variants I believe) the WallStreet II (PowerBook G3 >> Series, >> 66MHz bus speed) or the Lombard, (PowerBook G3) which had the bronze >> keyboard and faster features (not to mention USB as well) I think the >> code names are the saving grace of Macintosh products. How difficult >> would it be if every computer was named "PowerMac" and had no defining >> features? > > ... and then there are the Pismos (400, 500 MHz) which are PowerBooks > (G3 and/or 2000 depending on who's describing them)... ;-) > > Of course if we all memorized Apple's model numbers, it could be VERY > precise (me? I have a M7711LL/A... :-) > > My pittance to the topic.
my grievance with code names is that they're imprecise and you'll -almost- never see any mention of them in the Knowledge Base, which is the definite stop for a lot of product specific information. in some cases (less so recently) there's even confusion about which model a code name applies to. The powerbooks have unique names already, without having to delve into code names. "PowerBook G3" means the original "kanga" g3, the one that isn't OS X compatible. "PowerBook G3 Series" means the "wallstreet" line. "PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard)" means the "lombard" line. "PowerBook (Firewire)" means the "Pismo" line. Was that THAT hard? For a while, some people tried to apply the "Mainstreet" moniker onto the second revision of the "Wallstreet" line, though this use has fallen by the wayside. and besides, saying "wallstreet" really isn't specific enough to glean much useful information about someone's setup unless the query is machine-neutral anyway... for the reasons you've specified. while many people know enough to specify whether they have Wallstreet I or II, a great many people can't figure out whether they have a Wallstreet or Kanga, much less whether their Wallstreet is REALLY a I or a II. Many of Apple's product names speak definitively about the features of a machine. the PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard) and PowerBook (Firewire) are easy to identify by brief visual inspection. the PowerMac G4 (Digital Audio) and G4 (Quicksilver) are easy, too. (some might argue that "Quicksilver" was a code name.. however by this point, Apple stopped using code names in deference to very short product codes like P1 for the original iBook). Given any PowerBook G4, i can tell you which revision it is without booting the machine or looking at it's serial number. no one even has code-names for these machines, really - all you hear is "tibook" and maybe the processor speed. still, distinguishing between them is visually simple, despite almost -exactly- identical cases. the original PowerBook G4, the port cover is solid, with no slots. the PowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) has slots on the port cover, but still has VGA. the PowerBook G4 (DVI) has slots and a DVI port instead of VGA. -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-Books list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
