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http://www.macnn.com/articles/04/04/19/apple.updates.ibook.pbg4/

Apple updates iBook G4, PowerBook G4

updated 08:45 am EDT, Mon April 19, 2004

Apple updates iBook, PBG4

As anticipated last week, Apple today updated its line of systems. The iBook G4 line now supports a maximum of 1.25GB PC2100 DDR SDRAM, while all PowerBook G4 systems now ship with built-in AirPort Extreme. iBook graphics are powered by an ATI Radeon Mobility 9200 with 32MB of DDR SDRAM, while PowerBooks are driven by either an NVidia GeForce FX Go5200 with 64MB of DDR SDRAM (12.1" models) or an ATI Radeon Mobility 9700 with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, configurable up to 128MB (15" and 17" models). Both feature upgraded optical drives as well. System specifications follow:

iBook 1GHz/12.1"/256MB RAM/30GB HD/Combo Drive - $1,100
iBook 1GHz/14.1"/256MB RAM/40GB HD/Combo Drive - $1,300
iBook 1.2GHz/14.1"/256MB RAM/60GB HD/Combo Drive - $1,500
PowerBook G4 1.33GHz/12.1"/256MB RAM/60GB HD/Combo Drive - $1,600
PowerBook G4 1.33GHz/12.1"/256MB RAM/60GB HD/4x SuperDrive - $1,800
PowerBook G4 1.33GHz/15"/256MB RAM/60GB HD/Combo Drive - $2,000
PowerBook G4 1.5GHz/15"/512MB RAM/80GB HD/4x SuperDrive - $2,500
PowerBook G4 1.5GHz/17"/512MB RAM/80GB HD/4x SuperDrive - $2,900

Both iBooks and PowerBooks feature upgraded Combo Drives (capable of burning CD-R at 24x and CD-RW at 16x, and reading CD-ROM at 24x and DVD-ROM at 8x) and upgraded SuperDrives (capable of burning DVD-R at 4x, CD-R at 16x, and CD-RW at 8x; and reading DVD-ROM at 8x and CD-ROM at 24x).

The new iBooks and 12" and 15" PowerBooks models are available immediately. The 17" PowerBook G4 is slated to ship in early May.

by MacNN Staff

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Toyin
Mac Elite

Joined: Nov 2000

0

04/19, 08:56am | report spam | close Reply |
Schweet

How psyched am I that I waited for the last 2 weeks to order my new PB :-D

fiesta cat
Forum Regular

Joined: Nov 2003

0

04/19, 09:24am | report spam | close Reply |
wow

I'm impressed...now we can we see speed-bumped G5 PMs? I would think a dual 1.5G G4 would be quite a bit cheaper than a dual G5, and would handle my needs.

HeatherEcsedi
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

04/19, 09:28am | report spam | close Reply |
Okay

"The 17" PowerBook G4 is slated to ship in early May." When can we really expect the new PowerBooks to be released ? I can't wait to see if Apple can keep its promise this time or if there'll be the ususal delays. We kinda got used to it so...

LouZer
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2000

0

04/19, 09:34am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Okay

The 17" PowerBook G4 is slated to ship in early May." When can we really expect the new PowerBooks to be released ? I can't wait to see if Apple can keep its promise this time or if there'll be the ususal delays. We kinda got used to it so...

Looking qat the specs, I'd say in early may. There's nothing I can see that would constrain the 17" any more then they are constrained now. They use the same processors in these as the 15" which are supposed to be available immediately. So the only thing different is the 17" display, which they were already selling powerbooks with.

(Technically I guess I should say they should be available at the same time the old version of a 17" laptop would be availale, which might have a two or three week backorder, for all I know). There's nothing here that should delay these laptops 6 months like the xserves.

DaedalusDX
Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Jan 2002

0

04/19, 09:36am | report spam | close Reply |
RevB

Usually Apple does not have shipping issues with RevB machines, even at the onset. RevA machines, on the other hand are known for their problems with delays and such.

LouZer
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2000

0

04/19, 09:38am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: wow

I'm impressed...now we can we see speed-bumped G5 PMs?

Umm, june at the earliest. In case you didn't hear, IBM is having huge problems making chips in their new fab process. They even admitted it.

I would think a dual 1.5G G4 would be quite a bit cheaper than a dual G5, and would handle my needs.

OK, not sure where the thought of a dual 1.5 G4 came from (these aren't duals here). But you can get a dual-1.25 G4 for 1599 at the apple store. Buy that.

Zaren
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

04/19, 10:00am | report spam | close Reply |
Not to rain on the parade

but aren't those drives kind of slow? Is there some physical limitation for laptop drives that limits them to running so slow? I mean, 24x isn't *bad* for speed, but desktop drives are a good deal faster. Also, 24x burns for the combo drives, but only 16x for the super drives? I'm going to assume this is a further limitation due to the fact that the supers can also make dvds, and as such have further hardware restrictions.

