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The Compleat Buyer’s And User’s Guide To Low-End Macintosh Laptops 2007 Edition Part One

This is the second installment of "A Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To Macintosh Laptops 2007 Edition." Last week we looked at the current crop of high-end Apple notebooks.This time we're covering low-end ($1,000 and less) Mac PowerBooks and iBooks.

The announcement of the 13" MacBook starting at $1,100 last year accelerated downward pressure on used and refurbished Apple laptop prices, and for the 2006 Compleat Guides I adjusted the threshold between "low-end" and "high end" back up to $1,000 from $900, which puts refurbished Revision A Core Duo MacBooks, (and even Apple Certified Refurbished 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo models) in the low end category, which illustrates how much prices have compressed in the sub-$1,000 range.

Four years ago I shifted all pre-WallStreet PowerBooks to the "Antique And Collectible Macintosh Laptops" category. Last year, I also consigned the WallStreet and Lombard G3 Series PowerBooks, and all but the last, "Paris" revision of the original Clamshell iBooks, to that status as well. While many of these machines are still giving their owners excellent service, it's arguable that even a low-end laptop should be able to run the current version of OS X, and the WallStreet has not been officially supported since OS X 10.3 Panther's release in 2003, while the Lombard and early Clamshells were dropped from current OS X support with the release of OS 10.4 Tiger more than two years ago. With the help of Ryan Rempel's XPostFacto installer hack, you can get Tiger to run on them, but that's not quite the same thing.

This year I haven't dropped any models from the low-end class, although if OS 10.5 Leopard had been released by now I probably would have, although I'm not making any prognostications about what the official minimum hardware for Leopard will be. I'm hoping that G3s will still be supported.

Moving along, in my estimation, the current 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook is the greatest performance for dollar-spent that Apple has ever offered a portable (the base, 1.83 GHz unit is a good deal too, but not as spectacular a value as the 2.0 GHz model with its gigabyte of standard RAM and SuperDrive optical drive for $200 more), and if your budget can handle it, I encourage you to consider that option. On the other hand, if you still need Mac OS Classic Mode support, the G4 PowerBooks and iBooks are the ultimate machines that offer it, and I'm still happily using a 1.33 GHz G4 PowerBook as my main production machine.

So without further preamble, here is our revised Compleat Guide to Low End PowerBooks and iBooks for 2007, covering 'Books that (should) cost less than our arbitrary low/high end watershed of $1,000, but are still powerful enough to put in a good day's work without too many compromises, and serve as one's "only" computer if that's desirable.

The Paris Clamshell iBooks (September, 2000)

By September, 2000, speed bumps to 366 MHz and 466 MHz for the basic iBook and the iBook SE respectively, were overdue, especially for the lower-end machine whose previous 300 MHz chip had been barely marginal for running some newer software.

I'm feeling some equivocation about not shifting these last-revision clamshells to the "Antique And Collectible Macintosh Laptops" category, but they are still officially supported by OS X 10.4 Tiger, and are tough, likeable machines if you can live with an 800 x 600 resolution display.

The MacWorld Expo Paris iBooks came with IBM's new PowerPC 750cx processor. The 750CX (G3e) used less power than the 750 G3, about 4W at 400 MHz vs. 7W. The 750CX also has an integrated 256 KB level 2 (L2) cache, albeit the size of cache was reduced from the old iBook's 512K cache.

It was great to finally see FireWire a port and an AV video-out port on the iBook, and a new composite video port resembled a conventional 1/8" audio jack, but output video to TV through a special cable. Gamers and multimedia types were delighted to have the impressive ATI Rage Mobility 128 video card with its 8 MB of VRAM in the iBook, although the 12.1 in., 800 x 600 monitor was still small for multimedia work.

The bigger 10 GB hard drives (and optional 20 GB units) quieted complaints in that quarter, and those who wanted to watch DVD movies on their iBook could now do so with the iBook SE's DVD-ROM drive.

The iBook SE's Graphite livery, was continued, and the Indigo base model was at least as attractive as its Blueberry predecessor. However, the new "Key Lime" color, which was offered on both models, proved to be more controversial.

However, Apple addressed most of the objections users had to the original iBook, added a lot of value, and held the price point. The remaining really substantial iBook deficiencies were the small, low resolution screen, and the lack of VGA-out and sound-in ports. The lack of analog sound-in support had been mitigated somewhat by the availability of USB microphones.

However, the new 500 MHz, May 2001 iBook is superior in specification and performance to the Revision A through C machines, unless you happen to be enamored of the original versions style and colors.

iBook 366 MHz (September 2000)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (800 x 600)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in mono speaker
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM drive
10 GB HD
One USB port
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 MB (64 MB standard)
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 366 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
Carrying handle
Weight: 6.7 pounds

iBook 466 MHz (September 2000)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (800 x 600)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in mono speaker
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
6x DVD-ROM drive
10 GB HD (20 GB optional)
One USB port
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 MB (64 MB standard)
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 466 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
Carrying handle
Weight: 6.7 pounds

Recommendation: The "Paris 2000" iBook models with FireWire and 366 or 466 MHz processors are the most desirable clamshell iBooks,and are the slowest Apple portables supported by OS X 10.4 Tiger. I question their value as a work machine at anything over $250, with a whole gaggle of Dual USB G3 iBooks models available from that price point. The 466 MHz SE should run Tiger decently, however. These iBooks are now near-collectables if in top condition, and their market value could begin to increase on that basis soon.

Dual-USB 500 MHz iBook (May 2001)

When Steve Jobs introduced the second generation iBook in May, 2001, he described it as "amazing." I have to agree. I'm still blown away by how they were able to pack all that good PowerBook stuff into a package with about one-third less volume than the PowerBooks 5300 and 1400, and then sell it for $999.

This machine had (almost) a full slate of PowerBook bells and whistles, Apple upgraded the 12.1 in. spec. from the previous generation iBook's 800 x 600 (Super VGA) resolution to the recent PowerBook standard of 1024 x 768 (XGA). This supports a display of millions of colors, and allows you to pack more content onto the screen, but at the cost of making stuff appear awfully small, especially standard 12 point text and the already tiny toolbar (etc.) icons in some programs. This is less of an issue with OS X, which uses a larger fonts and easily resizable Finder/Dock icons, but it may be a bit of a problem for those of us with aging eyes running the classic Mac OS.

iBook 500 MHz (May 2001)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM, 8x DVD-ROM or 8x4x24 CD-RW drive, or optional Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive
10 GB HD (20 GB optional)
One USB port
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 or 640 MB (64 MB standard)
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 500 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.8 pounds

There were four separate original 500 MHz iBook models, distinguished by their RAM and removable media drive configurations:

• iBook 500 MHz with 64 MB SCRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, 24x-speed CD-ROM drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet

• iBook 500 MHz with 128MB SDRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, 8x-speed DVD-ROM drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet

• iBook 500 MHz with 128MB SDRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, CD-RW drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet. The drive is capable of writing CD-R media at 8x speed and CD-RW media at 4x speed. It can read CD-ROM media at 24x speed (CAV).

• iBook 500 MHz with 128MB SDRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, Combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet. The drive can read DVD media and read and write CD media, and also provides DVD-Video playback with DVD MPEG2 decode.

The CD drives are all tray loading, and the upper right key on the keyboard is the eject button. By offering the choice of a CD, DVD or CD-RW, Apple should have everybody's tastes in drives covered. I prefer the drive loading from the right hand side instead of the front as on the TiBook.

Base RAM is soldered directly onto the motherboard, with 64 MB soldered in on the base model, and 128MB on the other three configurations. This means it can't be replaced or upgraded in the future, making the maximum amount of RAM supported the base configuration plus a 512MB SO-DIMM in a single 1.25 standard PC100 144-pin SO-DIMM slot, ie: 576 or 640MB.

The original dual-USB iBook uses a Rage Mobility 128 video card with 8 MB of VRAM, and AGP 2X support for 3D graphics-- the same setup that the Pismo and first generation Titanium PowerBooks used.

Used 500 MHz iBooks should sell in the $150 - $250 range.

Dual-USB 500/600 MHz iBook (October, 2001)

On October 16, 2001 Apple enhanced its iBook line with faster G3 processors up to 600 MHz, a new system bus running up to 100 MHz, larger hard drives up to 20GB and 128MB of RAM standard across the line, while holding the entry level price line with a 500 MHz, 15GB HD, 66 MHz system bus, CD-ROM equipped unit at $1,299, and with the top-of-the-line model featuring a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive newly priced $100 lower at $1,699. The new iBooks also came with both the new Mac OS X version 10.1 and Mac OS 9.2.1 pre-installed. The iBook's 1024 x 768 (XGA) display supports millions of colors.

iBook 500 MHz (October 2001)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM
15 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 or 640 MB
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 500 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
A new small, lightweight power adapter
Weight: 4.8 pounds

iBook 600 MHz (October 2001)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM, 8x DVD-ROM or 8x4x24 CD-RW drive, or optional Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive
20 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 640 MB
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 600 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
A new small, lightweight power adapter
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.8 pounds

Base RAM was 128 MB soldered in, which means it can't be replaced or upgraded in the future, making the maximum amount of RAM supported the base configuration plus a 512MB SO-DIMM in a single 1.25 standard PC100 144-pin SO-DIMM slot 640MB.

