Apple today unveiled the fastest, most affordable iBook G4 ever for consumers and education customers, featuring built-in AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking across the line and prices starting at just $999. The iBook line includes PowerPC G4 processors running up to 1.33 GHz and an available slot-load SuperDrive for burning DVDs, as well as Apple’s breakthrough iLife ’04 suite for managing digital music and photos, making movies and music and creating professional-quality DVDs.
“Designed for the digital life on the go, the iBook G4 has been incredibly popular with consumers and students,” said David Moody, Apple
far out….They are breaking ground in the price vs. performance barrier. Not to mention their products just work better than anything else out there (and no viruses)…..
CoreImage compatible with only 32MB VRAM? I don’t think so!
The controller is not supported by Core Image. Graphcs memory has nothing to do with it. The GeForce 5200 w/ 32 MB VRam that was on earlier 12″ PBs supports Core Image.
What do you expect? Most $999 and under Wintel notebooks have garbage integrated graphics that share the main system memory. Give Apple a break, the Radeon 9200 with 32MB of dedicated memory is far better than that.
Don’t forget all the great iApps are included… usually extra with Dells and others although not as good. Good price points will continue to make the iBook the best-selling computer for Apple.
Two displays are crisp and one display is brilliant. Hmmm…
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Well done MacGadget!
Right on the ball!
Bloody good job, you did!
No Sound Studio? Waah!
Yeah, I’ll take a little cheese with my whine.
Updated iBooks? Cool… the ‘consumer’ laptop line updated just in time for the Christmas buying season.
With the iPod poised to do VERY well this December, the iMac G5 getting a lot of attention, and the new iBooks hitting the stores 8-10 weeks before Christmas, I think that a LOT of people at Apple are going to have only three things to say when January rolls around; Ho, ho, and ho.
I just *really* am hoping that Apple has enough product to meet demand. I believe that people are going to be *clamoring* for Apple stuff this Christmas. Little Johnny or Suzie College Student/iPod User isn’t going to want to hear daddy say, “I couldn’t find any iBooks or iMacs, so I got you this Dell instead.” That scenario could be classified as “bad.”
Now that thousands and thousands of 15-25 year olds have gotten a taste of how wonderful Apple products are, many are wanting to take the plunge and get computers to complement their “digital lifestyle.” If they can’t get them this December, many are going to be disappointed and/or pissed and we will have missed a tremendous opportunity to strike while the iron is hot.
Hooty, I agree about the price/performance thing. The iBook starting at just under a grand; that’s great news. It really puts a dent in the ‘Macs are too expensive’ nonsense.
I can’t wait for the updated Powerbooks though.
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like fandango just said, this is really setting up the powerbooks for an upgrade.
does apple have a 1.9 or 2.0 ghz g4 up their sleeve? i could easily see the 12″ pb going to 1.5, 15″ going to 1.7 and 2.0 (combo and super, respectively), and the 17″ at 2.0. i’d also like to see increased bus speeds, maybe around 300 or so.
the ibooks are way too close to the powerbooks in almost all catergories (the powerbooks still have more visual appeal imo), apple definitely needs to upgrade the powerbooks before christmas.
Bravo. Good bump, making Airport standard is a great decision! The iBook is now a perfect consumer laptop.
No, we DON’T need 256MB of RAM. Most people won’t notice what they are missing. People posting here would only because we are anal and opinionated.
DAMN…. I just bought a 12 inch PowerBook for my on the road work… and the new iBook 12 would have done quite nicely, thankyou… for about a grand less.
Oh well…
I could still be fuming over the $4,200 I invested in 1981 in a 16k Ram Kaypro 4.
Anybody remember CP/M and the Kaypros & Osbornes?…. or am I really getting that old?
My 12″ iBook 800MHz G4 is really starting to look old. Oh well it still kicks arse.
(I know, Iknow say that to the person with a G3)
The iBooks have come such a long way from the blueberry colored “Barbie handbag” design I had all those years ago. Our little iBook’s all grown up now.
Glick7, You’re that old
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Yes you really are getting that old!
I think the minor speed bump is nice, but this is hardly any big news. Heck most places that inch the CPU speed do not consider it to be a new product launch.
As an improvment this one is a snoozer. I would like to have seen at least a better graphics card.
pip a:=b:*.*
Glick7
Exidy Sorcerer first (1982/3! I think). Then CP/M with twin 8″ floppy drives. Then Macintosh 512Kb with hugely expensive 5Mb hard drive!
Now we’re flying.
John
Glick7: never used a Kaypro or Osborne but know about them. Did have some experience with CP/M back in 1988 doing research on avocados. Was trying to input old data into D-Base on CP/M and having all kinds of problems. Finally, frustrated, I brought my Mac128 to work, and input the data into a database program called “Overvue.” My boss walked in just as I finished. A quick sort and grouping of the data revealed that the person collecting the data had not only skipped some trees, but had done other trees TWICE! A few days later I had a MAC of my own at work (one of the few Macs at the University at that time) and have used them ever since.
Glick7
My first personal computer was a Morrow running CP/M. That was before I knew anything about Macs. When I finally saw a Mac I was ready to kick myself seven ways from Sunday!
Apple is gonna sell a shitload of these!
At these prices, the iBook is STILL TOO EXPANSIVE!!!!! We got to give M$ credit for iBooks’ success and you got to give me credit for writing craps for a meager living!!!!
Mr Paul THurrott impersonation.. even you crappy jokes irritate me.. I dont want anyone on here bitching about this price.. the jokes not funny.. this is incredible
Awsome… my birthday is friday and I’ve been holding out like a good little boy. time for some indulgence.
Keynote is now preinstalled as well. WiFi card, OS 10.3, iLife, Keynote … for under $1,000? That is tough to beat!