Apple Ships Low-Cost G4 iBooks

The new iBooks also include Apple's latest operating system, Mac OS X version 10.3, or "Panther," preinstalled. Panther has more than 150 new features, including FileVault to secure data for iBook users on the go.

"2003 is the 'year of the notebook,' and Apple has the industry's best notebook lineup, which has resulted in Apple's mix of notebooks growing to double the industry average," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

"The new iBooks bring powerful G4 processors and slot-load combo drives into the most affordably priced G4 notebooks ever, just in time for the holiday season," Schiller said.

iBook Engineering

The new 12- and 14-inch iBooks have been redone based on the PowerPC G4 processor and DDR memory architecture, which provides improved speed, efficiency and overall system performance .

Each iBook comes with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics card with 32 MB of dedicated DDR memory that connects to the main system through an AGP 4X slot, which can accommodate high-speed multimedia gaming and DVD movies.

Apple has positioned the new notebooks, which are outfitted with its hallmark durable, sleek polycarbonate plastic enclosure and weigh as little as 4.9 pounds, as an ideal combination of form and function.

The new iBook G4 provides up to six hours of battery life for all-day mobile use in the classroom or on the road.

Wireless Connectivity

Each iBook now features the latest in wireless connectivity with support for AirPort Extreme, which is WiFi Certified and based on the 802.11g standard, offering data rates five times faster than 802.11b while maintaining compatibility with other 802.11b products.

Options include an internal Bluetooth module for wirelessly connecting peripherals, such as Apple's new Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mouse, as well as a full complement of I/O ports, including FireWire 400, USB 2.0 and a built-in 56K v.92 modem and Ethernet.

Every iBook comes with Panther preinstalled. Panther's bells and whistles include a completely new Finder that provides one-click access to a user's favorite files and folders; Expose, a new way to see all open windows at once; and iChat AV, a complete desktop videoconferencing solution.

Panther Details

Panther also is designed to enhance the mobile experience with automatic networking that intelligently detects and switches network connections between Ethernet, 802.11 and modem for connecting to the Internet.

The OS features Fast User Switching to switch between active users without having to quit applications or log out; FileVault, which uses the latest security standards and 128-bit encryption technology to ensure that data in the home directory is kept secure and private at all times; and enhanced Windows compatibility that ensures files, printers and network services can easily be shared with Windows users.

Designed for today's digital lifestyle, every new iBook also includes iLife, Apple's integrated suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and iTunes.

According to Apple, iLife is the only integrated suite to include all of the four applications required for today's "digital lifestyle" -- digital music, photography, moviemaking and DVD creation -- and it is one of the first products to offer the benefits of seamlessly integrating these four areas.

Pricing and Availability

The new iBook with a 12-inch display is available immediately, and iBook models with a 14-inch display are expected to become available next week through the online Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in three standard configurations.

The 800-MHz PowerPC G4 iBook, weighing 4.9 pounds, has a suggested retail price of $1,099 and includes a 12.1-inch active-matrix TFT display; 256 MB DDR SDRAM; a 30-GB Ultra ATA hard drive; two USB 2.0 ports; and a slot-load combo drive.

The 933-MHz PowerPC G4 iBook, weighing 5.9 pounds, has a suggested retail price of $1,299 and includes a 14.1-inch active-matrix TFT display; 256 MB DDR SDRAM; a 40-GB Ultra ATA hard drive; two USB 2.0 ports; and a slot-load combo drive.

The 1.0-GHz PowerPC G4 iBook, weighing 5.9 pounds, has a suggested retail price of $1,499 and includes a 14.1-inch active-matrix TFT display; 256 MB SDRAM; a 60-GB Ultra ATA hard drive; two USB 2.0 ports; and a slot-load combo drive.