IBook
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The correct title of this article is iBook. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
Image:IBook redjar.jpg The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer between 1999 and 2006. It was targeted at the consumer and education markets, with fewer features and lower prices than the PowerBook, and more recently, the MacBook Pro. The MacBook replaced the iBook line in May 2006.
Contents |
[edit] iBook ("Clamshell")
| iBook ("Clamshell") | |
|---|---|
| Image:Clamshell iBook G3.jpg The iBook | |
| Type: | Laptop |
| Developer: | Apple Computer |
| Released: | July 21, 1999 |
| Discontinued: | May 1, 2001 |
| Processor(s): | PowerPC G3, 300–466 MHz |
After much speculation, Steve Jobs unveiled the consumer-targeted iBook laptop computer during the keynote presentation of Macworld Conference & Expo, New York City on July 21, 1999. The design was influenced by Apple's consumer desktop, the iMac, with a large distinctive shape, translucent clear and colored plastics. Its marketing slogan was "iMac to go". <ref>TidBITS, iBook: An iMac to Go, issue 490 (1999)</ref>
The iBook design catered to children and students. A carrying handle was built into the hinge. Apple demonstrated someone holding the iBook while jumping off a height (onto cushions) to tout the durability of the casing. Like the iMac, the iBook ran a PowerPC G3 chip, and included no legacy Apple interfaces. USB, Ethernet, modem ports and an optical drive were standard. The ports were placed uncovered along the side, as a cover was thought to be fragile. Similarly, there were no latches. The bottom surface had additional power connectors that allowed multiple iBooks to be easily charged on a custom-made rack.
The first iBook was the first mainstream computer ever designed and sold with internal wireless networking. The display bezel contained the wireless antenna, which attached to an optional internal wireless card. Lucent helped in creating this wireless capability and in establishing the industry standard. Apple released the AirPort Wireless Base Station at the same time.
There was heated debate over just many things such as the aesthetics, features, weight, performance, pricing. The iBook was heftier than the PowerBook of the time, with lower specifications. Standard features like PC card slots were absent, as were long rumoured features like touch-screens, and an ultra-long battery life. The iBook was labelled "toilet seat", among other things, due to the distinctive design. Nevertheless, this same distinctive design made the iBook visible in movies and televisions shows.
The iBook was a commercial success. The line continually received processor, memory, hard disk upgrades, and new colors. FireWire and video out were later added.
[edit] Models
- iBook (June 21,1999) – First iBook (Tangerine, Blueberry)
- 12.1-inch Active-matrix TFT Display (800x600 max resolution)
- PowerPC G3 300 MHz
- 66 MHz bus
- 32 MB RAM (soldered to logic board)
- Expandable to 544 MB (288 MB specified by Apple)
- 4 MB ATI Rage Mobility AGP 2x
- 3.2 GB Hard Disk (ATA-33 Controller)
- CD-ROM
- USB, Ethernet
- Airport (802.11b, optional)
- Mac OS 8.6
- iBook SE (February 16, 2000) – Minor addition to existing line (Graphite)
- 366 MHz
- 64 MB RAM (soldered to Logic Board)
- Expandable to 576 MB (320 MB specified by Apple)
- Mac OS 9.0.2
- 6 GB Hard disk
- (Other Specifications Same as iBook)
- iBook Firewire/SE (September 13, 2000) – Major revision (Graphite, Indigo, Key-lime)
- 12.1-inch Active-matrix TFT Display (800x600 max resolution)
- G3 366/466 MHz
- 64 MB RAM
- 8 MB ATI Rage 128 Mobility AGP 2x
- 10 GB Hard Disk (ATA-66 Controller)
- CD-ROM/4x DVD-ROM
- USB, Firewire, Video Out (through a special 3.5mm cable), Ethernet
- Airport (802.11b, optional)
- Mac OS 9.0.4
- (Other Specifications same as iBook and iBook SE)
The original iBook design was discontinued in May 2001, in favor of the new "Dual USB" iBooks.
[edit] Expandability/Upgrades
The original iBook's only customer-serviceable parts were the memory (RAM) and AirPort card, accessed via two slots under the easily-removed keyboard. No other modifications could be performed in warranty, and no PCMCIA port existed to provide additional expansion capabilities. Complicated procedures are required (such as removing nearly 40 screws) in order to access any internal components such as the hard disk and optical drive. Most iBooks shipped with Mac OS 8.6 or 9.0. Support for these iBooks is built into OS X v10.0 through v10.3.9. OS X v10.4 (Tiger) requires a Firewire port and DVD drive, essentially restricting it to the late-model iBook SE.