This October, 2001 dual-USB iBook uses a Rage Mobility 128 video card with 8 MB of VRAM, and AGP 2X support for 3D graphics- the same setup that the Pismo and first generation Titanium PowerBooks used, so it won't support Quartz Extreme.

There are two different video-out ports on these iBooks, each requiring an adapter cable. The RGB output port supports VGA monitors and video mirroring but not monitor spanning. You can connect to regular monitors as well as RGB devices like projectors. However, if you want to use the AV out (Composite/RCA video) jack for connecting to a TV or VCR through an adapter cable or use your headphones in the same port (not simultaneously), you'll have to purchase an adapter from Apple. The jack accepts a special mini-plug with an additional contact ring that carries the composite video output signal. An adapter cable with separate RCA-type connectors for stereo audio and composite video outputs is available. The RGB video output cable is included. Display resolutions supported are 640 by 480, 800 by 600, and 1024 by 768 pixels.

The iBook doesn't have a PC Card slot or an infrared port. There is, however, now a built-in omnidirectional microphone, and two stereo speakers instead of a mono one. Battery life under normal use is up to 6 hours.

Recommendation: the October, 2001 (and January 2002 - see below) 12.1" iBooks should sell in the $175 - $250 range depending on processor speed, optical drive, and RAM configuration.

Dual-USB 500/600 MHz iBook (January, 2002)

The big news for the iBook at MacWorld Expo in January, 2002, was the introduction of the "Son of Pismo" model. For nearly a year, rumors had been circulating that Apple would introduce a mid-range "Son of Pismo" PowerBook slotted between the high-end TiBooks and the iBook.

The new 14-inch iBook more or less fit that category. The new model featured a 14-inch active-matrix display, 256MB RAM, a Combo drive and battery life of up to 6 hours for $1,799

The 12.1" iBook was also made more affordable, starting at $1,199 with CD-ROM drive. An iBook with a 12.1-inch display and the Combo drive was $1,499, completing the lineup. Mac OS X version 10.1.2 came pre-installed as the default OS, as well as Classic Mac OS 9.2.2. Most everything else was carried over from the October, 2001 machines.

iBook 600 MHz 14.1" (January 2002)
Active-matrix 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
256MB RAM
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive
20 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 600 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
A new small, lightweight power adapter
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 5.9 pounds

The three standard configurations were now:

The 600 MHz iBook at $1,799 included:
• a 14.1-inch (diagonal) active-matrix TFT display;
• 256MB SDRAM;
• a 20GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
• a 6 hour battery life; and
• DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive.

The 600 MHz iBook at $1,499 included:
• a 12.1-inch (diagonal) active-matrix TFT display;
• 128MB SDRAM;
• a 20GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
• a 5 hour battery life; and
• DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive.

The 500 MHz iBook at $1,199 included:
• a 12.1-inch (diagonal) active-matrix TFT display;
• 128MB SDRAM;
• a 15GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
• a 5 hour battery life; and
• CD-ROM optical drive.

Price -- $200 - $300 depending on optical drive and screen size.

Dual-USB 600/700 MHz iBook (May, 2002)

On May 20, 2002 Apple updated the iBook with faster PowerPC G3 processors of at up to 700 MHz, double the on-chip level 2 cache, a more powerful ATI Mobility Radeon graphics processor and larger hard drives, making them the oldest iBooks that will support Quartz Extreme in OS X.

These iBooks ran up to 35 percent faster than previous models in CPU performance tests and features a new video-out port that supports VGA output, as well as S-video and composite video with optional adapter.

The entry level iBook now had a 600 MHz processor, a 20 GB hard drive, and a 100 MHz system bus.

iBook 600 MHz (May 2002)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
CD-ROM optical drive
20 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 640 MB (128 MB standard)
PowerPC 750FX (G3) 600 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Mobility Radeon graphics controller with 16MB RAM and AGP 2X
Optional Airport wireless networking
A new small, lightweight power adapter
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.8 pounds

iBook 700 MHz (May 2002)
Active-matrix 12.1" or 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
128 MB or 256MB RAM
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
CD-ROM optical drive or DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
20 GB or 30 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC 750FX (G3) 700 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Mobility Radeon graphics controller with 16MB RAM and AGP 2X
Optional Airport wireless networking
A new small, lightweight power adapter
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 5.9 pounds

Prices: In the $200 - $300 range for 12 inchers; Up to $350 for a 14 incher.

PowerBook (FireWire) - "Pismo" (February 2000)

With its UMA motherboard, 400 or 500 MHz G3 processors and 1 MB of L2 cache, Pismo is substantially more than just a speed-bumped Lombard with FireWire substituted for SCSI and AirPort wireless support added.

The UMA mobo features a 100 MHz system bus makes the 400 MHz Pismo roughly 30% faster than a 400 MHz Lombard, thanks to the faster bus plus faster RAM and hard drives. As with iBook, Pismo's sleep light pulses rather than blinks.

Pismo has two 400 Mbps bus-powered FireWire ports, and SCSI is history, so Apple has introduced FireWire Target Disk Mode as a substitute for the old SCSI Disk Mode. When the PowerBook is in Target Disk Mode and connected to another Macintosh computer by a FireWire cable, the PowerBook operates like a FireWire mass storage device with the SBP-2 (Serial Bus Protocol) standard.

Pismo also has two 12 Mbps USB ports with UTA USB implementation and independent busses each USB port. The sound system for Pismo supports 44.1 KHz 16-bit stereo sound output and input, available simultaneously. Pismo is available with hard drives of 6, 12, or 18 GB capacity, and supports PC100-compliant SO-DIMM modules, and supports up to 512 MB of RAM. or even 1024 MB in two 512 MB modules, although there are some minor limitations that inhere with 1 Gig of RAM installed. Pismo has 8MB of SDRAM video memory that can support millions of colors on external displays up to 21 inches.

All this in a package that sold for about the same price as a PowerBook 1400 did two years earlier, but is roughly 10 times faster.

The Pismo has been given a new lease on life with the release of 500 and 550 MHz G4 7410 upgrade products by Daystar, FastMac, Newer Technology (500 MHz only) and Wegener Media (Allegro). FastMac and MCE offer SuperDrive expansion bay modules, and MCE offers a MultiDrive that includes DVD-RAM support as well. Fastmac even offers a Blu-Ray optical drive module for the Pismo, and high-capacity batteries are available from Fastmac and Other World Computing.

PowerBook G3 Pismo 400 MHz
Active-matrix 14.1" color display (1,024x768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
6x DVD-ROM drive
6 GB HD (10 GB on later models)
Two FireWire Ports
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (64 MB standard)
PowerPC 750 (G3) 400 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics controller with 8 MB of video SDRAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
Weight: 6.1 pounds

PowerBook G3 Pismo 500 MHz
Active-matrix 14.1" color display (1,024x768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
6x DVD-ROM drive
12 GB HD (18 or 20 GB optional)
Two FireWire Ports
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (128 MB standard)
PowerPC 750 (G3) 500 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics controller with 8 MB of video SDRAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
Weight: 6.1 pounds

Pismo can support up to 63 daisy-chained FireWire devices so long as they are self-powered, but just one bus powered FireWire device.

Pismo also has 12 Mbps USB ports with UTA USB implementation and independent busses each USB port. The sound system for Pismo supports 44.1 KHz 16-bit stereo sound output and input, available simultaneously. Pismo shipped with the iBook's yo-yo-shaped power adapter cord reel.

The S-video port was continued, allowing you to connect the PowerBook to any standard television or VCR. For presentations, you can continue to look at the screen on your PowerBook while your audience focuses on the larger TV screen. You can also use the S-Video port to watch DVD or VCD movies on your TV screen. Like Lombard, Pismo has 8MB of SDRAM video memory that can support millions of colors on external displays up to 21 inches.

The Pismo is a very fine PowerBook that offers certain advantages its Titanium successor lacks -- an expansion bay, a second FireWire port, and an analog sound-in port, notably. For non-Altivec optimized software -- which is most software, the 500 MHz Pismo will give the first generation TiBook a run for its money performance-wise as well, and some folks prefer the traditional G3 Series styling and form factor.

The Pismo is a rugged and solid machine that has no significant faults or reliability problems, and is still a very powerful, versatile, expandable, and upgradable laptop.

Recommendation: somewhere between $250 and $350 for a 400 MHz unit and $300 - $425 for a 500 MHz Pismo.

iBook Dual-USB 700 MHz "Opaque" (November, 2002)

In the November, 2002 iBook revision, Apple put a bit more distance between the base 12.1" CD-ROM model and its pricier combo drive siblings, giving it a pure white opaque polycarbonate plastic case instead of the "crystal" case all Dual USB iBooks had come with up to then. The price dropped to $999, making the 700 MHz Opaque iBook the first brand new Apple low end portable since some discounted end of line PowerBook 100s and 150s way back when.