Elektrix
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Sep 2001

0

04/19, 10:11am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Not to rain on the pa

There's a significant difference between a slot loading combo drive that you can fit into a laptop and a desktop drive. Aside from the mechanism, there are also power issues to think about.

And regarding the superdrives, assuming these are still made by Pioneer, it's been fairly common that their DVD burners generally feature slower CD burning performance.

cooner
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2003

0

04/19, 10:22am | report spam | close Reply |
iBook screen size

Decent round of revisions. Personal peeve though: The high-end iBook is only available with a 14" monitor, but the 14" monitor has the same resolution as the 12" ... just bigger pixels, so no real advantage unless you have weak eyesight.

When I bought my last laptop, it was a choice between the 12" iBook and the 15" Titanium. I liked the compact form factor of the iBook, but the high screen resolution of the PowerBook, and I ended up getting a good deal on the Titanium.

If I had to do it over, I'd probably consider an iBook next time, for the amount of real work I do on my laptop; except that I'd rather spend the money on the faster processor but with the smaller 12" form factor, since screen res is the same anyway. I don't think the faster processor requires a larger casing.

Just my own pet peeve though. :)

dlindsay17
Forum Regular

Joined: Dec 1999

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04/19, 10:32am | report spam | close Reply |
$$$

nice price drop though!

andrewhicks
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2003

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04/19, 10:37am | report spam | close Reply |
Hard Drives still 4200rpm

It would be nice to see faster drives. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with the TiPowerbook, except sometimes the slower drive speed is noticeable.

Is it mainly battery life and cooling that stops them putting in 5600 rpm or higher drives?

moosecue
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2003

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04/19, 10:59am | report spam | close Reply |
pleasantly surprised

i think this revision is much better than most people had expected, or hoped for. the 128 graphics option is thrilling me, and with the price drop i can now afford to get the power i need. i was expecting 1.33 or maybe 1.42ghz on the 15", but 1.5 is fantastic. guess they really had to make a push so people wouldnt hang out for the g5.

Me�vv
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2001

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04/19, 11:21am | report spam | close Reply |
wow

Nice! Notice that the 12" PB now has twice the graphics, a third faster cpu and a faster bus, larger HD and comes with Airport Extreme. This is good news and I am very impressed. Only one, very minor, complaint: I wish there was a cheaper way to BTO upgrade the HD. $125 for 80 GB instead of 60 is a bif hefty IMHO.

Overall a grat update. Apple will sell tons of these. I don't thing the PB G5 will arrive this year.

fiesta cat
Forum Regular

Joined: Nov 2003

0

04/19, 11:40am | report spam | close Reply |
this summer will be good.

I'd like for speed bumped G5s to come out, might drop prices elsewhere in the line, (i.e. current refurbished/used G5s drop in price). I know it won't happen for another 2-3 months, but would be nice.

As far as dual G4 1.5G PMs, I think it would be a fitting end to the G4 PMs (excluding the eMacs and iMacs).

testudo
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2001

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04/19, 11:44am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: this summer

As far as dual G4 1.5G PMs, I think it would be a fitting end to the G4 PMs (excluding the eMacs and iMacs).

Ain't going to happen. The PowerMac G4 line is dead as a doornail. Apple isn't going to waste any more time trying to keep those things updated with processors or the like. They keep them around only because the ones they sell are OS 9 bootable, and some people still need/whine/complain/require OS 9 boot capability. Nothing more (that's why these are the box they sell, as they are actually a revision behind the last G4 box they sold, which had Firewire 800 and Airport Extreme, but no 9 capability).

testudo
Forum Regular

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04/19, 11:46am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: screen size

I actually like the option that the 14" has the same resolution as the 12". Some of us old geezers have trouble with all that little type, and need a bigger screen, but don't want the larger resolution (and we all know changing the resolution from 1200 to 1024 is horrible on the eyes).

chabig
Addicted to MacNN

Joined: Jun 1999

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04/19, 11:50am | report spam | close Reply |
Yeah, but...

[i]$125 for 80 GB instead of 60 is a bif hefty IMHO.[/i]

Yeah, but it's a faster drive, and it's already built-in so you don't have to do it yourself. I think that's a reasonable, though not cheap, price. It'd be hard to save money by buying separately and doing the upgrade yourself, as opposed to their RAM prices.

Eriamjh
Addicted to MacNN

Joined: Oct 2001

0

04/19, 12:21pm | report spam | close Reply |
No more sub 1GHZ CPUs

Finally, only 3 years behind intel.

mbryda
Senior User

Joined: Mar 2002

0

04/19, 12:32pm | report spam | close Reply |
BS

Intel has been stuck at 3Ghz for at least 2 years now. The Peee4 is at the End of Its Life....Stick a fork in it, it's done.

jaisun
Forum Regular

Joined: Feb 2000

0

04/19, 12:41pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Re: wow

When did IBM take over G4 production? If I'm not mistaken this latest itteration is based on the MPC7447A...which is still Moto.

milesPHX
Registered User

Joined: Apr 2004

0

04/19, 12:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
SuperDrive opt. on iBooks

Yes, Virginia! to my pleasant surprise, you CAN configure the 14" iBooks to have a SuperDrive.. Excellent!! :)

MDiddy
Junior Member

Joined: Aug 2001

0

04/19, 01:07pm | report spam | close Reply |
Price Drop?

