Apple today enhanced its affordable iBook G4 line for consumers and education customers with faster Power PC G4 processors running up to 1.42 GHz, 512MB memory across the line, higher performance graphics and built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. The new iBooks feature two patent-pending Apple technologies made popular in the PowerBook G4 line, the scrolling TrackPad and the Sudden Motion Sensor, with prices starting at an affordable $999.
“The new iBook is the perfect portable for the go anywhere, do anything digital lifestyle of consumers and students,” said David Moody, Apple’s vice president of Mac Product Marketing in the press release. “With improved performance, double the
memory, and new mobility features like the scrolling TrackPad, Sudden Motion Sensor and Bluetooth, the new iBooks are an amazing value.”
Encased in a sleek, durable polycarbonate plastic enclosure, the new 12- and 14-inch iBooks offer improved performance with either a 1.33 GHz or 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 processor and provide up to six hours of battery life for all-day use on the road or in the classroom. Each iBook features the ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 with 32MB of dedicated video memory for improved graphics and either a slot-load SuperDrive, for burning DVDs and CDs, or a slot-load Combo drive for watching DVDs and burning CDs. Every iBook also includes a scrolling TrackPad to easily scroll through long web pages or pan across large photographs and Apple’s Sudden Motion Sensor technology to help protect a spinning hard drive if the notebook is accidentally dropped.
Apple continues to lead the industry in integrated wireless communications and is the first computer maker to include both 802.11g and Bluetooth 2.0 wireless technologies across its entire line of notebook products. Every iBook now features built-in Bluetooth 2.0 (Enhanced Data Rate) and integrated AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking. Bluetooth 2.0+EDR delivers up to three times greater data rates for faster wireless connectivity to a range of peripherals and is also compatible with Bluetooth 1.2 devices such as the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse. The new iBooks also include built-in 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet for high-speed networking, two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port for easy plug-and-play connections to popular peripherals such as Apple’s market-leading iPod digital music player, digital video camcorders, digital still cameras and printers.
Each iBook includes iLife ’05, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand and iTunes. iLife ’05 continues to lead the industry with the most innovative and comprehensive suite of software for organizing, editing and sharing digital photos; creating stunning digital movies and DVDs; and purchasing, managing and creating digital music.
The new iBook lineup is immediately available through The Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in two standard configurations.
The 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 iBook, weighing just 4.9 pounds, has a suggested retail price of $999 (US) and includes:
— a crisp 12.1-inch (diagonal) active-matrix TFT display;
— 512MB DDR SDRAM expandable to up to 1.5GB maximum memory;
— a 40GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
— AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking and Bluetooth
2.0+EDR;
— two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400;
— VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support;
— 56K v.92 modem, Ethernet (10/100 BASE-T); and
— a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive.
The 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 iBook, weighing just 5.9 pounds, has a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US) and includes:
— a brilliant 14.1-inch (diagonal) active-matrix TFT display;
— 512MB DDR SDRAM expandable to up to 1.5GB maximum memory;
— a 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
— AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking and Bluetooth
2.0+EDR;
— two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400;
— VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support;
— 56K v.92 modem, Ethernet (10/100 BASE-T); and
— a slot-load SuperDrive (DVD+/-R/CD-RW) drive.
Additional build-to-order options for the new iBook include up to 1.5GB of DDR SDRAM, a 60GB, 80GB or 100GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
See the new Apple iBooks here.
Gorge
the screen is the only thing wrong with this machine 🙁
to bad, I was hoping for the rumored widescreen (hell any kind of screen better than 1024×768), then I would have purchased it today
crap
The good thing about this is that you DON’T have to waste 256 MB if you want to upgrade your memory.
Apple store – “We’ll be back soon” WTF
Wheres the widescreen?
This is starting to make Mr Jobs’ proclamation at WWDC – ‘We’ve still got some great PowerPC™ products to come….’ like he was actually standing there with his dick in his hands wondering how the f*** he was going to get over the Intel thing.
‘level’ – as in it’s a level playing field between PC and Mac. NOT!
40 gig hard drive? That’s not so large of an HD…
I remember when I was in deign school about 10 years ago, another guy in school bought a brad new Mac, and he got the full gigabyte with it. That was considered ALOT of space!