The Opaque model got the 700 MHz 750fx chip from the preceding high end models, but also got the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 with 16 MB of VRAM and 2x AGP support from the previous generation Titanium PowerBooks which provides full Quartz Extreme support at the standard 1024 x 768 screen resolution. The 700 MHz Opaque iBook came with a 20 GB HD.

iBook 700 MHz (November, 2002)
Active-matrix 12.1 color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
128 MB
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
CD-ROM optical drive
20 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC 750FX (G3) 700 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 7500 graphics controller with 16MB RAM and AGP 2X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 5.9 pounds

I've owned one of these since January, 2003, and it has been a virtually flawless performer. It's currently running OS 10.4.8 very nicely.

Price Used/refurb.: $250 - $350

iBook Dual-USB 700 MHz 14" (May, 2002)

Another borderline threshold machine for high-end status is the May, 2002, 14" 600 MHz iBook. With that revision, the high end 12.1 machine and the 14 model got faster 700 MHz PowerPC G3 750fx processors with 512k of L2 onboard cache, making these models up to 35 percent faster than previous units in CPU performance tests.

Also new on all models was the more powerful ATI Mobility Radeon graphics controller from the Onyx TiBooks with 16MB RAM and AGP 2X, providing minimum support for Quartz Extreme graphics acceleration in OS X 10.2 Jaguar. Also new was a different video connector. These machines will just barely support Quartz Extreme in OS X 10.2.

iBook 700 MHz (May 2002)
Active-matrix or 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
256MB RAM
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
30 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC 750FX (G3) 700 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Mobility Radeon graphics controller with 16MB RAM and AGP 2X
Optional Airport wireless networking
A new small, lightweight power adapter
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 5.9 pounds

Recommendation: If you can find a 700 MHz 14" iBook for $275 - $375 it's a reasonable deal.

Titanium PowerBook G4 400/500 MHz (January 2001 - Mercury)

The Titanium G4 PowerBook early iterations are becoming quite affordable -- the lowest-priced G4 powered low-end 'Books. The original TiBook's 15.2" display unit's native resolution is 1152 x 768, as compared with the biggest iBook's 14.1 incher at 1024 x 768. VRAM remained at the 8 MB PowerBooks had since the introduction of Lombard in 1999.

No expansion bay, but happily, there's still a PC card slot in Ti, so that expansion avenue is still open. Compared with Pismo, Ti has also dropped from two to one FireWire ports.

PowerBook G4 Titanium 400 MHz (January 2001)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1152-by-768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
6x DVD-ROM drive
10 GB HD (20 GB optional)
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (128 MB standard)
PowerPC 7410 (G4) 400 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics controller with 8 MB of video SDRAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
Weight: 5.3 pounds

PowerBook G4 Titanium 500 MHz (January 2001)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1152-by-768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
6x DVD-ROM drive
20 GB HD (30 GB optional)
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (256 MB standard)
PowerPC 7410 (G4) 400 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics controller with 8 MB of video SDRAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
Weight: 5.3 pounds

These Tis came with 128 MB of standard SDRAM on the low-end model, and 256 megabytes on the high-end machine. Ti uses PC 100 RAM but supports only up to 1.5" low-profile DIMMs, and ships with a 1.25" DIMM installed.

The low-end machine's 10 gigabyte hard drive is a bit stingy by current standards, only matching the iBook which sold for half the price. Ti offers the same 10, 20, or 30 GB, 4200 RPM hard drive options as Pismo, and supports drives up to 12.7 mm in thickness.

The original Ti's slot-loading DVD-ROM drive also functions as a 24x CD-ROM or 6x DVD-ROM, and is capable of reading both DVD-RAM and DVD-R.

The computer has two USB ports, and an IrDA infrared link capable of transferring data at up to 4Mbits per second. An AirPort Card wireless LAN module is available as a configure-to-order option or as a user-installable upgrade.

The first Ti's internal bus speed remained at 100 MHz. Ti has a new pipelined system bus that is more efficient than the system bus on the PowerPC G3 microprocessors. The new bus design, called MaxBus, allows for much greater efficiency of bus utilization than was possible with the previous design.

Ti uses the Motorola MPC7410 ("Nitro") G4 microprocessor, running at 400 and 500 MHz, and "detuned" for lower power consumption. The MPC7410 supports up to 2MB of external L2 cache.

The early Tis have no analog (PlainTalk) audio-in port, and depend on digital audio input via the USB or FireWire ports, meaning a much narrower choice of potential microphone choices. There are built-in stereo speakers.

Ti has an autosensing 10/100 Base-T, PHY interface IC/Auto-MDIX Ethernet port that will switch from straight to crossover when it is plugged into another Mac likewise equipped. To connect with older Macs, a crossover cable will still be required.

Ti has a single battery bay. The battery uses lithium ion cells and provides 50 Watt-hours at 16.6V (full charge).

Recommendation: Prices for 400/500 MHz Tis should be in the $300 - $400 range.

iBook 800 MHz "Opaque" (April 2003)

The April 2003 iBook revision bumped the base "Opaque" CD-ROM model to 800 MHz, doubled its video RAM to 32 MB on the Radeon 7500 graphics card, and increased the standard hard drive capacity to 30 MB.

iBook 800 MHz (April, 2003)
Active-matrix 12.1 color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
128 MB
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
CD-ROM optical drive
30 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC 750FX (G3) 800 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 7500 graphics controller with 32MB VRAM and AGP 2X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 5.9 pounds

Price $300 - $400

iBook Dual-USB 800 MHz 12" and 14" (November, 2002)

The November, 2002 800 MHz iBook models retained the Crystal case, got a 100 MHz speed bump from their predecessors, retained the 16x8x24x CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive, 30 GB hard drives, and got ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics accelerators 32 MB with VRAM and 2x AGP for full Quartz Extreme support.

iBook 800 MHz (November 2002)
Active-matrix 12.1" or 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
128 MB or 256MB RAM
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
30 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC 750FX (G3) 800 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 7500 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 2X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.9 - 5.9 pounds

Prices used or refurbished should be in the crowded $300 - $450 range

iBook 900 MHz (April 2003)

The high end iBooks got another 100 MHz clock speed bump to 900 MHz in April, 2003, making them nominally a bit faster (for non Altivec optimized tasks) than the contemporary 12 G4 PowerBook. They also got a 40 GB standard hard drive. Otherwise, specifications remained the same as with the November, 2002 models.

iBook 900 MHz (April 2003)
Active-matrix 12.1" or 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
128 MB or 256MB RAM
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
40 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC 750FX (G3) 900 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 7500 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 2X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.9 - 5.9 pounds

Price ranges:
12" - +/- $400 - $450
14" - $475 - $550

Titanium PowerBook G4 (October 2001 - Onyx)

On October 16, 2001, Apple upgraded its line of Titanium PowerBook G4 notebooks with faster processors, high speed graphics and larger hard drives with PowerPC G4 processors up to 667 MHz, a new system bus running up to 133 MHz, speedy new ATI Mobility Radeon AGP 4X graphics and built-in Gigabit Ethernet networking-the first time ever in a portable.

The entry level model was bumped to 550 MHz, with a 100 MHz system bus retained. Both models provide advanced graphics and fast 3D rendering with the ATI Mobility Radeon graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 16MB of fast DDR video memory. The new 667 MHz PowerBook G4 came standard with both Gigabit Ethernet and AirPort wireless networking pre-installed. The new 550 MHz PowerBook G4 also included Gigabit Ethernet and the ability to add AirPort wireless networking as an option.

PowerBook G4 Titanium 550 MHz (October 2001)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1152-by-768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
slot-loading DVD-ROM drive or new slot-loading CD-RW drive option
20 GB HD (30 GB optional)
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (128 MB standard)
PowerPC 7410 (G4) 550 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
ATI Mobility Radeon graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 16MB of fast DDR video memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
a new small, lightweight power adapter
Weight: 5.3 pounds

PowerBook G4 Titanium 667 MHz (October 2001)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1152-by-768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
slot-loading DVD-ROM drive or new slot-loading CD-RW drive option
30GB Ultra ATA/66 hard drive standard, with drives up to 48GB optional
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (256 MB standard)
PowerPC (G4) 667 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
ATI Mobility Radeon graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 16MB of fast DDR video memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
AirPort wireless networking pre-installed
a new small, lightweight power adapter
Weight: 5.3 pounds

The 550 MHz PowerBook G4, for $2,199, included:
• 128MB SDRAM, expandable to 1GB;
• a 20GB Ultra ATA/66 hard drive; and
• AirPort ready with integrated antennas and card slot.

The 667 MHz PowerBook G4, for $2,999 (US), included:
• 256MB SDRAM, expandable to 1GB;
• a 30GB Ultra ATA/66 hard drive; and
• AirPort enabled with integrated antennas and pre-installed AirPort Card.

Note: In mid- December, 2001, the Onyx models were upgraded with standard slot-loading Combo CD-RW drives, and the 550 MHz machine's price was bumped to $2,299.

