Tag: TFT

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PowerBook G4 (Titanium, 867MHz, 2002)

The Titanium PowerBook G4 with DVD burning SuperDrive was introduced on November 6, 2002. The laptop had the industry’s first slot-loading SuperDrive optical drive that allowed reading and burning both CDs and DVDs. It included integrated 802.11 wireless networking and the fastest mobile graphics processor until that time (ATI Mobility Radeon 9000). It weighed 5.4 pounds in a 1-inch-thick Titanium enclosure with a widescreen 15.2-inch display.

Apple touted the Titanium PowerBook G4’s speed as equal to or faster than desktop computers of the time:

“Combined with the power of Apple’s UNIX-based Mac OS X version 10.2 ‘Jaguar,’ the new PowerBook G4 runs professional applications including Adobe Photoshop up to 44 percent faster than a 2.2 GHz Pentium 4-based notebook. The fastest PowerBook ever now offers even more incredible 3D graphics performance with the ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics processor featuring up to 64MB of dedicated Double Data Rate (DDR) video SDRAM and advanced capabilities such as programmable pixel and vertex shading for lighting and shadow effects, photorealistic 3D performance and cinematic-quality video.”

This laptop version included a 867MHz G4 processor, 512MB RAM, a 40GB hard drive, 56K modem, and AirPort wireless networking. The Apple model number is A1025. When released, it was “aggressively priced at only $2,299.”

A LoweEndMac review noted that this PowerBook now offered “Closed Lid Mode,” and described the feature:

“TiBooks support ‘lid closed’ (or clamshell) mode, which leaves the built-in display off and dedicates all video RAM to an external display.” The same website indicates that this laptop was also nicknamed the “TiBook,” short for “Titanium PowerBook.”

Sources: Apple (Newsroom), EveryMac, LowEndMac

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iBook G3 (600MHz, PowerPC 750cx, 14-inch, Early 2002)

This 14-inch iBook was announced at the January 7, 2002, Macworld Expo in San Francisco, CA, as Apple’s “top end of its hugely popular iBook line of consumer notebooks.” Phil Schiller, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing at the time, noted that “The iBook is the best consumer and education notebook on the market and our most popular portable ever.” Schiller added, “The new iBook line now offers customers the additional choice of a 14-inch display and is more affordable than ever.”

The iBook G3 14-inch (Early 2002) featured a 600MHz PowerPC 750cx G3 processor. It shipped with 256MB RAM, a 20GB hard drive, and a tray-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW). The laptop had a white translucent case made from impact-resistant polycarbonate. The 14.1-inch TFT active matrix display had 1024×768 native resolution.

Wired connections included USB, FireWire, 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, and a VGA video-out port. It also allowed an AirPort wireless card to be added. This laptop shipped with Mac OS X version 10.1.2 and Classic Mac OS 9.2.2.

This 600MHz iBook (model M8413) weighed 4.9 pounds and originally sold for $1,499.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom), EveryMac

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PowerBook G4 (Gigabit, Titanium, 2001)

In January 2001, Steve Jobs announced “the most revolutionary portable computer ever created”—the Titanium PowerBook G4. At the time, this laptop had Apple’s largest display and fastest processor. Apple stated that a “mega-wide display and blazingly fast PowerPC G4 processors make it the ultimate system for portable video editing using Apple’s iMovie…or Apple’s award-winning Final Cut Pro professional video editing, effects, and compositing software.” The display was a 15.2-inch TFT widescreen display.

The PowerBook G4 Titanium was given the unofficial nickname of “TiBook.” This particular PowerBook G4 Titanium model was released in December 2001 and was referred to as the “Gigabit TiBook” referring to its ultra-fast Gigabit (1000BASE-T) ethernet port (an upgrade from the previous model’s 100BASE-T ethernet port).

The PowerBook G4 Gigabit used a 667 MHz PowerPC 7440 G4 processor and was available with 256 MB or 512 MB SDRAM, and 30 GB hard drive. A slot-loading 6X DVD-ROM drive was located below and to the right of the trackpad on the front of the case. Overall, the PowerBook G4 Titanium was 1.1 inches thick, 13.4 inches wide, 9.5 inches deep, and weighed an average of 5.3 pounds.

Along with the original Titanium PowerBook G4, this model was known for its sometimes problematic hinge assembly that resulted in a broken hinge and/or display problems due to the video cable running through the left hinge. These quality issues were resolved in the third “DVI” iteration of this laptop.

Upon release, the design of the Titanium PowerBook G4 was a major departure from previous Apple laptops. Although its “Titanium” moniker referred to its internal chassis, the laptop’s exterior used two shades of silver metal—a design never repeated in an Apple laptop. Its mega-wide screen (at 1152×768 pixels) had a bezel smaller than current pro Mac laptops. Also, this was the first Apple laptop to feature an Apple logo that was “right way up” when the laptop lid was open—a design met with cheers from the Macworld audience when the laptop was first shown on stage.

This PowerBook G4 in my collection functions, but has a major dent in its trackpad and several cosmetic issues due to wear and tear.

Sources: Apple Newsroom, EveryMac, Wikipedia, Macworld

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PowerBook G3 (original, 250 MHz, “Kanga,” 1997)

The PowerBook G3/250 is the first Apple laptop to use the G3 processor. It shipped with a 250 MHz G3 processor; contained 32 MB RAM and 2 MB VRAM; used a 5 GB hard drive; and had an internal 20X tray-loading CD-ROM drive. It included “hot-swappable” drive bays—drives could be swapped while the computer was running without restarting—and dual PC card slots. The display was a 12.1-inch color TFT active-matrix display at 800×600 resolution.

