Apple introduces new PowerBook G4 line running up to 1.5GHz

Apple today announced a new line of PowerBook G4 notebooks with faster PowerPC G4 processors running at up to 1.5 GHz; faster graphics performance; and a 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) for burning professional-quality DVDs — all housed in the industry-leading aluminum enclosures that have defined the latest generation of PowerBooks. All new PowerBook G4s come standard with AirPortExtreme* 54 Mbps 802.11g pre-installed for wireless networking right out of the box.

“Apple’s PowerBook G4 notebooks continue to lead the industry with an unrivaled mix of performance and portability,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing in the press release. “No other notebook packs so much performance and so many cutting-edge features, including large widescreen displays, high-speed wireless networking, advanced connectivity and industry leading graphics, into such a thin and light design.”

Both the 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBook G4 now offer up to a 1.5 GHz PowerPC G4 processor and phenomenal graphics performance with the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processor. For customers who want the highest graphics performance, the 1.5 GHz 15-inch model and 17-inch PowerBook can now be custom configured with up to 128MB of graphics memory. The new 12-inch PowerBook G4 features a 1.33 GHz PowerPC processor, NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of dedicated video memory and a larger 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive.

Offering the latest in wireless communications, every new PowerBook G4 notebook comes with built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and an internal Bluetooth module for wireless connectivity to a range of peripherals such as cell phones, PDAs, printers and headsets, as well as the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse.

All new PowerBook G4 notebooks include iLife ’04, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications including iTunes for managing digital music, iPhoto for organizing and sharing digital photos, iMovie for digital movie-making, iDVD for creating and burning Hollywood-style DVDs and GarageBand, a revolutionary new music application that turns a Mac into a professional-quality musical instrument and recording studio.

Every new PowerBook G4 comes with Apple’s latest operating system, Mac OS X version 10.3 “Panther,” pre-installed. Customers can take advantage of FileVault, which uses the latest security standards and 128-bit encryption technology to ensure that data in the home directory is kept secure; Expose, a revolutionary new way to instantly view all open windows; Instant On, which wakes the PowerBook from sleep in just one second; and Automatic Networking, which automatically switches the network connections between Ethernet, 802.11 and modem. With enhanced Windows compatibility, files, printers and network services can easily be shared with Windows users.

The new 12- and 15-inch PowerBook G4 models are available immediately, and the new 17-inch PowerBook G4 is expected to be available in early May through The Apple Store, at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 1.33 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook G4, for a suggested retail price of $1,599 (US), includes:
– a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive
– 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM
– AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth
– DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support
– two USB 2.0 ports and FireWire 400
– a 60GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive

The 1.33 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook G4, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:
– a 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
– 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM
– AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth
– DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support
– two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400
– a 60GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive

The 1.33 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook G4, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:
– a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive
– 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM
– AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth
– DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support
– Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T)
– two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800
– a 60GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive

The 1.5 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook G4, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:
– a 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
– 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM
– AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth
– DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support
– Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T)
– two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800
– a Backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor
– a 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive

The 1.5 GHz, 17-inch PowerBook G4, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:
– a 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
– 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM
– AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth
– DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support
– Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T)
– two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800
– a Backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor
– a 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive

Additional build-to-order options for the new PowerBook G4 line include the ability to upgrade to up to 1.25GB DDR RAM on the 12-inch model and up to 2GB on the 15- and 17-inch models, backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor feature for the 15-inch PowerBook, the 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive, 128MB of graphics memory for the 1.5 GHz 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks, an 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive running at 5400 rpm on all models, an AirPort Extreme Base Station and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

See the new PowerBook line here.