Recommendation: These machines should be selling for $350 - $475 these days. Note that they are the oldest TiBooks that have (limited) support for OS X 10.4 Tiger Quartz Extreme.

Tomorrow: iBook G4 800/933 MHz Through Core Duo MacBooks

Note on spelling and usage:

Since the first edition of this feature was posted in 1999, I have occasionally received emails politely "correcting" the spelling of the title . Actually, "Compleat" is not a misspelling (check your Webster's or OED), but rather a classical English spelling - viz. "The Compleat Angler" -- a book on fishing by Izaak Walton (1653). Road & Track Magazine also used to use the "compleat" spelling in similar contexts back in the '60s when the late John Bond was still editor/publisher. According to a reader, There was alsoa Beatles anthology called The Compleat Beatles, and I've seen it used fairly frequently around the Mac Web.

CM



***



cmoore@macopinion.com

Provisionally, you can access The Road Warrior Archive to Jan. 16, 2006 by clicking here.

Note: Letters to The Road Warrior may or may not be published in The Road Warrior Mailbag at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context.

If you would prefer that your message not appear in The Road Warrior Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published.

CM

The Compleat Buyer’s And User’s Guide To Low-End Macintosh Laptops 2007 Edition Part Two

In Part 1 of this year's The Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To Low-End Macintosh Laptops, we covered the Paris Clamshell iBooks and PowerBook Pismo Through Titanium PowerBook G4 Onyx. In Part 2, the iBook G4 800/933 MHz Through Core 2 Duo MacBooks are profiled.

iBook G4 800/933 MHz (October, 2003)

Apple surprised me, and a lot of other Apple portable watchers, by releasing a trio of G4 iBooks in October, 2003, clocked at 800 MHz, 933 MHz, and 1 GHz with 256 of onboard cache running at the processor speed, and the same 133 MHz system bus as the 12" PowerBook.

Apple stuck with the dual-USB iBook form factor that's been around since May 1st, 2001, and rationalized the iBook line somewhat. The 12.1" screen model was available only with the entry-level 800 MHz G4 chip.

Gone was the CD ROM version (save for an education-only $949 model), and all iBooks now had a slot-loading combo CD-RW drive and an ATI RADEON 9200 graphics accelerator card with 32 MB of video RAM -- just the ticket for supporting Quartz Extreme in Panther. The specification upgrades and the amalgamation of the 12" iBook into a single model meant the end of the sub-$1,000 iBook (again, with the exception of that $949 education channel special), and the cheapest consumer iBook now sold for $1,099, which is still a tremendous deal considering that you got the G4 chip, a better graphics card, a combo drive, 133 MHz of bus speed instead of 100 MHz, USB 2.0, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth support (both require optional additions) and a somewhat dubious (see below) 128 MB RAM upgrade for your extra hundred bucks.

The 933 MHz and 1 GHz iBooks were only available in 14.1" screen models.

iBook 800 MHz (October 2003)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
256MB RAM
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
30 GB HD
Two USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC G4 800 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.9 pounds

iBook 933 MHz (October 2003)
Active-matrix 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
256MB RAM
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
40 GB HD
Two USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire port
Maximum 640 MB RAM
PowerPC G4 933 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 5.9 pounds

Used and refurb 800 and 933 MHz G4 iBooks are selling in the $425 - $600 range.

iBook G4 1 GHz (April 2004)

The dual USB iBook form factor was in production for five years - the longest-running laptop design in Apple portable history. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since its only major shortcoming (albeit a significant one) is that it is relatively difficult to open up and work on, even for routine stuff like hard drive upgrades. However, it still looks great to my eyes, especially the 12" version.

The iBook got a new lease on life with the switch to G4 power in the fall of 2003, which was really a more revolutionary redesign then met the eye, involving a completely different motherboard architecture inside the familiar white housing.

The April, 2004 iBook speed bumps boosted the 12" model from 800 MHz to 1 GHz, and the two 14" variants from 933 MHz and 1 GHz respectively to a uniform 1.2 GHz, all with 512K on-chip level 2 cache running at 1GHz, and all with 256MB of PC2100 (266MHz) DDR SDRAM. Combo drives are standard throughout, and all iBook G4s now come with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics accelerator with 32MB of VRAM and AGP 4X support. All models support AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking, and it comes built-in on the 1.2 GHz 14-inch configuration. All iBooks have a 133MHz system bus.

The iBook features a do-all video output port that displays VGA, S-Video and Composite Video signals, and it supports both NTSC and PAL formats.

iBook 1 GHz (April 2004)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
256MB RAM expandable to up to 1.25GB maximum memory
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
30 GB HD
Two USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire port
PowerPC G4 1 GHz
133 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support
Weight: 4.9 pounds

iBook 1 GHz (April 2004)
Active-matrix 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
256MB RAM expandable to up to 1.25GB maximum memory
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo optical drive
40 GB HD
Two USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire port
PowerPC G4 1GHz
133 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 5.9 pounds

Used or refurbished prices for these models should be in the $450 to $600 range.

Titanium PowerBook G4 (April 2002 - Ivory)

In April, 2002, Apple upgraded the Titanium PowerBook G4 line with a new, higher-resolution display, 667 and 800 MHz G4 processors, and an integrated Digital Visual Interface (DVI) monitor port, and a 133 MHz system bus on all models. The Ivory PowerBook G4 line also includes the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 32MB of fast DDR video memory.

The Ivory's enhanced 15.2-inch display had a resolution of 1280-by-854 pixels at 101.4 dpi -- 23 percent more than the previous TiBooks' 1152x768 at 91.1 dpi, along with higher brightness and better color saturation, and integrated Digital Visual Interface (DVI) which can support either Apple's ADC digital interface for the current generation of Studio and Cinema LCD external monitors and DVI-equipped digital projectors, or standard VGA, with the proper adaptors respectively.

The TiBook form factor remained constant, with only Ivory's elimination of the infrared port and restoration of an analog sound-in port (last seen on the Pismo G3 Series 'Books), as well as a DVI video port. These are the points to look for when trying to distinguish between the Onyx and Ivory 667 MHz units.

PowerBook G4 Titanium 667 MHz (April 2002)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
a slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
30GB hard drive standard, with up to 60GB optional
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (256 MB standard)
PowerPC 7410 (G4) 667 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video ports
audio line-in and audio line-out ports;
ATI Radeon 7500 graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 32 MB of fast DDR video memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
a new small, lightweight power adapter
Weight: 5.4 pounds

PowerBook G4 Titanium 800 MHz (April 2002)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
a slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
40GB hard drive standard, with up to 60GB optional
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video port
audio line-in and audio line-out ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (512 MB standard)
PowerPC (G4) 800 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
ATI Radeon 7500 graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 32MB of fast DDR video memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
built-in AirPort Card with integrated antennas.
a new small, lightweight power adapter
Weight: 5.6 pounds

Recommendation: The Ivory models are much more desirable than the Mercury and Onyx Tis, as they offer full support for OS X 10.2 Quartz Extreme graphics acceleration, have a significantly better display, and the DVI and sound-in ports. A price range of $500 to $600 for the 667 MHz models would be about right, and $550 -$625 for the 800 MHz version.

Aluminum PowerBook G4 12" 867 MHz (January, 2003)

The baby 'Book introduced at MacWorld Expo in January, 2003 used the 12.1" 1024 x 768 display from the dual USB iBook, but like it's 17" whopper big brother, is housed in a hard anodized aluminum alloy case. Weighing a svelte 4.6 pounds, the 12-inch PowerBook G4 came with an 867 MHz G4 processor, 256MB of Double Data Rate (DDR) memory soldered to the motherboard (a single RAM upgrade slot allows upgrading to a maximum of 640 MB - same as the iBook), an NVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go graphics processor with 32MB of dedicated DDR VRAM, a standard slot-loading Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive (a slot-loading SuperDrive is also available as a BTO option), built-in Bluetooth, and built-in antennas and a card slot to support optional AirPort Extreme.

The 12" AlBook has the customary two stereo speakers plus a "midrange enhancing" third speaker. Its VGA video output supports dual display mode and video mirroring.

What's not there were a PC Card slot, a DVI or ADC video ports, a standard S-Video out port (requires a dongle a la the iBook), and no FireWire 800.

The Little AlBook has its ports on the side following the sensible iBook practice, with no doors, protruding latches or levers to break, external buttons to accidentally press, or sharp edges to catch on your clothing.

PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum 867 MHz (January, 2003)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024-x-768)
256MB DDR, expandable to 640 MB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
3 built-in speakers and microphone
10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
VGA video output supports dual display mode and video mirroring (S-video-out requires included adapter)
16-bit stereo sound input/output
a slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
40GB hard drive standard
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
PowerPC 7410 (G4) 867 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
audio line-in and audio line-out ports;
NVIDIA GEForce graphics card with 32 MB of VRAM,
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
AirPort ready with integrated antennas and card slot
Weight: 4.6 pounds

Recommendations: Used and refurbished 867 MHz 12" PowerBooks should be selling in the $550 - $600 range depending on SuperDrive status and condition.