These are the same pricing points a the models they replaced. I would have thought that the PowerBook line would at least completely go all-SuperDrive now. I'd have to say this is very mediocre.

ipod21
Baninated

Joined: Apr 2004

0

04/19, 01:10pm | report spam | close Reply |
sd on ibooks...

what's cool is when you configure the iBook with a superdrive, it placed a price point right between the 12' and 15' powerbooks. Apple did their homework on that...

If I was only in the market for a 12' powerbook... 64 meg card is awesome.

cooner
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2003

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04/19, 01:37pm | report spam | close Reply |
re: re: screen size

"I actually like the option that the 14" has the same resolution as the 12". Some of us old geezers have trouble with all that little type, and need a bigger screen, but don't want the larger resolution"

Understood, but it's not that I have a problem with really ... I have some friends with poor eyesight who bought the 14" iBook for that exact reason; I consider high resolution to be the realm of the PowerBooks.

I'm more frustrated that you can't a high-end powered iBook without going with the 14" screen. I'd love to get the fastest processor available but in the smaller form factor.

But, again, it's not THAT important since I'm still using my Titanium for now anyway :)

edtekker
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2003

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04/19, 02:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
Nice changes

These are the same pricing points a the models they replaced. I would have thought that the PowerBook line would at least completely go all-SuperDrive now. I'd have to say this is very mediocre.

Actually, if you look at the details, it isn't. You have a significantly improved video system, faster processor, more RAM, SuperDrive and built-in wireless all at that same price point.

They've also put in some pretty aggressive education pricing. The iBooks through the 15" PowerBooks have $200 discounts, and the 17" model has a $300 discount. Pretty sweet!

JeffHarris
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 1999

0

04/19, 03:07pm | report spam | close Reply |
Solid Bumps...

... but WHY doesn't Apple put the L3 cache back in! My 1ghz TiBook has one.

I do 2D/3D CAD and want as much kick as I can get from my PowerBook, and an L3 cache DOES make a difference. I, for one, will NOT buy a Rev.A G5 PB, or ANY Rev.A ever again. Done it 3 times, ain't worth the hassles.

It will be quite some time before we see G5 PowerBooks. The need for speed among us PB users is REAL. So WHY did Apple yank the L3 cache from the Aluminum PBs? They always seem to do things like that, 3 steps forward, one back. Oh well...

It's GREAT to see the 128MB VRAM and 80GB 5400 rpm drive options. So, where's the 80GB 7200rpm HD?

Filburt
Junior Member

Joined: Aug 2001

0

04/19, 03:14pm | report spam | close Reply |
re: re: screen size

> I consider high resolution to be the realm of the PowerBooks.

Agreed. Apple needs to offer two display choices for 15" and 17" PowerBooks. One for old geezers and one for pro users that need higher resolution.

> I'm more frustrated that you can't a high-end powered iBook without going with the 14" screen. I'd love to get the fastest processor available but in the smaller form factor.

Probably because higher-end 12" iBook would eat into 12" PowerBook sales.

kw99
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2001

0

04/19, 06:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
Next up... new iMacs

Before getting to new Power Mac G5s, Apple will surely roll out a new set of iMacs. Can't have eMacs being better than iMacs for too long. Maybe there will be a "special edition G5" model in the mix.

Despite the delays, when the Power Macs updates finally hit in June, it will be impressive that Apple has revised its entire Mac line in a 3-month span. So far, the updates have been unsurprising, but solid.

JamesKass
Junior Member

Joined: Nov 1999

0

04/19, 08:24pm | report spam | close Reply |
De Facto Price Drop

I was planning on getting a 12" with the superdrive, a bigger HD and airport xtreme. Now that airport comes standard, and the base HD is up to 60 gig, since they haven't raised the prices, it's as if I'm getting a de facto price drop.

Or at least that's what I'm going to tell the wife.

LouZer
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2000

0

04/20, 12:39am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: price drop

Apple doesn't lower prices so much as to add features or increased hardware specs at the same price.

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Apple updates iBook G4, PowerBook G4

updated 08:45 am EDT, Mon April 19, 2004

Apple updates iBook, PBG4

Related Articles

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Schweet

wow

Okay

Re: Okay

RevB

Re: wow

Not to rain on the parade

Re: Not to rain on the pa

iBook screen size

$$$

Hard Drives still 4200rpm

pleasantly surprised

wow

this summer will be good.

Re: this summer

Re: screen size

Yeah, but...

No more sub 1GHZ CPUs

BS

Re: Re: wow

SuperDrive opt. on iBooks

Price Drop?

sd on ibooks...

re: re: screen size

Nice changes

Solid Bumps...

re: re: screen size

Next up... new iMacs

De Facto Price Drop

Re: price drop

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