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

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

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

PowerBook G4 1.33 12-inch (2004)

The PowerBook G4 12-inch featured a 1.33 GHz PowerPC 7447a (G4) processor, 256 MB of DDR SDRAM, a 60 GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive (4200 RPM), a slot-loading 8X Combo drive or a 4X SuperDrive, and Bluetooth 1.1/AirPort Extreme (802.11g). The case was made of an aluminum alloy. The 12.1-inch TFT XGA display was 1024×768 pixels. The small size offered considerable computing power in a highly mobile package.

The PowerBook G4 1.33 was similar to its predecessor (PowerBook G4/1.0 12-inch), but had a new logic board design and faster performance.

Source: EveryMac.com

iBook G3/900 (Early 2003)

The iBook G3/900 (Early 2003) was similar to the Late 2002 models before them and mostly consisted of increased RAM, processor improvements, and larger hard drives. The case of the Early 2003 models was the identical shape as the Late 2002 models. However, the Late 2002 models had a translucent white case while the Early 2003 case was opaque white.

The iBook G3/900 (Early 2003) featured a 900 MHz PowerPC 750fx (G3) processor, 128 MB of RAM, a 40.0 GB Ultra ATA hard drive, a tray-loading 8X/24X/10X/24X DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive, and an optional AirPort (802.11b) wireless card. The display was a 12.1-inch TFT XGA active matrix display at 1024×768.

The design of these white iBook laptops greatly increased the mobility of the iBook line, compared to the much bulkier “clamshell” design of the original iBook laptops.

Source: EveryMac.com