Aluminum PowerBook G4 12" 1 GHz (September 2003)

The LittleAl got a speed bump to 1 GHz with 512 MB L2 cache and some other enhancements, including a Digital Video Interface (DVI) port for a pure digital connection to any of Apple's flat panel displays, USB 2.0, and, an audio line-in jack at Paris Macworld Expo last September.

The 12-inch 1 GHz PowerBook G4 has an NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5200 graphics processor and 32MB of DDR SDRAM; support for up to 1.25GB of DDR 266 MHz SDRAM; and support for digital and analog video out with a mini-DVI port, VGA, S-video and composite video 256MB DDR SDRAM, and a 40GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive. The base model came with a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive, while he high-end LittleAl was equipped with a SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive.

PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum 1 GHz (September 2003)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024-x-768)
256MB DDR, expandable to 1.25 GB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
3 built-in speakers and microphone
10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
VGA video output supports dual display mode and video mirroring (S-video-out requires included adapter)
16-bit stereo sound input/output
a slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) or SuperDrive
40GB hard drive standard
One FireWire Port
Two USB 2.0 ports
PowerPC 7457 (G4) 1GHz
133 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
audio line-in and audio line-out ports;
NVIDIA GEForce graphics card with 32 MB of VRAM,
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
AirPort ready with integrated antennas and card slot
Weight: 4.6 pounds

Recommendations: The 12" 1 GHz AlBook should be selling in the $575 - $650 range depending on SuperDrive status and condition.

***

iBook G4 12" 1.2 GHz/14" 1.33 GHz (October 2004)

In October, 2004, Apple upgraded the G4 iBooks with 1.2 GHz or 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processors, AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking in every model and an optional internal Bluetooth module for wirelessly connecting peripherals such as the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse, and ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics with 32MB of VRAM and AGP 4X support.

12" iBook 1.2 GHz (October 2004)

• Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)

• Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)

• 256MB DDR SDRAM expandable to up to 1.25GB maximum memory;
• a 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400;
• VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support;
• Ethernet (10/100BASE-T); and
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive or a slot-load SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) drive
• built-in microphone and stereo speakers

• 10/100 Base-T Ethernet

• Built-in 56k Fax/Modem

• 16-bit stereo sound output

• 133 MHz System Bus

• 256k on chip cache

• ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X

• Weight: 4.9 pounds

14" iBook 1.33 GHz (October, 2004)
• ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X
• 14.1-inch (diagonal) active-matrix TFT display;
• 256MB DDR SDRAM expandable to up to 1.25GB maximum memory;
• a 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400;
• VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support;
• Ethernet (10/100BASE-T); and
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive.

14" iBook 1.33 GHz SuperDrive (October, 2004)
• 14.1-inch (diagonal) active-matrix TFT display;
• ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X
• 256MB DDR SDRAM expandable to up to 1.25GB maximum memory;
• a 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400;
• VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support;
• Ethernet (10/100BASE-T); and
• a slot-load SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) drive.

Used or refurbished $525 - $600

iBook G4 14" 1.33 GHz (October 2004)

October, 2004 14-inch iBooks offer improved performance with a 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processor. AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking and an optional internal Bluetooth module for wirelessly connecting peripherals. Continued were a full complement of I/O ports including FireWire 400, USB 2.0, a built-in 56K v.92 modem and Ethernet (10/100BASE-T)

The iBook features an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics with 32MB of dedicated DDR memory and AGP 4X support for gaming and watching DVDs, as well as VGA video out for easy mirroring to projection systems and external displays, with either a either a slot-load SuperDrive, for burning both DVDs and CDs, or a slot-load combo drive capable of burning and playing CDs and watching DVDs.

The 1.33 GHz G4 iBook is essentially identical to the 1 GHz and 1.2 GHz 14" models that preceded it, with the exceptions of more processor speed, a 50 percent larger hard drive, and built-in AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking standard.

iBook 1.33 GHz (October 2004)
• Active-matrix 14.1" color display (1024 x 768)
• Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
• 256MB DDR SDRAM expandable to up to 1.25GB maximum memory;
• a 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400;
• VGA video out, S-video and composite video out support;
• Ethernet (10/100BASE-T); and
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive or a slot-load SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) drive
• built-in microphone and stereo speakers
• 10/100 Base-T Ethernet
• Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
• 16-bit stereo sound output
• 133 MHz System Bus
• 256k on chip cache
• ATI Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32 MB RAM and AGP 4X
• Weight: 4.9 pounds

Used or refurbished at $700 - $750

***

iBook 12" 1.33 GHz/14" 1.42 GHz (July, 2005)

On July 26, 2005 released the final iBook G4 revisions with speed bumps to 1.33 GHz (12") and 1.42 GHz (14"), 512MB RAM standard across the line, upgraded video with the ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 GPU and 32MB of VRAM for full support of OS 10.4 Tiger's Core Image graphics, and built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, as well as a couple of high-end features that had been introduced seven months earlier on the PowerBook G4s: the scrolling TrackPad and the Sudden Motion Sensor. It represented a substantial value enhancement with the price points of the preceding models retained, and these are without the most desirable iBook models ever.

12" G4 iBook 1.33 GHz (July, 2005)
• a 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.
• weight 4.9 pounds

14" G4 iBook 1.42 GHz (July, 2005)
• 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 (DVDR/CD-RW) drive.
• weight 5.9 pounds

12" machines should be selling used or refurbished for $750 - $800. 14" models should be in the range of $750 - $875

Titanium PowerBook G4 (November 2002 "Gigahertz" - 867 MHz 1 GHz)

In November, 2002, Apple released the fourth major TiBook version with the psychologically significant 1 GHz threshold having finally been crossed in an Apple laptop. Also new were a slot-loading, DVD-burning SuperDrive, a Radeon 9000 video card, 512 MB of standard RAM, 64 MB of video RAM and a 60 gigabyte hard drive on the high end unit, with significant price reductions from the previous Ivory models (reduced again in June, 2003) as icing on the cake. These PowerBooks were also the first laptops to include a 1MB DDR level 3 cache.

For those who had been waiting for the availability of a slot-loading SuperDrive in a PowerBook, now it was available.

The November 2002 Titanium PowerBook G4 was available in two standard configurations:

PowerBook G4 Titanium 867 MHz (November, 2002)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
256MB SDRAM, expandable to 1GB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
a slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
40GB hard drive standard, with up to 60GB optional
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (256 MB standard)
PowerPC 7410 (G4) 867 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video ports
audio line-in and audio line-out ports;
ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 32 MB of fast DDR video memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
AirPort ready with integrated antennas and card slot
Weight: 5.6 pounds

PowerBook G4 Titanium 1 GHz (November 2002)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
5512 MBSDRAM, expandable to 1GB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
infrared support and S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
60GB hard drive standard, with up to 880 GBoptional
One FireWire Port
Two USB ports
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video port
audio line-in and audio line-out ports
Maximum RAM 1 GB (512 MB standard)
PowerPC (G4) 667 MHz
133 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 2 cache
AT ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 with 664 MBDDR SDRAM graphics memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
AirPort enabled with integrated antennas and pre-installed AirPort Card
Weight: 5.6 pounds

Additional build-to-order options for the PowerBook G4 included: up to 1GB of SDRAM; Bluetooth adapter; the AirPort Base Station and AirPort Card; up to 80 GB hard drive; and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The base 867 MHz November, 2002 PowerBook G4 originally sold for $2,299, later dropped to $1,999.

Recommendation: These are the last PowerBooks that will boot directly into OS 9, if that's important to you. Used or refurbished 867 MHz TiBooks should be selling in the $700 - $750 range. Used and refurb. 1 GHz models - about $750 - $800.

Aluminum PowerBook G4 15" 1.0 GHz (September 2003)

The 15" PowerBook (MiddleAl) rolled out at Paris in September, 2003, was pretty much what PowerBook fans had been hoping for and expecting to a"T."

The new 15-inch PowerBook G4 weighed in at 5.6 pounds, and sported a raft of high-end features including AirPort Extreme (1.25 GHz model), Bluetooth, FireWire 800, USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet, a backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors for working in low-light conditions such as airplanes and design studios (optional on the low-end machine), a 1 GHz or 1.25 GHz Motorola 7457 G4 processor with 512k of on-chip level 2 cache, an ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 video accelerator card with 64MB DDR RAM, 256MB or 512 MB DDR SDRAM with support for up to 2GB of DDR 333 MHz SDRAM and a 60 or 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive, a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive on the 1 GHz model, and a SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive on the 1.25 GHz unit.