40 gigs 10 years later does not seem to cur it anymore ( aleast IMO )
I don’t know why people thought the iBook would get a widescreen. This is a consumer model. Steve Jobs would never allow a consumer model to have a better screen than the pro model. Unless the resolution was actually lowered from 1024×768 to 1024×640 to give it the proper aspect ratio, widescreens on an iBook are a fantasy.
I can not find if the 9550 video can handle Core Image. I assume not. Why couldn’t they go up ~50~ more to 9600???
Apple still cripple’s the iBook video. It only allows you to do mirroring. I cannot see why Apple turns off spanning with the video cards. People will still have to use a hack to turn spanning on.
If there is a widescreen ibook Jobs would be daft to introduce it now. It is only going to hit the streets in conjunction with the first Intel chips in the ibook.
This way there is a compelling reason for all ibook users to upgrade to the new Intel powered macs.
I predict we will not see any new enclosures until the Intel processors make their appearance.
“This is starting to make Mr Jobs’ proclamation at WWDC – ‘We’ve still got some great PowerPC™ products to come….’ like he was actually standing there with his dick in his hands wondering how the f*** he was going to get over the Intel thing.”
You do know that PowerPC does not equal iBook, right? That statement could be referring to the Power Mac, PowerBook or other PPC product.
“I can not find if the 9550 video can handle Core Image. I assume not. Why couldn’t they go up ~50~ more to 9600???”
The 9550 can support Core Image. You need a DirectX 9 compatible card (determines whether the card is programmable). The 9550 is such a card.
If I bought an Apple laptop today, I would probably buy an iBook even tho I think the Powerbooks are sexier. iBooks give the biggest bang for the buck right now.
However, I just bought a 2.7 Ghz Powermac and the old 667 Tibook is gonna have to keep on pulling the mobile boat until the Intel Mac Laptops come out.
Whiners!! This is a solid upgrade for the iBook line. Nothing would make this group happy.
jj. slow down, you’re missing a lot of letters.
>I remember when I was in deign school about 10 years ago, another guy in school bought a brad new Mac, and he got the full gigabyte with it. That was considered ALOT of space!
40 gigs 10 years later does not seem to cur it anymore ( aleast IMO )>
Regarding Core Image… This is from Think Secret:
The displays of both iBooks continue to feature native 1024×768 resolutions and are driven by an ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 with 32MB of video memory, not enough to take advantage of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger’s new Core Image technologies.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….wake me up when it says intel inside……………
Bang for the buck the iBook wins hands down. It easily beats PC’s in one area. A decent operating system with NO spyware,viruses and trojans. And it looks like Vista sucks a raw egg with nothing new except broken promises of being more secure like XP was supposed to be.
Awesome battery life, but did the put in a better keyboard yet.
The keyboard on these things suck compared to the ones in Powerbooks.
People who want 1280*854 widescreen, a better keyboard, better graphics (ATI 9700 64MB or 128MB), better construction — get a PowerBook 15″! Apple often has great deals at their refurbished area of their online store. I just checked a minute ago, and the 15″ 1.67Ghz model is selling for $1999, the 17″ 1.67Ghz model for $2299.
I had my car keys and credit card in hand (metaphorically) but NO widescreen and only 1024 x 768 means a deal-breaker. One of the reasons for me to purchase a laptop is to also use it as a DVD player and I don’t want one with a standard aspect ratio. I’ll keep waiting.
What about Bluetooth standard on all the iBooks. Does that mean something’s up with Apple & Bluetooth? (At least, perhaps, for the new Motorola iTunes phones, I guess, but maybe for iPods?)
I dont know what the problem is >.< Perfect upgrade for me having to purchase one for school next yr when still on a budget. I was goin to buy one in its previous state, but this is an upgrade and ill get more for my money…
I still have until the next keynote though on the sept. 20th, im waiting to buy if there is any news…
But an interesting thing is the ipod with student purchased computer… the deal ends on the 24th, the same day as the last day in their upcoming expo… maybe that keynote will be releasing the oh so waited for ipod/ipod-phone.
Hey — isn’t September 20th (MacWorld Paris) really close to ‘the next 66 days’?
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Until widescreen is offered, don’t waste my time…