Apple Very Quietly Revs iBooks To 900 MHz

by , 11:00 AM EDT, April 22nd, 2003

Apple has ever so quietly revved the iBook line to 900 MHz, without so much as a press release making the announcement. Eagle-eyed Observer Stephen Joiner was on the ball, however, and let TMO know about the revision.

The new iBooks sport 800 MHz and 900 MHz G3 processors, 32 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics cards across the board, and a bump up to 30 GB and 40 GB hard drives, with a 60 GB option. The units still offer AirPort (802.11b), instead of the higher-performing AirPort Extreme (802.11g) found on Apple's new 12" and 17" PowerBooks. Pricing for the units has stayed the same, with the US$999 entry model sporting a CD-ROM drive, while the other models offer Combo drives. The configurations offered at the Apple Store:

12.1" Screen - $999.00
800MHz PowerPC G3
512K L2 cache @800MHz
128MB SDRAM memory
30GB Ultra ATA drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
32MB DDR video memory
CD-ROM
Built-in 56K v.92 modem
AirPort ready
Up to 5 hr. battery life

12.1" Screen - $1,299.00
900MHz PowerPC G3
512K L2 cache @900MHz
128MB SDRAM memory
40GB Ultra ATA drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
32MB DDR video memory
Combo Drive
Built-in 56K v.92 modem
AirPort ready
Up to 5 hr. battery life

14.1" Screen - $1,499.00
900MHz PowerPC G3
512K L2 cache @900MHz
256MB SDRAM memory
40GB Ultra ATA drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
32MB DDR video memory
Combo Drive
Built-in 56K v.92 modem
AirPort ready
Up to 6 hr. battery life

14.1" Screen - $1,778.00
900MHz PowerPC G3
512K L2 cache @900MHz
640MB SDRAM memory
60GB Ultra ATA drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
32MB DDR video memory
Combo Drive
Built-in 56K v.92 modem
AirPort built-in
Up to 6 hr. battery life

You can find more information on the iBook at Apple's iBook page, or directly at Apple's newly designed Apple Store.

The Mac Observer Spin:

It's curious this revision came without a press release, but Apple moves in mysterious ways at times. This isn't an earth-shattering revision, which perhaps explains the lack of publicity, but it certainly adds more value to the consumer portable line. Only time will tell whether it is enough to maintain interest in the iBook line. The speed cap at 900 MHz does offer a bit of focus on Apple's processor issues, and that too may help explain the lack of publicity.

Be that as it may, the boost in hard drive space, and the inclusion of the 32 MB video card on the low end make the iBook more attractive.

Apple iBook