PowerBook G4 Aluminum 15" 1 GHz (September 2003)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
256 MB SDRAM, expandable to 2GB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 4.5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100/1,000 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
60GB hard drive standard, with up to 80 GB optional
One FireWire 400 Port
One FireWire 800 Port
Two USB 2.0 ports
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video port
audio line-in and audio line-out ports
Maximum RAM 2 GB (512 MB standard)
PowerPC (G4) 1 GHz
167 MHz System Bus
512 K on-chip cache
AT ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 with 64 MBDDR SDRAM graphics memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
AirPort enabled with integrated antennas and pre-installed AirPort Card
Weight: 5.6 pounds

PowerBook G4 Aluminum 15" 1.25 GHz (September 2003)
Active-matrix 15.2" color display (1280-by-854)
512 MB SDRAM, expandable to 2GB
Lithium Ion battery (up to 4.5 hours use)
tappable trackpad
2 built-in speakers and microphone
1 PC card slot
10/100/1,000 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
S-video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive
80GB hard drive
One FireWire 400 Port
One FireWire 800 Port
Two USB 2.0 ports
DVI, DVI to VGA adapter, S-video port
audio line-in and audio line-out ports
Maximum RAM 2 GB (512 MB standard)
PowerPC (G4) 1.25 GHz
167 MHz System Bus
512 K on-chip cache
AT ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 with 64 MBDDR SDRAM graphics memory
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
AirPort enabled with integrated antennas and pre-installed AirPort Card
Weight: 5.6 pounds

Some early 15-inch aluminum PowerBooks were plagued with a "white spots" defect in their monitors, although by now those should have been repaired. There have also been battery recalls with this model.

Used or refurb. units should be selling in the $850 - $950 range.

***

Aluminum PowerBook G4 12" 1.33 GHz (April 2004)

In April, 2004, the 12" PowerBook got another speed bump to 1.33 GHz, and came standard with AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g pre-installed, an NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of VRAM, and a larger 60GB hard drive.

The baby 'Book continued with a 12.1" 1024 x 768 display, and is housed in a hard anodized aluminum alloy case. Weighing a svelte 4.6 pounds, the 12-inch PowerBook G4 had a standard slot-loading Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive, and a slot-loading SuperDrive available as a BTO option, and built-in Bluetooth.

The 12" AlBook has the customary two stereo speakers plus a "midrange enhancing" third speaker. Its VGA video output supports dual display mode and video mirroring.

The Little AlBook has its ports on the side following the sensible iBook practice, with no doors, protruding latches or levers to break, external buttons to accidentally press, or sharp edges to catch on your clothing.

Aluminum PowerBook G4 12" 1.33 GHz (April 2004)
• a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM;
• AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• two USB 2.0 ports and FireWire 400; and
• a 60GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive.

Aluminum PowerBook G4 12" 1.33 GHz SuperDrive (April 2004)
• a 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive;
• 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM;
• AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
• a 60GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive.

The 12" 1.33 GHz AlBook should be selling in the $700 - $850 range depending on SuperDrive status and condition.

***

PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum 1.5 GHz ( January/October 2005)


With the 12" PowerBook G4 revision in January, 2005, the LittleAL got 5400 RPM hard drives, 8x SuperDrives on SuperDrive-equipped models, standard 512 MB memory, a scrolling TrackPad and a Sudden Motion Sensor.

PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum 1.5 GHz ( January 2005)

• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
• a 60GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
• a scrolling TrackPad.

PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum 1.5 GHz SuperDrive ( January 2005)

• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVDRW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
• a scrolling TrackPad.

PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum 1.5 GHz SuperDrive ( October, 2005)

• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVDRW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
• a scrolling TrackPad.

The 1.5 GHz 12" PowerBooks are holding their value better than most discontinued Mac portables historically have, due largely to the fact that with the MacBook introduction Apple has essentially abandoned the truly compact notebook market, at least temporarily. The MacBook is nearly as large and heavy as the full-size Titanium PowerBook was, and indeed not much lighter than a 15" MacBook Pro, For road warriors who want a small Mac portable with reasonably up to date performance, the 12" PowerBook (or an iBook) are still the best choice.

Used/refurbished should be going for $850 - $1,050

***

Aluminum PowerBook G4 17" 1 GHz (January, 2003)

Apple's 17" G4 PowerBook laptop essentially eliminated any rationale other than lower cost for owning a desktop computer for most of Mac-users. With that big screen, plenty of speed, and an inventory of features undreamed of even in high-end desktops only a handful of years ago, this PowerBook can definitely be "the computer to have when you're only having one" with no excuses necessary.

The 17-inch PowerBook G4 was the world's first laptop computer with a 17-inch display, the largest ever in a notebook at the time, whose 1.3 million pixels offer the same viewing area as a 19-inch CRT monitor. With its aluminum alloy case, the big PowerBook is one inch thick, 15.4 inches wide. 10.2 inches deep, and weighs 6.4 pounds, making it the heaviest PowerBook since the WallStreet.

On the performance front, the original 17" AlBook has the same 1 GHz clock speed as the November 2002 high-end TiBook, but sports a faster system bus (167 MHz vs. 133 MHz), faster RAM (PC2700 DDR SRAM vs. PC133 SDRAM), and a a faster hard drive interface (ATA/100 vs. ATA/66), all of which should combine to provide a nice speed boost.

This machine is also equipped with built-in AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking, a high-speed FireWire 800 port, a backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor activation, and built-in Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting to cell phones and other Bluetooth equipped peripherals, and GPRS connectivity to check your email from anywhere.

The FireWire 800 port requires a different FireWire cable, but there is a bundled adapter that permits use of legacy FireWire peripherals, although the 800 Mbps port only supports 400 Mbps throughput with the adapter.

The 17-inch display offers 1440 x 900 resolution in a widescreen, 16:10 aspect ratio, with a 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor with 1MB of level 3 cache and 5512 MB of Double Data Rate (DDR) memory running at 333 MHz carried over from the gigahertz TiBook, an NVIDIA GEForce graphics card with 64 MB of VRAM, and a slot-loading SuperDrive for playing and burning CDs and DVDs.

The Big AlBook's SuperDrive burns DVDs twice as fast the SuperDrive in the TiBook, (while the optional SuperDrive for the new 12 inch PowerBook burns them at the same rate as the Ti).

The fiber-optic backlit keyboard's ambient light sensors also control the brightness of the display and automatically regulate the keyboard backlighting. In low light, they automatically illuminate the keyboard and lower the display brightness. As light levels increase, the display brightness is re-adjusted automatically and the keyboard backlighting is turned off.

AirPort Extreme is based on the new 802.11g standard and transmits data wirelessly at up to 54 Mbps -- almost five times the data rate of previous wireless technologies -- yet is fully compatible with the millions of 802.11b devices in use around the world. The 17" PowerBook uses new "Lithium Prismatic" batteries, a lithium ion battery cell in a square shape.

PowerBook G4 17" Aluminum 1 GHz (January, 2003)
Active-matrix 17" color display (1440-by-900)
512 MB PC2700 DDR SRAM expandable to 1 GB
tappable trackpad
built-in speakers and microphone
10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
VGA video output supports dual display mode and video mirroring (S-video-out requires included adapter)
16-bit stereo sound input/output
slot-loading SuperDrive
60GB hard drive standard
One FireWire Port
FireWire 800 port
Two USB ports
PC Card slot
built-in Bluetooth
PowerPC 7410 (G4) 1 GHz
166 MHz System Bus
1 MB Level 3 cache
audio line-in and audio line-out ports;
NVIDIA GEForce graphics card with 64 MB of VRAM
16-bit CD-quality stereo input/output Sound
Fiber-optic backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor activation
"Lithium Prismatic" battery
AirPort Extreme based on the 802.11g standard
Weight: 6.4 pounds

Recommendation: The original 1 GHz 17" AlBook used or refurbished should be in the $900 - $999 range. Be aware that the Daystar porcessor upgrade for G4 PowerBooks isn't supported by the 1 GHz models.

MacBook 13.3" Core Duo 1.83 and 2.0 Ghz (May, 2006)

Mac laptops in black are back, and new MacBook design completes Apple's Intel-based notebook lineup. The new MacBook, replaces both the 12" and 14" iBook models and the 12" PowerBook, and featuring Intel Core Duo processors and a new 13-inch glossy widescreen display, all in a package that is claimed to be up to five times faster than the iBook and up to four times faster than the 12-inch PowerBook.

Apple's entire portables lineup now offers Intel Core Duo processors; a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go; Front Row media support with Apple Remote; and several advanced features including DVI with dual display support, optical digital audio input and output, Gigabit Ethernet, Sudden Motion Sensor, Scrolling TrackPad and MagSafe Power Adapter.

With prices starting at $1,099, the first generation MacBook lineup included three models: a 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz MacBook in a white polycarbonate enclosure and a 2.0 GHz MacBook in a new black enclosure. The new MacBook features a completely new system architecture including a 667 MHz front-side bus and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2GB.

At 1.1" thickness, the new MacBook is 20 percent thinner than the iBook and features a new 13-inch glossy widescreen display, claimed to be 79 percent brighter than the screen used in the iBook and the 12-inch PowerBook, providing crisp images with richer colors, deeper blacks and significantly greater contrast. At a resolution of 1280 x 800, the MacBook display provides 30 percent more viewing area than the iBook and the 12-inch PowerBook.