The third-party software XPostfacto <ref>Other World Computing's XPostFacto</ref> enables installation of Mac OS X (10.0 to current) on unsupported Macs.
[edit] iBook Dual USB (12.1-inch & 14.1-inch)
| iBook ("Dual USB") | |
|---|---|
| Image:02ibook front.jpg The second-generation iBook (14"). | |
| Type: | Laptop |
| Developer: | Apple Computer |
| Released: | May 1, 2001 |
| Discontinued: | October 22, 2003 |
| Processor(s): | PowerPC G3, 500–900 MHz |
A next generation iBook debuted at a press conference in Cupertino on May 1, 2001. The machine had been totally redesigned. Bold colors and the radical form-factor were abandoned for a white and slim-line polycarbonate shell; a design which earned Apple accolades from the computing industry and inspired the look of countless other products. The handle was removed, as was the latchless design. An L-shaped hinge reduced screen height, a feature Apple adopted in all its future portables.
With the iBook, Apple began its use of translucent and white polycarbonate in most of its consumer machines such as iMac, eMac, Mac Mini, MacBook. In contrast, most of its professional products used an anodized aluminum finish.
[edit] Models
- iBook Dual USB (May 1, 2001) – Second Generation iBook
- 12.1-inch Active-matrix TFT Display (1024x768 max resolution)
- PowerPC G3 500 MHz
- 64 or 128 MB RAM
- 10 GB Hard Disk
- CD/CDRW/DVD/Combo
- USB 1.1, Firewire, Video Out, Ethernet
- Airport (802.11b, optional)
- Mac OS 9.1
- 2.2 kg
- iBook Dual USB Late 2001 (October 16, 2001) - Minor revision
- 600 MHz
- 15 GB Hard Disk (most models)
- Mac OS X 10.1
- (Other Specifications Same as Dual USB)
- iBook 14-inch (January 7, 2002) – New model, larger 14-inch display
- 14-inch Active-matrix TFT Display (1024x768 max resolution)
- 256 MB RAM
- (Other Specifications Same as Dual USB Late 2001)
- iBook Mid 2002 (May 20, 2002) – Minor revision
- 600/700 MHz
- Mac OS X 10.1
- (Other Specifications Same as 14-inch)
- iBook Early 2003 (April 22, 2003) – Minor revision
- 800/900 MHz
- Mac OS X 10.2
- (Other Specifications Same as Mid 2002)
[edit] iBook G4
| iBook G4 | |
|---|---|
| Image:IBook G4.jpg iBook G4 (12") | |
| Type: | Laptop |
| Developer: | Apple Computer |
| Released: | October 22, 2003 |
| Discontinued: | May 16, 2006 |
| Processor(s): | PowerPC G4, 800 MHz–1.42 GHz |
A PowerPC G4 chip, slot-loading optical drives and a solid white case and keyboard were added on October 23, 2003—finally ending Apple’s use of the G3 chip. The translucent case finish and magnesium components were replaced with opaque plastics. Some maintain that the G4 iBook had a cheaper and less stylish look than the G3 iBook,[citation needed] lacking the translucent case finish, keyboard and magnesium chassis and palm rests, and replacing the magnesium display hinge with a plastic part.
[edit] Models
- iBook G4 (October 22, 2003) – Major revision, processor switch
- 12-inch or 14-inch Active-matrix TFT Display (1024x768 max resolution)
- G4 800/933 MHz/1 GHz
- 256 MB RAM
- 30/40/60 GB Hard Disk
- Slot-load Combo (CD-RW/DVD-ROM)
- USB 2.0, Firewire 400, Video Out, Ethernet 10/100
- Airport Extreme (802.11g, optional)
- Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther"
- iBook G4 Early 2004 (April 19, 2004) - Minor revision
- G4 1.0/1.2 GHz
- Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD-R) Built to Order Option
- (Other Specifications Same as iBook G4)
- iBook G4 Late 2004 (October 19, 2004) – Minor revision
- G4 1.2/1.33 GHz
- 30/40/60 GB Hard Disk
- Slot-load Combo (DVD/CD-RW)/SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
- AirPort Extreme Standard
- (Other Specifications Same as iBook G4 Early 2004)
- The three models are: M9623LL/A (12-inch, 1.2 GHz, combo drive), M9627LL/A (14-inch, 1.33 GHz, combo drive), M9628LL/A (14-inch, 1.33 GHz, super drive)
- Originally shipped with Mac OS X v10.3 Panther but with the release of Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, all current iBooks shipped with the more up-to-date operating system.
