iBook
iBook is a notebook series from Apple . The computers were available from 1999 to 2006 and, in contrast to the PowerBook series at the time, were more tailored to the consumer market. With the introduction of the MacBooks , the iBooks were discontinued.
iBook G3 (clamshell)
On July 21, 1999, Steve Jobs introduced the iBook during the keynote presentation at the Macworld Conference & Expo in New York . The iBook was designed as an affordable entry-level notebook for schoolchildren, students and private users. With the colors in orange / white (tangerine) and turquoise blue / white (blueberry) and the curvy design, the iBook is based on the commercially successful consumer desktop model iMac , which brought Apple out of the red into profitability. This success was built on with the advertising slogan “iMac to take away” .
The iBook was launched by Apple in the US for US $ 1,599 (in Germany 3880 marks ) and was thus around US $ 900 cheaper than the Apple PowerBook for professional users, but with reduced equipment it was based on its performance data. For cost reasons, stereo speakers, PC card slot, infrared port, built-in microphone, SCSI and audio-in connection were omitted. Compared to the PowerBook, the first iBook model series also lacked FireWire port and video out, which were only integrated in the second edition models released in 2000 . Only the 466 MHz top model of this last series received a standard DVD drive.
In the iBook, like in the iMac, a PowerPC G3 chip worked, on the left side of the case were standard USB , Ethernet and modem ports as well as a loudspeaker connection, on the opposite side a CD-ROM drive; a floppy disk drive was omitted. With the iBook, Apple introduced a number of technical innovations: the Unified Motherboard Architecture specification allowed motherboard components to be standardized and costs reduced. The iBook has a new 2 × - AGP graphics chip company ATI and was the first Apple notebook in which the same time introduced new AirPort - Wireless technology could be integrated optional wireless networking. An antenna was already built into the display.
iBook designer Jonathan Ive designed the peppy polycarbonate housing with an integrated carrying handle, which was made easier to grip with a colored rubber coating. The iBook could be opened and closed dynamically using a stable mechanism. Even the power supply unit received an unusual round yo-yo design with an integrated cable winder. Well thought-out energy management should enable battery runtimes of up to six hours.
The iBook was cheaper than the market competitors IBM and Compaq , had a better graphics card and, instead of the passive matrix screen common in the consumer notebook segment, a TFT display with 800 × 600 pixels and a lower weight.
The candy-colored color scheme and unusual design sparked heated debate from critics and supporters. The clamshell iBook was given unflattering nicknames (toilet seat, Barbie handbag, powder box). The equipment of the first iBook generation has been continuously improved in various model revisions. Its robust technology and durable components make it one of the most reliable notebooks from Apple . The Clamshell iBook is in the collections of the Design Museum London and the Yale University Art Gallery .
Models
- iBook (June 21, 1999) - First iBook model in tangerine and blueberry colors
- 12.1 ″ active matrix TFT display (resolution max. 800 px × 600 px)
- PowerPC G3 300 MHz (PPC 750L)
- 66 MHz bus
- 32 MB RAM ( soldered to the mainboard )
- Expandable up to 544 MB (288 MB according to Apple specifications)
- 4 MB ATI Rage Mobility AGP 2 ×
- 3.2 GB hard disk (ATA-33 controller)
- CD-ROM
- USB, ethernet
- AirPort ( 802.11b , optional)
- Mac OS 8.6
- iBook Revision B (February 16, 2000) in the colors Tangerine and Blueberry
- PowerPC G3 300 MHz (PPC 750L)
- 64 MB RAM (soldered to the mainboard)
- Expandable up to 576 MB (320 MB according to Apple specifications)
- 6 GB hard disk (ATA-33 controller)
- Mac OS 9.0.2
- (different performance data like previous model)
- iBook SE (February 16, 2000) - Special Edition model with 366 MHz CPU speed and new graphite color
- PowerPC G3 366 MHz (PPC 750L)
- (other performance data like revision B)
- iBook FireWire / SE (September 13, 2000) - extended model Second Edition with 366 or 466 MHz CPU clock in the colors graphite, indigo, key-lime
- 12.1 ″ active matrix TFT display (resolution max. 800 px × 600 px)
- PowerPC G3 366/466 MHz (PPC 750CX)
- 64 MB RAM (soldered to the mainboard)
- 8 MB ATI Rage 128 Mobility AGP 2 ×
- 10 GB hard disk (ATA-66 controller)
- CD-ROM (for 366 MHz model) / 4 × DVD-ROM (for 466 MHz model)
- USB, FireWire, Video Out, Ethernet
- AirPort ( 802.11b , optional)
- Mac OS 9.0.4
- (different performance data like previous model)
Production of the first generation of iBooks was discontinued in May 2001 in favor of the new dual USB iBooks.