The MacBook comes with Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter that safely disconnects from the notebook when there is strain on the power cord, helping to prevent the computer from falling off its work surface. Every MacBook also includes Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor that is designed to protect the hard drive in case of a fall, and all MacBooks include a Scrolling TrackPad to easily scroll through long web pages or pan across large photographs.

The 1.83 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook includes:

* 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
* 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
* 667 MHz front-side bus;
* 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
* 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
* Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Scrolling TrackPad;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook includes:

* 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
* 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
* 667 MHz front-side bus;
* 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
* 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load SuperDrive (DVDRW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
* Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Scrolling TrackPad;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook includes:

* 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
* 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
* 667 MHz front-side bus;
* 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
* 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load SuperDrive (DVDRW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
* Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
* Scrolling TrackPad;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Additional build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 80GB, 100GB or 120GB 5400 rpm hard drive, up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB Modem, Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Used or Refurbished price ranges:

MacBook 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo - Combo drive - $650 - $750

Refurbished MacBook 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo - SuperDrive - $$800 - $850

Refurbished MacBook 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo - Black/SuperDrive - $900

MacBook 13" 1.83 and 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo (November, 2006)

Believe it or not, as of May 15, 2007, the Core 2 Duo MacBooks are low-end machines.

The "Revision B" Apple MacBook notebook computers were released on November 8, 2006 - featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors offering performance up to 25 percent faster than the previous Core Duo based Macbooks. With prices starting at $1,099, the MacBook lineup continued with three models: a base white 1.83 GHz unit with a Combo drive, and two 2.0 GHz models: one in white and a black 2.0 GHz MacBook model topping the line.

The Revision B MacBook release added plenty of value besides the faster processors. While the feature set of the base model remained pretty much as it had been, the two SuperDrive-equipped models were kicked up to double-layer 6x drives, 1 GB of standard RAM, their level 2 processor caches doubled to 4MB, and larger capacity hard drives (80GB for the white model and 120 GB for the blackie). That put more distance between the base (1.83 GHz combo drive) model and the intermediate 2.0 GHz SuperDrive MacBook, and tipped the value scale decidedly toward the middle machine for $200 extra (you're gonna want at least 1 GB of RAM anyway for decent performance), although whether a black case and a 50 percent bigger hard drive is worth another two hundred bucks more than that is debatable, especially on a notebook whose hard drive can be easily upgraded.

The middle, $1,299 MacBook had a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor with twice the amount (4 MB) of level 2 cache as the base Revision B MacBook, a gigabyte of RAM, an 80 gigabyte hard drive, and a 6x dual-layer SuperDrive, thus putting more distance between itself and the entry-level model. Well worth the extra $200. If you were smitten with the black livery of the top-end MacBook, it would still cost you another extra 200 dollars for the Darth Vader look, but you did get a 120 gigabyte hard drive as well. In my books, so to speak, the middle Revision B MacBook was definitely the value-leader. That has now changed with the release of the Revision C models.

Aside from the above-mentioned specification changes, the second-generation Macbooks carried on with the very solid and comprehensive package that was unveiled with the original MacBook, with returning good stuff including a slightly unconventional keyboard that most users seem to like, a 13.3" 1280 x 800 glossy display that also gets rave reviews from most for brightness and clarity, Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor and Scrolling TrackPad technologies, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, a built-in iSight video camera, Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter (a new MagSafe Airline Adapter is also available), combination analog and optical digital audio input and output ports and a mini-DVI video output port to connect up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.

Apple's "consumer" (or perhaps in this case 'prosumer') notebook is still the newest hardware platform in the Macintosh portable lineup, and indeed the only entirely fresh design and form factor of the MacIntel Era so far.

This is partly making a virtue of necessity; the preceding dual USB iBook was conversely the oldest platform in the lineup, in production for just over five years, and overdue for replacement even had the transition to Intel CPUs not been a factor.

As with the iBook/PowerBook dichotomy in Apple's former PPC laptops, the MacBook isn't quite a MacBook Pro, but it comes pretty close in a lot of important respects, and in a few outshines its more expensive stablemate, thanks, one presumes to its newer design.

The MacBook offers only one display option - a 1280 x 800 glossy surface widescreen (MacBook Pros are available with either matte or glossy displays). Inside there are AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) connectivity support, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, combination analog and optical digital audio input and output ports and a mini-DVI video output to connect up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display. There are no hardware expansion options (ie: like the MacBook Pro's ExpressCard 34 slot), and no internal modem. If you're on dialup, you'll have to pop another 50 bucks for Apple's USB modem dongle. The MacBook includes an a built-in iSight video camera and Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord to the MacBook and safely disconnects under strain, preventing the notebook from falling off its work surface.

A big MacBook improvement over the iBook and indeed the erstwhile 12" PowerBook is that there are two RAM expansion slots easily accessible through the battery bay on the bottom of the computer.

The MacBook Pro uses dual-channel memory as well, so also benefits from paired RAM modules, but it's not nearly as critical for the MacBook. The reason? Because instead of a conventional graphics processor unit (GPU) with its own dedicated video RAM, the MacBook uses Intel's integrated GMA 950 Graphics chipset, which was introduced to the Mac platform in the Intel Mac mini in January, '06. The downside of this is that the GMA-950 expropriates 64 MB of system memory for its graphics buffer plus 16 MB more for general startup (total 80), which means 80 MB less for running programs and tasks, which is why some folks call it "vampire video.". Not the most elegant solution. In many instances, you may not notice, especially if you load the MacBook up with a decent amount of RAM (at least 1 GB). however, if you want to run Apple's Final Cut Studio, you may find performance a bit sluggish with a MacBook:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303782

On the other hand, the MacBook incorporates one whopping big improvement that could tip the scales back in its favor for some users: easy access to the hard drive, which we haven't seen in Apple laptops since the 2000 Pismo PowerBook. Indeed, getting access to the hard drive in all iBooks could be fairly described as nightmarish, and G4 PowerBooks and MacBook Pros are only a slightly better prospect. By contrast, in the MacBook, the hard drive lives behind a door beside the RAM slots in the battery bay, making it the easiest to access and change in any Apple laptop ever. Bravo!

MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Revision B Specs.

The 1.83 GHz, 13-inch white Revision B MacBook includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
• 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch white Revision B MacBook, includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
• 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 6x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch black Revision B MacBook, includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display with 250 cd/m2 brightness;
• 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 6x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Used or Refurbished price ranges:

MacBook 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - Combo drive - $850

Refurbished MacBook 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - SuperDrive - $900 - $950

Refurbished MacBook 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - Black/SuperDrive - $999


That completes our Compleat Low-End 'Book roster for this year's edition.

Note on spelling and usage:

Since the first edition of this feature was posted in 1999, I have occasionally received emails politely "correcting" the spelling of the title . Actually, "Compleat" is not a misspelling (check your Webster's or OED), but rather a classical English spelling - viz. "The Compleat Angler" -- a book on fishing by Izaak Walton (1653). Road & Track Magazine also used to use the "compleat" spelling in similar contexts back in the '60s when the late John Bond was still editor/publisher. According to a reader, There was also a Beatles anthology called The Compleat Beatles, and I've seen it used fairly frequently around the Mac Web.

CM

***



cmoore@macopinion.com

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The Compleat Buyer’s And User’s Guide To Low-End Macintosh Laptops 2007 Edition Pt. 1

This is the second installment of "A Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To Macintosh Laptops 2007 Edition." Last week we looked at the current crop of high-end Apple notebooks. To check it out, click here.

This time we're covering low-end ($1,000 and less) Mac PowerBooks and iBooks.

The announcement of the 13" MacBook starting at $1,100 last year accelerated downward pressure on used and refurbished Apple laptop prices, and for the 2006 Compleat Guides I adjusted the threshold between "low-end" and "high end" back up to $1,000 from $900, which puts refurbished Revision A Core Duo MacBooks, (and even Apple Certified Refurbished 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo models) in the low end category, which illustrates how much prices have compressed in the sub-$1,000 range.

Four years ago I shifted all pre-WallStreet PowerBooks to the "Antique And Collectible Macintosh Laptops" category. Last year, I also consigned the WallStreet and Lombard G3 Series PowerBooks, and all but the last, "Paris" revision of the original Clamshell iBooks, to that status as well. While many of these machines are still giving their owners excellent service, it's arguable that even a low-end laptop should be able to run the current version of OS X, and the WallStreet has not been officially supported since OS X 10.3 Panther's release in 2003, while the Lombard and early Clamshells were dropped from current OS X support with the release of OS 10.4 Tiger more than two years ago. With the help of Ryan Rempel's XPostFacto installer hack, you can get Tiger to run on them, but that's not quite the same thing.

This year I haven't dropped any models from the low-end class, although if OS 10.5 Leopard had been released by now I probably would have, although I'm not making any prognostications about what the official minimum hardware for Leopard will be. I'm hoping that G3s will still be supported.

