Today's Apple "May Fun Day" brought us a couple very nice things. CD Burning capabilities in OS X, an iTunes update for OS X, a deal with a school district for 23,000 iBooks, but most of all, a brand new iBook. This new iBook is just what the doctor ordered for many people, with a new casing, upgraded innards, and a screen capable of 1024x768 resolution.
 A frontal view of the new iBook. |
In fact, this is just the iBook I was waiting for too. With the Titanium PowerBook G4 being way out of the price range for many people, a new iBook, with a great price is nearly perfect. While the innards have been updated somewhat, the new look is way different. Sporting an all white case, made out of polycarbonate plastic, with a magnesium casing, this iBook is poised to be even stronger than the previous model.
 Looking at the iBook from the side. |
Plus, it has gotten smaller. Now, only 4.9 lbs, and 1.35 inches thick, it's much easier to lug around. And even with that adequate 12.1 inch screen, the width and depth of this thing have been reduced down to 11.2 and 9.1 inches respectively. That means no more specially made case for the iBook. You can run into any office store, and pickup a "run of the mill" carrying case, without worrying if your iBook will fit in it. However, now it looks like you will have to get a carrying case, as Apple has decided to take away the nice handle seen on previous iBooks. Only time will tell if that was a good or bad idea.
But looks aren't everything. The insides of the iBook have also changed, although not as radically. With a faster CPU, more RAM, larger hard drive, and a screen capable of 1028x768 resolution, that's already enough to call it a new iBook. However, that's not all. Now, Apple gives you a choice between a regular CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, a CD-RW drive, or a combination CD-RW/DVD drive. In fact, that is almost all that separates the different models of the current lot of iBooks, with the Special Edition model being removed. Here is a good rundown of the basic specifications:
| $1299 | $1499 | $1599 | $1799 |
|
12.1-inch TFT XGA display 500MHz PowerPC G3 256K on-chip L2 cache 64MB SDRAM memory 10GB Ultra ATA drive CD-ROM drive 8MB video memory 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56K internal modem RGB video output Two USB ports FireWire port |
12.1-inch TFT XGA display 500MHz PowerPC G3 256K on-chip L2 cache 128MB SDRAM memory 10GB Ultra ATA drive DVD-ROM drive w/DVD-Video 8MB video memory 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56K internal modem RGB video output Two USB ports FireWire port |
12.1-inch TFT XGA display 500MHz PowerPC G3 256K on-chip L2 cache 128MB SDRAM memory 10GB Ultra ATA drive CD-RW drive 8MB video memory 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56K internal modem RGB video output Two USB ports FireWire port |
12.1-inch TFT XGA display 500MHz PowerPC G3 256K on-chip L2 cache 128MB SDRAM memory 10GB Ultra ATA drive DVD/CD-RW combo 8MB video memory 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56K internal modem RGB video output Two USB ports FireWire port |
 The iBook closed up. |
As you can see, this revision of the iBook really does offer you a lot more bang for your buck. Plus, there are some hidden specifications, that are worth mentioning. These include a very decent 5 hour battery life, a very large software bundle, full sized keyboard (something many PC notebooks lack), a 66 MHz system bus (the major thing that should be improved), 2 speakers for stereo sound, a built in mircophone, and composite output to TV through the AV port (with a special cable). Adding these things into the equation just makes the whole deal that much sweeter.
However, there is one thing missing from this equation, which will deter many people for a couple months. That one thing is Mac OS X. Apple has stated that Mac OS X will be preinstalled on machines starting later this summer, which means we still get OS 9.1 with these iBooks. Of course, 9.1 is a great OS, but when you combine the look and power of this iBook, with the look and power of Mac OS X later this summer, you will have the ultimate in consumer notebooks.
 All of the new ports on the iBook. |
That second to last word in the previous sentence signifies something major. For the professionals, the iBook won't be worth it. But for those of us strapped for cash (seems like almost everybody these days), this is a great choice. In fact, I'm sure deals will start popping up all over DealMac, which will make the iBook even more irresistible. I know I will be watching for a free 128 MB of RAM, or a free copy of Mac OS X, before I dive into this iBook.
I really don't know how Apple keeps outdoing itself with these things, but I'm sure this new iBook will start yet another trend. In 3-5 weeks (estimated time of delivery), users around the world will be using a sleek, new, powerful notebook computer from Apple. Instead of calling the iBook "The iMac to Go," they should starting calling it the "PowerBook G3 Duo." It has all the qualities of a great powerbook seen in the Pismo and previous iBook models, plus the sleekness of a Duo. Way to go Apple!
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Arbitrary Quote - I finally came up with a punishment for the boy. First, no leaving the house, not even for school. Second, no egg nog. In fact, no nog period! And third, absolutely no stealing for three months!