Whilst my iBook is being repaired, I have the opportunity to try out a 15″, 867MHz G4 Powerbook as a interim machine.

In almost every way it is nicer, other than (1) formfactor convenience – which, let’s be honest, is the point of the 15″ so it’s a bit churlish to complain about it – and (2) Airport.

The Airport wireless on this machine, sucks.

From downstairs where my plastic iBook usually achieves full- or near-full strength connections to my iMac upstairs, the Powerbook sometimes wholly loses signal, or (worse) drops in/out which necessitates restarting VPN every few minutes.

From upstairs where full-signal-strength should be mandatory, it only gets 2 to 4 bars in the toolbar strength gauge.

Now: I know all this. I’ve read about it previously in endless war-driving articles, regarding Powerbooks. I know that it’s a problem with these-era Powerbooks. I know that the Titanium casing and metal box of the laptop does not help.

What I’d like to know is: does this crummy Wireless performance persist in 2005-era Powerbooks, too?

Thanks