Apple PowerBook Notebook 12.1" M9008LL/A (1.0-GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive)

Surprisingly, the PowerBook G4 M9008LL/A is driven by the same CPU used in last year’s top-of-the-line 17-inch PowerBook, the 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor with 512 KB Level 2 cache for rapid retrieval of recently accessed data. Apple has added 256 MB of medium speed PC2100 (266 MHz) DDR SDRAM memory (upgradeable to 1.25 GB) and an nVidia GeForce FX Go5200 graphics chipset with 32 MB of dedicated video memory, thus ensuring smooth operation during standard mobile tasks. Some performance degradation may be evident when running complex professional applications and high-end 3-D games or while multitasking.

At just 10.9 by 8.6 by 1.2 inches and a scant 4.6 pounds (with battery and optical drive attached), the brushed aluminum PowerBook G4 M9008LL/A is extraordinarily compact. Yet it’s packed with amenities. Standard features include a 12.1-inch TFT display capable of high-detail 1024x768 resolution, a 78-key keyboard with accurate solid-state track pad, a digital DVI output for flat-screen displays, integrated Bluetooth 1.1 technology for cordless peripherals, and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port for connecting plug and play devices such as external drives and digital cameras.

To help you handle your data, Apple has outfitted the system with a reasonably sized 40 GB hard disk and a versatile DVD-RW/CD-RW drive through which you can play and listen to audio CDs, archive files, enjoy the latest movie releases, and burn home video to long-lasting DVD media. A high-speed 10/100BASE-T Ethernet connection and low-speed 56K V.92 modem are standard, but wireless communications are available only with the purchase of an AirPort Extreme card. In ideal conditions, battery life is estimated at an impressive five hours.