Moving along, in my estimation, the current 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook is the greatest performance for dollar-spent that Apple has ever offered a portable (the base, 1.83 GHz unit is a good deal too, but not as spectacular a value as the 2.0 GHz model with its gigabyte of standard RAM and SuperDrive optical drive for $200 more), and if your budget can handle it, I encourage you to consider that option. On the other hand, if you still need Mac OS Classic Mode support, the G4 PowerBooks and iBooks are the ultimate machines that offer it, and I'm still happily using a 1.33 GHz G4 PowerBook as my main production machine.

So without further preamble, here is our revised Compleat Guide to Low End PowerBooks and iBooks for 2007, covering 'Books that (should) cost less than our arbitrary low/high end watershed of $1,000, but are still powerful enough to put in a good day's work without too many compromises, and serve as one's "only" computer if that's desirable.

The Paris Clamshell iBooks (September, 2000)

By September, 2000, speed bumps to 366 MHz and 466 MHz for the basic iBook and the iBook SE respectively, were overdue, especially for the lower-end machine whose previous 300 MHz chip had been barely marginal for running some newer software.

I'm feeling some equivocation about not shifting these last-revision clamshells to the "Antique And Collectible Macintosh Laptops" category, but they are still officially supported by OS X 10.4 Tiger, and are tough, likeable machines if you can live with an 800 x 600 resolution display.

The MacWorld Expo Paris iBooks came with IBM's new PowerPC 750cx processor. The 750CX (G3e) used less power than the 750 G3, about 4W at 400 MHz vs. 7W. The 750CX also has an integrated 256 KB level 2 (L2) cache, albeit the size of cache was reduced from the old iBook's 512K cache.

It was great to finally see FireWire a port and an AV video-out port on the iBook, and a new composite video port resembled a conventional 1/8" audio jack, but output video to TV through a special cable. Gamers and multimedia types were delighted to have the impressive ATI Rage Mobility 128 video card with its 8 MB of VRAM in the iBook, although the 12.1 in., 800 x 600 monitor was still small for multimedia work.

The bigger 10 GB hard drives (and optional 20 GB units) quieted complaints in that quarter, and those who wanted to watch DVD movies on their iBook could now do so with the iBook SE's DVD-ROM drive.

The iBook SE's Graphite livery, was continued, and the Indigo base model was at least as attractive as its Blueberry predecessor. However, the new "Key Lime" color, which was offered on both models, proved to be more controversial.

However, Apple addressed most of the objections users had to the original iBook, added a lot of value, and held the price point. The remaining really substantial iBook deficiencies were the small, low resolution screen, and the lack of VGA-out and sound-in ports. The lack of analog sound-in support had been mitigated somewhat by the availability of USB microphones.

However, the new 500 MHz, May 2001 iBook is superior in specification and performance to the Revision A through C machines, unless you happen to be enamored of the original versions style and colors.

iBook 366 MHz (September 2000)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (800 x 600)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in mono speaker
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM drive
10 GB HD
One USB port
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 MB (64 MB standard)
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 366 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
Carrying handle
Weight: 6.7 pounds

iBook 466 MHz (September 2000)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (800 x 600)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in mono speaker
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
6x DVD-ROM drive
10 GB HD (20 GB optional)
One USB port
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 MB (64 MB standard)
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 466 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
Carrying handle
Weight: 6.7 pounds

Recommendation: The "Paris 2000" iBook models with FireWire and 366 or 466 MHz processors are the most desirable clamshell iBooks,and are the slowest Apple portables supported by OS X 10.4 Tiger. I question their value as a work machine at anything over $250, with a whole gaggle of Dual USB G3 iBooks models available from that price point. The 466 MHz SE should run Tiger decently, however. These iBooks are now near-collectables if in top condition, and their market value could begin to increase on that basis soon.

Dual-USB 500 MHz iBook (May 2001)

When Steve Jobs introduced the second generation iBook in May, 2001, he described it as "amazing." I have to agree. I'm still blown away by how they were able to pack all that good PowerBook stuff into a package with about one-third less volume than the PowerBooks 5300 and 1400, and then sell it for $999.

This machine had (almost) a full slate of PowerBook bells and whistles, Apple upgraded the 12.1 in. spec. from the previous generation iBook's 800 x 600 (Super VGA) resolution to the recent PowerBook standard of 1024 x 768 (XGA). This supports a display of millions of colors, and allows you to pack more content onto the screen, but at the cost of making stuff appear awfully small, especially standard 12 point text and the already tiny toolbar (etc.) icons in some programs. This is less of an issue with OS X, which uses a larger fonts and easily resizable Finder/Dock icons, but it may be a bit of a problem for those of us with aging eyes running the classic Mac OS.

iBook 500 MHz (May 2001)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM, 8x DVD-ROM or 8x4x24 CD-RW drive, or optional Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive
10 GB HD (20 GB optional)
One USB port
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 or 640 MB (64 MB standard)
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 500 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.8 pounds

There were four separate original 500 MHz iBook models, distinguished by their RAM and removable media drive configurations:

• iBook 500 MHz with 64 MB SCRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, 24x-speed CD-ROM drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet

• iBook 500 MHz with 128MB SDRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, 8x-speed DVD-ROM drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet

• iBook 500 MHz with 128MB SDRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, CD-RW drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet. The drive is capable of writing CD-R media at 8x speed and CD-RW media at 4x speed. It can read CD-ROM media at 24x speed (CAV).

• iBook 500 MHz with 128MB SDRAM, 256K level 2 cache, 10GB Ultra ATA hard drive, Combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, USB and FireWire, built-in 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet. The drive can read DVD media and read and write CD media, and also provides DVD-Video playback with DVD MPEG2 decode.

The CD drives are all tray loading, and the upper right key on the keyboard is the eject button. By offering the choice of a CD, DVD or CD-RW, Apple should have everybody's tastes in drives covered. I prefer the drive loading from the right hand side instead of the front as on the TiBook.

Base RAM is soldered directly onto the motherboard, with 64 MB soldered in on the base model, and 128MB on the other three configurations. This means it can't be replaced or upgraded in the future, making the maximum amount of RAM supported the base configuration plus a 512MB SO-DIMM in a single 1.25 standard PC100 144-pin SO-DIMM slot, ie: 576 or 640MB.

The original dual-USB iBook uses a Rage Mobility 128 video card with 8 MB of VRAM, and AGP 2X support for 3D graphics-- the same setup that the Pismo and first generation Titanium PowerBooks used.

Used 500 MHz iBooks should sell in the $150 - $250 range.

Dual-USB 500/600 MHz iBook (October, 2001)

On October 16, 2001 Apple enhanced its iBook line with faster G3 processors up to 600 MHz, a new system bus running up to 100 MHz, larger hard drives up to 20GB and 128MB of RAM standard across the line, while holding the entry level price line with a 500 MHz, 15GB HD, 66 MHz system bus, CD-ROM equipped unit at $1,299, and with the top-of-the-line model featuring a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive newly priced $100 lower at $1,699. The new iBooks also came with both the new Mac OS X version 10.1 and Mac OS 9.2.1 pre-installed. The iBook's 1024 x 768 (XGA) display supports millions of colors.

iBook 500 MHz (October 2001)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM
15 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 576 or 640 MB
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 500 MHz
66 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
VGA and composite video output;
A new small, lightweight power adapter
Weight: 4.8 pounds

iBook 600 MHz (October 2001)
Active-matrix 12.1" color display (1024 x 768)
Lithium Ion battery (up to 6 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone and stereo speakers
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
Built-in 56k Fax/Modem
16-bit stereo sound output
24x CD-ROM, 8x DVD-ROM or 8x4x24 CD-RW drive, or optional Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive
20 GB HD
Two USB ports
One FireWire port
Maximum RAM 640 MB
PowerPC 750cx (G3) 600 MHz
100 MHz System Bus
256k on chip cache
ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM
Optional Airport wireless networking
A new small, lightweight power adapter
VGA and composite video output;
Weight: 4.8 pounds

Base RAM was 128 MB soldered in, which means it can't be replaced or upgraded in the future, making the maximum amount of RAM supported the base configuration plus a 512MB SO-DIMM in a single 1.25 standard PC100 144-pin SO-DIMM slot 640MB.

This October, 2001 dual-USB iBook uses a Rage Mobility 128 video card with 8 MB of VRAM, and AGP 2X support for 3D graphics- the same setup that the Pismo and first generation Titanium PowerBooks used, so it won't support Quartz Extreme.

There are two different video-out ports on these iBooks, each requiring an adapter cable. The RGB output port supports VGA monitors and video mirroring but not monitor spanning. You can connect to regular monitors as well as RGB devices like projectors. However, if you want to use the AV out (Composite/RCA video) jack for connecting to a TV or VCR through an adapter cable or use your headphones in the same port (not simultaneously), you'll have to purchase an adapter from Apple. The jack accepts a special mini-plug with an additional contact ring that carries the composite video output signal. An adapter cable with separate RCA-type connectors for stereo audio and composite video outputs is available. The RGB video output cable is included. Display resolutions supported are 640 by 480, 800 by 600, and 1024 by 768 pixels.

The iBook