iBook Main

Announced in July 1999 at Macworld New York, the

iBook was perhaps the most anxiously awaited Apple
computer ever. Aimed at the same consumer market as
it's big brother, the iMac, the iBook filled the 2x2
consumer/pro/desktop/portable matrix that Steve Jobs
had first detailed more than a year earlier. Its specs
closely resembled that of the iMac, with the same basic
i/o options, and the same "closed system" concept. In
order to bring the price down as far as possible, the
design team removed the PC slots, IR, video-out and
audio-in ports. The iBook also lacked a high-speed
data-port, such as SCSI or firewire.

The iBook did have a number of semi-revolutionary

features for such a low-end machine. It was the first Mac
to include AGP-based graphics, and included a handle, a
feature rarely seen in a portable. The iBook was the first
Mac released using Unified Motherboard Architecture
(UMA), which allowed Apple to standardize most
motherboard components across all product lines.

The most exciting new feature of the iBook was the

inclusion of AirPort, a wireless networking system based
on existing industry standards. AirPort allowed up to 10
iBooks to connect to a single base-station, which could
then be plugged into an existing ethernet network or a
standard phone line. The iBook had an antenna built into
the case, and a PC-card sized slot for the AirPort card.

While it was announced in July, the iBook did not ship

until late-September, still in time for the back-to-school
rush. At $1599, The iBook was $900 less expensive
than Apple's lowest-priced professional PowerBook.

The iBook received a minor revision in February 2000,

when the motherboard RAM was raised to 64 MB, and
the hard disk was bumped up to 6 GB.

Announced in November

2002, the iBook (Late 2002)
models were both faster and
cheaper than the previous
incarnations, and shipped with
twice the VRAM (32MB). The
700 Mhz CD-ROM model sold
for a mere $999, making it
the first sub-$1000 Apple
laptop. The 800 Mhz Combo
drive model sold for $1299,
and the 14.1" 800 Mhz
Combo drive model sold for
$1599.