Expandability
The only expansion options provided by Apple are to increase the working memory by adding a slot under the keyboard for 144-pin SODIMM modules and installing an airport card based on the 802.11b standard. Devices from other providers added missing functions such as a microphone and sound input via the USB port. A change of the hard drive requires the complete disassembly of the iBook, the controller hardware allows the installation of ATA hard drives up to 120 GB. All Clamshell iBook models can use the Mac OS X Panther operating system with the appropriate RAM . Mac OS X Tiger can also be installed on the FireWire models .
iBook Dual USB
The second generation, on the other hand, came out in plain white and about the size of a DIN A4 sheet (dimensions approx. 28 cm × 23 cm for 12 ″, 32.5 cm × 26 cm for 14 ″). The first version from 2001 was characterized by housing shells made of colorless polycarbonate, which were painted white on the inside and transmit incident light to the edges of the shell. This reinterpreted the design theme of " translucency " introduced by the iMac G3 and the iBook G3 "Clamshell". The following versions have housing shells that are uniformly white. The 12 "or 14" screen has a resolution of 1024 × 768 pixels. The first G3 CPU used has a clock frequency of 500 MHz; the last version installed until September 2003 is clocked at 900 MHz.
iBook G4
In October 2003, Apple released a new line of iBooks called the iBook G4. The biggest difference to the previous model was the change of processor. From then on, G4 processors were used instead of the outdated G3 processors. Apple also introduced slot-in drives for the iBooks . Integrated Bluetooth was also available as an option with immediate effect. Except for the keyboard, almost nothing has been changed in the design.
The iBooks continued to be available in two different display sizes: 12 "and 14". The 12 ″ model initially had an 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor from Motorola, a 30 GB hard drive, 256 MB RAM and a ComboDrive. The AirPort Extreme card was optional for wireless networks and could also be installed at a later date. There were two 14 ″ models: One with 933 MHz G4, 40 GB HD and ComboDrive and with 1 GHz G4, 60 GB HD, ComboDrive and with a built-in AirPort Extreme card.
Apple released an updated version of the iBooks in February 2004. Furthermore, in three models, the small 14 "model and the 12" model had a 1 GHz G4 processor; the large 14 ″ model had a 1.2 GHz processor and a built-in AirPort Extreme card. Everything else stayed the same, except for two little things inside that Apple changed: The bus speed was increased from 100 to 133 MHz and a soldered 256 MB RAM module was installed. The iBook has an additional memory slot for memory expansion. Before that, a 128 MB memory module was always soldered in and another 128 MB module was plugged into the memory slot, so that you had to throw away a component when increasing the RAM. In addition, by expanding the soldered-in 256 MB memory module with a 1 GB plug-in module, 1280 MB RAM could be used to the maximum.
The following three versions of the Apple iBook were shipped from October 2004: The 12 ″ model was available with a 1.2 GHz processor, a DVD / CD-RW drive and a 30 GB hard drive. The more expensive 14 ″ iBook was equipped with a 1.33 GHz processor and a 60 GB hard drive. The 14 ″ top model was also equipped with a 1.33 GHz processor, but in contrast to the other iBooks, it had a SuperDrive that can also write DVDs. All iBooks were equipped with 256 MB RAM , which could be upgraded to up to 1.25 GB; an AirPort Extreme card is now standard on all models.
