Apple Computer Inc.’s iBook portables “maintain the Bauhaus good looks they’ve had since their introduction in 2001, but Apple’s value-added improvements make them even more attractive,” John P. Mello Jr. writes for The Boston Globe. “Apple has upgraded the processors in the new units. The model with the 12-inch display sells for $999 and has a PowerPC G4 chip running at 1.33 gigahertz. The 14-inch model, which sells for $1,299, has one running at 1.42 gigahertz …as part of Apple’s value-add strategy, it raised the floor for memory in its economy models to 512 megabytes. In addition to a larger complement of on-board memory, the new iBooks have a slot on the motherboard that allows you to supplement the notebook with an additional megabyte [sic: should read gigabyte] of RAM, for a maximum of 1.5MB [sic: should read 1.5GB].”

Mello Jr. writes, “Although some computer makers trim prices by integrating graphics components to share processing power and memory, the new iBooks graphics have their own power source: an upgraded ATI Radeon 9550 graphics card with 32 megabytes of RAM dedicated exclusively for handling video. Apple also boosted the hard drive capacities on the iBook’s base versions to 40 gigabytes for the 12-inch model and 60GB for the 14-inch unit… The new iBooks are robust wireless machines that include an AirPort Extreme card and Bluetooth 2.0 support. AirPort Extreme supports 802.11g wireless networks, which can move data at speeds up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps). By comparison, the average broadband connection supports 3Mbps. Bluetooth can be used for wireless connection of peripherals to the iBook. Computer shoppers looking for a high-grade notebook at a mid-grade price need look no further than Apple’s latest G4 iBooks.”

Full article here.

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