- iBook G4 Mid 2005 (July 26, 2005 to May 16 2006) – Minor revision and the last PowerPC iBooks
- Still a G4 PowerPC
- M9846LL/A: (Retail $999) 1.33 GHz; 12-inch display; 40 GB hard disk; Slot-Load Combo Drive DVD-ROM/CD-RW
- M9848LL/A: (Retail $1299) 1.42 GHz; 14-inch display; 60 GB hard disk; Slot-Load SuperDrive DVD±RW/CD-RW
- While the 14-inch display is bigger it is the same resolution as the 12-inch.
- Both models now feature: 512 MB memory (expandable to 1.5 GB) at 333 MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 graphics processor with 32 MB video RAM; Sudden Motion Sensor (parks the hard drive head if the iBook is dropped); scrolling trackpad; Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
- Both have a bus at a 10:1 ratio (133 MHz or 142 MHz).
- (Other Specifications Same as iBook G4 Late 2004)
[edit] Expandability/Upgrades
The iBook keyboard lifts up allowing installation of the AirPort (wireless) card and additional memory. This does give the keyboard a "spongy" effect though.
However, accessing the hard drive requires the removal of a number of screws. iFixit offers a set of Fixit Guides for the iBooks that provide instructions with pictures covering how to get to any internal component.
[edit] Quality issues
In late November 2003, a number of iBook users started to report a display problem with their laptops. In December 2003, a group of users headed by Michael Johnson at the now defunct http://www.blackcider.com/, and Bill Owen at http://www.eyestir.com/ sought to file a class action suit against Apple. In January 2004, in a response to the widely publicised display defect, Apple initiated the "iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program", which covers any expense of repairing "affected iBooks for three years". <ref>OSnews — iBook Issues? You're Not Alone,[2004-01-03</ref><ref>Apple.com — Expanded iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program FAQ</ref>
Recently, an online petition has been started to encourage Apple to acknowledge that this problem is allegedly happening to early G4 iBook computers too, where one website has gathered over 900 instances of logic board failure in the G4 iBooks shortly after the basic 1 year warranty <ref>"iBook G4 Logic Board Petition (newer)"</ref><ref>Original iBook G4 Dilemma + MACFIXIT.com · Nov 29 2005</ref>. In addition, some users are reporting similar display problems with more recent 1 GHz models. In addition users are complaining on discussion boards across the web and on Apple's own site that the replacement logic boards are faulty and failing as well. Apple has not admitted that these replacements are defective and new class action lawsuits are being organized. One discussion forum, guessing that some of the iBook problem was caused by the GPU losing contact, found that placing a shim between the plastic casing and the heat sink solved the problem - and that Apple was using this solution also. For a detailed explanation of the technique, see this guide.
[edit] Discontinuation
On May 16, 2006, the Intel-powered MacBook replaced the iBook line for retail purchasing; however, the iBook G4 can still be purchased through educational channels. <ref>http://www.apple.com/education/solutions/ibook/</ref>
[edit] See also
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- Apple iBook's in Education
- NotebookPictures.com Apple iBook Notebook Pictures
- Apple – Support – Specifications – iBook
- Apple – how to identify your iBook
- Comprehensive technical details
- Do-It-Yourself Directions for upgrades.
- Apple iBook Memory Installation Guide
- Apple "MacBook" filing suggests iBook re-branding
| Apple hardware since 1998 | |
|---|---|
| Consumer Macs: | iMac | iMac G3 | iMac G4 | iMac G5 | iMac Core Duo | iMac Core 2 Duo | Mac mini | eMac | iBook | MacBook |
| Professional Macs: | Power Macintosh G3 | Power Mac G4 | Cube | Power Mac G5 | Mac Pro | Xserve | PowerBook G3 | PowerBook G4 | MacBook Pro |
| iPods: | iPod | iPod mini | iPod photo | iPod shuffle | iPod nano |
| Accessories: | AirPort | iSight | Cinema Display | Xserve RAID | Mighty Mouse | iPod Hi-Fi |
| Italics denote discontinued products | |
es:IBook fr:IBook ko:아이북 id:IBook it:Famiglia iBook he:IBook nl:Apple iBook ja:IBook no:IBook pl:IBook pt:IBook sk:IBook sv:IBook zh:IBook