In June 2005 the iBook was delivered in an overhauled version, on July 26, 2005 it was made available in the Apple online store. The G4 processor is now clocked at 1.33 GHz (12 ″) or 1.42 GHz (14 ″). The built-in memory was doubled to 512 MB and a 40 GB hard drive was supplied in the minimum configuration, 60 GB was optional. In addition, the innovations from the PowerBook, such as the Sudden Motion Sensor , Bluetooth 2.0, the new touchpad, a new sound card and a 32 MB ATI Radeon 9550 graphics card with core image support were installed. It is the last variant that is equipped with a PowerPC processor.
With the introduction of the MacBook in 2006, the iBook series was discontinued. In contrast to the iBook G4, the MacBooks were equipped with i386-compatible , from November 2006 then with AMD64 -compatible Intel processors and are only available with 13 "TFT displays, both in white and black.
Graphics hardware
A special feature of the graphics hardware has to be considered with the younger iBooks (from 700 MHz clock rate): Although the graphics processors used enable a two-screen operation, this function was developed by Apple, probably to differentiate it from the PowerBook or MacBook Pro - in terms of marketing . Series, reduced to a reflection of the output. A patch has existed since November 2002 (via the NVRAM read out at startup ) that enables resolutions of up to 1920 px × 1440 px to be displayed on an external monitor. With a corresponding reduction in processor performance, the iBook can also be used for professional graphics applications .
Quality problems
As early as the end of November 2003, iBook users reported a screen problem on their notebook. At one point, some users even considered bringing a class action lawsuit against Apple. In response to the problem, Apple initiated the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program in January 2004 , which covers repair costs for affected iBooks for three years, essentially a warranty extension for the affected products. According to user reports and Apple, especially those copies that were made between April and May 2003 have faulty logic boards. An exchange program like the one with the iBook has since been used for other, similar Apple hardware problems, especially with batteries in the iBook, PowerBook and MacBook series.
Even in August 2006, users were still affected by faulty motherboards. Some of them report that the serial number of their iBooks is not in the range specified by Apple. Others are no longer covered by the exchange program because the period has expired. Some users have had their main boards (logic boards) replaced several times without the error being permanently fixed. In May 2007, the Danish state consumer protection agency detected a product design flaw in G4 iBooks that makes many notebooks unusable after a while and expected Apple to pay damages to affected customers. This was accepted by Apple on September 18, 2007.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ YouTube video
- ↑ Press release ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ IMac to go ( Memento of May 5, 2001 in the Internet Archive ), in: c't , 16/99, p. 16
- ↑ Design Museum: iBook 1999 + PowerMacG4
- ↑ iBook factsheet ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF)
- ↑ The iBook disaster , g4tv.com
- ^ The Barbie fixation , salon.com
- ↑ iBook and PowerBook Reliability , MacInTouch Special Reports
- ^ Design Museum London
- ↑ Yale University Art Gallery eCatalogue ( Memento of the original from May 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b iBook - Technical Specifications
- ^ IBook (FireWire) - Technical Specifications
- ↑ Replace iBook-HD ( Memento of the original from December 10, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Alexander Clauss
- ↑ ibook-clamshell.de
- ↑ iBook G4 - Technical Specifications
- ^ IBook G4 (Early 2004) - Technical Specifications
- ↑ iBook G4 (Late 2004) - Technical Specifications
- ↑ iBook G4 (Mid 2005) - Technical Specifications
- ↑ iBook Issues? You're not alone . In: OS news , January 3, 2004
- ↑ Apple iBook Problems ( Memento of the original from August 29, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Expanded iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program , FAQ
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from June 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Link not available)
- ↑ iBook: Denmark puts Apple thumbscrews on . ( Memento of the original from September 26, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: macnews.de
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Link not available)
