Description:
If you’ve considered Apple’s amazing new PowerBook G4 series of portable computers but can’t quite justify the expense, you may want to check out PowerBook’s less expensive, slightly less capable sibling, the iBook G4. Available in three flavors, the iBook G4 doesn’t sport PowerBook amenities such as DVD burning and massive widescreen displays, yet all three models feature superb connectivity, subcompact dimensions, and impressive battery life. This particular unit, the 14-inch M9388LL/A, is the midlevel iBook and one of the best bang for the buck notebooks in the entire Apple roster. Featuring a spry power section consisting of a 933 MHz PowerPC G4 processor and 256 MB RAM (expandable to 640 MB), the system packs enough raw muscle for most typical mobile computing tasks. However, the real surprise comes in its 3D rendering capabilities. Unlike many comparably equipped notebooks, the iBook G4 14-inch M9388LL/A features an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 video chipset with 32 MB of dedicated DDR SDRAM memory. Thusly, it will efficiently handle many demanding 3D drawing and gaming applications too. At just 12.7 by 10.2 by 1.35 inches and 5.9 pounds, the iBook G4 14-inch M9388LL/A is a pound heavier and a few square inches larger than its close cousin, the entry-level iBook G4 12-inch M9164LL/A. Nevertheless, it is smaller and more portable than many competing notebooks. Furthermore, this unit features a larger viewing screen than the 12-inch model, a 14.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display capable of 1024x768 resolution. For data handling, Apple has included a midsize 40 GB hard disk and a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive through which you can burn audio CDs, archive files and play the latest Hollywood blockbusters. Connectivity options include an integrated 56K modem for dial-up communications, a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port for LAN and high-speed Internet and email, and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port for external high-tech toys such as scanners, digital cameras and digital camcorders. Users can also purchase an Apple AirPort Extreme Card for wireless communication and an internal Bluetooth module to interact with future cordless Bluetooth devices such as cell phones and PDAs. Bundled software includes Apple’s newest operating system, Mac OS X v.10.3 Panther, and a broad range of highly useable multimedia utilities. Under ideal conditions, battery life is estimated at a stunning six hours.
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