articles
September 18, 2000
iBooks are iCatching -- But What's Under the Hood?
by Barbara Fletcher
The new iBook has arrived. Steve Jobs introduced
Apple's next generation of laptop computers in his September 13th keynote address at the
Apple Expo 2000 in Paris, France.
The three new iBook colours (Key Lime, Indigo, and Graphite) are sparking
controversy around the Web
-- especially about the brightness of
Key Lime. The more subtle
Graphite model comes with a DVD ROM drive and therefore, a higher price tag.
Underneath the candy-coating you will find a 366- or 466MHz PowerPC G3 processor,
64MB RAM, OS 9, a
10GB hard drive, and a 12.1-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) display.
What do the reviews have to say about the new iBook?
Critics aren't crazy about the
colour,
and cite the price, mediocre quality single built-in mono speaker,
low RAM (64 MB -- insufficient for video editing), small screen, and heaviness of the
laptop as key bones of contention.
On the other hand, iBook fans praise the sturdiness, construction/design,
Mac Case(TM),
general feel, and iMovie 2
film-editing software that supports video transfer from digital camcorders to the hard drive via a
high-speed (400Mbps) FireWire
port. iMovie 2 enables users to become movie directors:
video can be edited and placed into story lines and completed with titles, visual effects,
and soundtrack, and then "screened" on both the iBook monitor
or exported into various QuickTime file formats.
Love them or hate them, the new iBooks are here and retail for
for about $2199 (366 MHz) and $2699 (466 MHz).
Related links:
Freeing the Masses (iBook) -- OS Opinion
First Look: iBook -- Macworld
Apple Spruces Up IBooks -- Wired News
All in the Family: iBook and iMac Compared -- Macworld
iBooks get new colors, FireWire, and DVD -- MacCentral Online
PowerMax: The New Key Lime iBook Is "Too Ugly For Us To Sell Responsibly" -- The Mac Observer
New iBooks Commentary Sampler -- Applelinks.com
The New iBook - Just Right or Too Little, Too Late? -- The Mac Observer
Apple beefs up iBook with DVD, more storage -- CNET
Steve Jobs To iBook, "You're Fired!" MacSpeedZone's iBook Information Page. -- MacSpeedZone