Apple gives iBooks a step up

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Apple Computer on Wednesday turned up the performance of its iBook portable computers and turned down the prices on its eMac desktops.

The company updated its iBook by adding the PowerPC G4 processor, its OS X version 10.3 operating system, faster memory and improved graphics technology from ATI Technologies. In addition, Apple's new iBook models now include a minimum of 256MB of RAM and a CD burner. The iBook revamp, which comes in time for the holiday season, is designed to help Apple compete more effectively in the notebook market--a hot segment of the computer market in which price competition is becoming stiffer, as most portable computers now come with at least 256MB of RAM and a CD burner. The new iBooks complement the latest PowerBook portables Apple launched in September.

As a result of the update, Apple's new entry-level iBook now sells for $1,099, $100 more than its previous model. But the latest iBook comes with an 800MHz G4 processor, 256MB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, a 12.1-inch screen and a CD burner/DVD-ROM combination drive. The earlier machine came with an 800MHz G3 processor, 128MB of RAM and a CD-ROM drive, for $999. Apple is now selling the remaining G3 iBooks for $899, according to its Web site. Apple said the new iBook lineup offers better features, including more memory and a slot-loading CD burner, with a smaller price tag. Customers can now find features in its $1,099 iBook that were previously only available in a model that cost $1,299, said Greg Joswiak, vice president of hardware product marketing at Apple.

News source: C|Net News.com

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(4 replies) #1 dougkinzinger on 22 Oct 2003 - 18:38

800MHz. No offense, Mac fans, but it's darn hard to beat a P4 3.2GHz. That's 3200MHz for you non-mathie folks out there.

#1.1 Dazzla on 22 Oct 2003 - 18:49

I didn't know you could get 3.2 GHz laptops that have a battery life of between 4 and 5 hours!

#1.2 macster on 22 Oct 2003 - 19:00

Wow dougkinzinger and can your 3200Mhz run Mac OS 10.3 ?
Wow you must be really cool to post in every mac news
You must be a really big fan of Macs
Your life must be great!

#1.3 macboi on 22 Oct 2003 - 19:09

I didn't know that P4's were now RISC.

#1.4 bluebsh on 22 Oct 2003 - 20:52

intel chips have had RISC cores for a while now.. since 386 actually, to keep compatability though, the RISC is only internal, it takes the instructions it recieves converts them to risc as it goes in processes and sends the information back out the data bus

(3 replies) #2 superfula on 22 Oct 2003 - 18:41

It's a consumer laptop. It was never meant to compete against a desktop

#2.1 Panorama on 22 Oct 2003 - 18:43

You know that dougkinzinger is getting on my nerves. WTF is wrong with him?

#2.2 aaron901 on 22 Oct 2003 - 19:00

he's just an ignorant dell fans.

#2.3 aleks on 23 Oct 2003 - 06:20

Have you seen the latest dell line of notebooks? grey and blue... honestly they are the most ugliest design I have ever seen!! I was offered one earlier this year for my project but I rejected it and continued to use my imac

(2 replies) #3 Test Zero on 22 Oct 2003 - 19:00

Have Apple made any plans to cut the price of the iMac?

#3.1 timdorr on 22 Oct 2003 - 21:22

Probably not. The eMac fills the bottom of the price range.

#3.2 dp123 on 22 Oct 2003 - 23:41

I've heard they are prepping a third, all new enclosure (a mix of the lamp with the alu of the G5) and that it too will go G5. So expect that not to happen until the beginning of 2004, and then they'll probably continue to offer the current iMac with a significant price cut.

#4 blackice912 on 22 Oct 2003 - 20:22

Crap, dang them! Time to upgrade my iBook to a new one!

(5 replies) #5 bluebsh on 22 Oct 2003 - 23:47

you know if apple would make a sub $900 notebook with relateivly ok specs I'd get one just for something to play with... but it's always way over priced compared to the majority of x86 systems.

#5.1 roadwarrior on 23 Oct 2003 - 00:55

Actually, I compared prices on a Dell D800 and an Apple PowerBook 15" with almost exactly the same specs. The Dell ended up costing $6 MORE than the Apple, and the Apple had two things the Dell didn't have, namely Firewire 800 and a backlighted keyboard. The only thing the Dell had better than the Apple was a .2" larger screen (15.4" instead of 15.2" ), which would hardly be noticeable to anyone without a ruler. The PowerBook was also thinner and ligher than the D800.

#5.2 bluebsh on 23 Oct 2003 - 11:11

I duno how you came up with that because I got one for $150 less then an ibook... and i dont even care about a backlit keyboard, if you know how to type you dont need it *LOL*

#5.3 nacs on 23 Oct 2003 - 16:13

With educational discounts, the iBook can be had for around $950. If you're only basing your purchase on price and not quality of software, hardware or design/aesthetics, then a cheap, ugly Dell laptop will probably do.

#5.4 simply258 on 23 Oct 2003 - 23:52

QUOTE (#5.2)

and i dont even care about a backlit keyboard, if you know how to type you dont need it *LOL*

that's lame .. do you need a 15" screen to be able to see what's on it ? probably not, a smaller one would do, but it's just an extra luxury to make life easier, and that's what Macs are about, making your life easier

#5.5 simply258 on 23 Oct 2003 - 23:54

I duno how you came up with that because I got one for $150 less then an ibook

did the laptop you came up with have the same specs as a D800 ? he was comparing the D800 with a PB15 .. maybe we should be LOLing at you

#6 realmccoy on 23 Oct 2003 - 02:41

Looks like I am buying a Mac

#7 Espectro on 24 Oct 2003 - 15:01

Will evryone just stop being trolls and tell me the truth? I am thinking of getting a powerbook, but the cheapest one costs 1600$ and it only has 1ghz speed. For about 300$ less i can get a sony vaio with a 2.8 ghz processor and twice the ram.

My question is, a 1.0 ghz mac processor is the equivalent of a 1.9 p4 processor? If not, what would be a fair comparison?

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