The New Macs
Dan Knight
- 2000.02.16 - Tip Jar
I guess I was right -
Apple waited to release the faster PowerBook until it could also
announce the G4/500. In fact, Apple has updated three of the four
niches in its product line.
Here's the quick overview from Macworld Tokyo:
Power Mac G4
Obviously, the big news here is that the 500 MHz Power Mac G4 was finally available. Best of all,
and in keeping with Apple's custom, it sells for the same US$3,499
price the 450 MHz G4 did. At the bottom of the Power Mac line, a
400 MHz model replaces the 350 MHz one. (I hope the 400s we have on order at
work are bumped to 450 MHz!)
Pismo?
"Desktop movies to go." That's Apple's phrase for the new PowerBook (Apple has apparently
dropped "G3" from the name) with FireWire. The new PowerBook has
the same 14.1" TFT screen as the old one, but uses 400 and 500 MHz
processors with 1 MB caches. DVD is now standard on both models, as
is a new 100 MHz motherboard. The new PowerBook does accept the
same drive bay accessories as Lombard.
Is this the much-rumored Pismo model? The real differences
between it and the previous "Lombard" PowerBook are a pair of
FireWire ports (instead of a single SCSI port), room for the
AirPort card, and a 100 MHz UMA motherboard. I think it's a
transitional model between Lombard and Pismo, maybe Lombard 2 would
be a good name.
iBook Special Edition
Take your basic iBook, color it graphite, boost the processor to
366 MHz, double the base memory to 64 MB, and replace the small 3.2
GB hard drive with a 6 GB drive. You've got the iBook Special Edition.
At the same time, Apple has increased base memory on the plain old colorful iBook to 64 MB and
the hard drive to 6 GB - with no change in price.
With the colorful iBook at US$1,599 and the SE at $1,799, Apple
has two real winners on their hands. (BTW, Apple has not switched
to slot-loading drives. This must annoy the rumor sites no
end.)
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