The design of the original PowerBook G3 is nearly identical to the PowerBook 3400 that proceeded it. The laptop included the 3400’s notable four-speaker sound system. It shipped with MacOS 8.0 and could be updated to a maximum of MacOS 9.1. Its average weight was 7.5 pounds.

Because of its G3 (third-generation) PowerPC 750 processor that included a backside level 2 cache, the laptop’s performance exceeded that of some desktop systems at the time. When released, its retail price was $5,700.

Source: EveryMac

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MacBook Air 11-inch (2014)

This MacBook Air 11-inch featured a 22-nm Haswell 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. It included 4 GB or 8 GB of memory and 128 GB or 256 GB of flash storage. This was the smallest of Apple’s MacBook Air line of laptops measuring 0.11 to 0.68 inches and weighed 2.3 pounds. It included a 720p FaceTime HD webcam, a backlit full-size keyboard, and an 11.6-inch widescreen TFT LED backlit active-matrix glossy display (1366×768).

Wireless connectivity included 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, while ports included analog audio out, one Thunderbolt port, and two USB 3.0 ports.

A previous version of the MacBook Air 11-inch nearly identical except for a slower processor and less available RAM and flash storage.

In my role as Assistant Superintendent for Technology & Innovation, I led the teams that managed nearly 4,500 of these laptops over a five-year period (2014–19). At the time, all high school students in the school district were issued a MacBook Air 11-inch and students used the same model for their 4-year high school career. Apple stopped manufacturing this laptop in 2018 and the high school switched to the iPad Generation 6.

Source: EveryMac.com

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iBook G3/500 (Dual USB, 2001)

The iBook G3/500 featured a 500 MHz PowerPC 750cx (G3) processor; 64 MB or 128 MB of RAM; a 10.0 GB Ultra ATA hard drive; a tray-loading CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-RW, or DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive; and optional AirPort (802.11b) card. The screen was a 12.1-inch TFT XGA active matrix display (1024×768). The case of the laptop was translucent white (a similar later model used an opaque white case).

This iBook replaced the previous iBook models that were much larger and came in one of five colors (including blueberry, tangerine, graphite, indigo, and key lime).

EveryMac.com reports that four versions of this laptop were available: 64 MB RAM with CD-ROM drive ($1299); 128 MB RAM with DVD-ROM drive ($1499), 128 MB RAM with CD-RW drive ($1599); and 128 MB RAM with DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive (build-to-order direct from Apple, $1799).

Source: EveryMac.com

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iBook G4 (Mid-2005, 2005)

The iBook G4 (Mid-2005) featured a 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 40 GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive, a slot-loading DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive, and standard AirPort Extreme (802.11g)/Bluetooth 2.0. The screen was a 12.1-inch TFT XGA active matrix display at 1024×768. The case was opaque white, rather than the translucent white used in earlier iBook models. 

This iBook model added a Sudden Motion Sensor and scrolling trackpad. The Sudden Motion Sensor stopped the hard drive from spinning if the iBook was dropped, thus minimizing damage and potential data loss. This was the first consumer-level Apple laptop to gain scrolling trackpad features, allowing users to use two-finger scrolling and two-fingering panning (a feature first introduced in PowerBook G4 laptops).

This and other iBook models were used extensively in the schools where I served as Technology Director among teachers and students. At the time, 1:1 laptop programs had just been adopted in a few school districts (where every student is issued a laptop for learning throughout the school day). At the time of the iBook G4, only one public school district in Chicago’s North Shore had adopted a 1:1 program for students, while most school districts had begun to issue laptops to staff and administrators.

References: EveryMac.com

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iMac Core 2 Duo 24-inch (2009)

The iMac Core 2 Duo 24-inch featured a 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (two independent processors on a single chip), 4 GB of RAM, a 640 GB hard drive, a slot-loading DVD-R DL SuperDrive, a built-in iSight video camera, and built-in stereo speakers. The screen was a 24-inch glossy TFT Active Matrix LCD display at 1920×1200. Ports included four USB 2.0 ports, a Firewire 800 port, Gigabit Ethernet, and a Mini DisplayPort. Wireless connectivity included a built-in AirPort Extreme.

The iMac Core 2 Duo (Early 2009) models differ from a previous similar aluminum iMac design by adding a tapered foot.

I used this iMac extensively as my primary home iMac for graphics and GarageBand music projects.

Source: EveryMac.com

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MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid-2013)

The MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid-2013) featured a “Haswell” 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 processor (with two processors a single chip), 4 or 8 GB of RAM, and 128 or 256 GB of flash storage. This laptop has 8 GB of RAM and a third-party upgrade to 512 GB of flash storage from OWC. Ports included analog audio out, a Thunderbolt port, two USB 3.0 ports, and one SD (SDXC) card slot. Wireless connectivity included 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

The MacBook Air is known for its thin case that tapers between 0.11 to 0.68 inches. It weighs 2.96 pounds. The screen is a 13.3 widescreen TFT glossy display at 1440×900.

Source: EveryMac.com

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iMac G5 2.0 20-inch (2005)

The iMac G5 featured a 2.0 GHz PowerPC 970 (G5) processor, 512 MB of 400 MHz PC3200 DDR SDRAM, a 250 GB (7200 RPM) Serial ATA hard drive, a vertically-mounted slot-loading 8X DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive, and built-in stereo speakers at the bottom of the display. The screen was a 20-inch TFT Active Matrix LCD at 1680×1050. Wired ports included FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. Wireless connections included AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.

Like its predecessors, the iMac G5 rested on an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge. It also supported the VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) mounting interface standard which allowed the iMac to be mounted directly on a kiosk, wall, or arm. The iMac G5 also had an Ambient Light Sensor under the edge of the display that dims the sleep indicator light when the room is dark.

Source: EveryMac.com