The original Mac mini was introduced in January 2005 at 1.25 GHz and 1.42 GHz. In July, Apple bumped base RAM from 256 MB to 512 MB. The Late 2005 model boosts CPU speeds to 1.33 GHz and 1.5 GHz. The SuperDrive is bumped from 4x to 8x, can now burn dual-layer discs, and also […]
Author Archives: LEM Staff
In July 2005, the iBook got a small speed boost (11% – from 1.2 GHz to 1.33 GHz), twice as much stock memory (512 MB vs. 256 MB), added Bluetooth 2.0 as a standard feature, and received improved video with ATI Radeon 9550 graphics with the same 32 MB of video RAM as the Late […]
TAM 4400 (a.k.a. 7220) 6500 7100 7200 7300 7500 7600 8100 8200 8500 8600 9150 9500 9600 G3/233 & 266 G3/300, 333, 366 G3 All-in-One B & W G3 Yikes! (PCI) G4 Sawtooth (AGP) G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) G4 Cube See as a list
The May 2005 revision of the iMac G5 got a 200 MHz speed boost, bringing it to 1.8 GHz and 2.0 GHz. Other improvements include an 8x dual-layer SuperDrive, better video, gigabit ethernet, and an ambient light sensor (ALS). 512 MB of RAM is now standard across the line, making the entry-level model more responsive […]
Incremental improvement seems to be the name of the game for the eMac once again. The 2005 models gets a modest 14% speed boost compared with the 1.25 GHz 2004 eMac. The G4 CPU used in this model has the same 512 KB level 2 cache as the 2004 model. Internal Bluetooth remains a build-to-order option. […]
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was released on April 29, 2005, went through 12 revisions, and wasn’t replaced until OS X 10.5 Leopard arrived on October 26, 2007 – two-and-a-half years later (almost 30 months to the day). Many consider Tiger a high point because of the wide range of hardware it supports and its length of […]
Making haste slowly, Apple has moved the fastest Power Mac G5 from 2.0 GHz CPUs in 2003 to 2.5 GHz in 2004, and now to 2.7 GHz in 2005. It’s nice to see Apple squeeze nearly 10% more speed from the G5 – and sad that Apple still can’t deliver the 3.0 GHz G5 that it promised […]
Apple updated the compact iPod mini in February 2005, dropping the gold color and adding a 6 GB model. Visually the 2G iPod mini is distinguished by colored printing on the clickwheel. To protect its minuscule 1.0″ hard drive, the iPod mini was built of aluminum. The 2G iPod mini was available in four colors – silver, blue, pink, and green – […]
After nine months at 1.33 GHz, Apple bumped the little AlBook from 1.33 GHz to 1.5 GHz, a 13% increase. Standard memory has been raised to 512 MB, graphics now uses the Nvidia GeForce FX Go5200 processor, and the SuperDrive can burn DVDs at up to 8x. All this at $100 less than the retail […]
The same size and weight its 2004 predecessor, the Early 2005 edition runs a bit faster (at 1.5 and 1.67 GHz). The entry-level 15″ PowerBook now has 512 MB of memory, and 5400 rpm hard drives are standard. Both versions of the 15″ PowerBook now include Apple’s backlit keyboard. The 1.67 GHz SuperDrive model supports […]
Never before had Apple sold a $500 Macintosh. Never before had Apple been poised to grow its market share like it hoped to with the Mac mini. The tiny Mac mini (6.5″ square, 2″ high, 2.9 lb.) has incredibly minimalist design. On the front, there’s just a slot-loading optical drive and a power light. On […]
When most MP3 players were based on flash memory, Apple built the original iPod around a tiny 1.8″ hard drive. And on January 11, 2005, Apple introduced the first iPod built using flash memory, the original iPod shuffle. Unlike competing flash-based MP3 players, the Shuffle has no menu system. You load it with the songs […]
A year after introducing the Xserve G5, Apple boosted its top speed from 2.0 to 2.3 GHz while making dual processors standard. That’s a bit slower than the fastest Power Mac G5, which runs at 2.5 GHz, but there’s much less room for a cooling system in the compact Xserve. Although clock speed is only 15% […]
On October 26, 2004, Apple released a special edition of the 4G iPod to coincide with U2’s album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The U2 Special Edition is black with a red clickwheel and the signatures of the band members engraved on the back. The special edition iPod included a $50 discount coupon for purchasing The […]
Spec for spec, the 1.2 GHz 12″ iBook G4 matches the 1 GHz 12″ model it replaces with one change: a nominally 20% faster CPU, although in reality the Early 2004 model runs at 1.07 GHz, making the Late 2004 model only 12% faster. AirPort Extreme 802.11g WiFi is now standard, and the retail price is $100 […]
Apple simplified the iBook line in October 2004 with two basic models, a slower 12″ and a faster 14″. Replacing a 1.0 GHz Combo drive model and a 1.2 GHz SuperDrive model introduced just six months earlier, the 14″ 1.33 GHz iBook G4 offers 24% more power than the 1.07 GHz (nominally 1.0 GHz) model at […]
Has Apple heard our pleas for a lower-cost modular Mac? The single processor 1.8 GHz Power Mac G5 knocks US$500 from the price of it’s dual-processor sibling while matching it in almost every specification. The only significant difference, besides a single CPU, is the use of a 600 MHz memory bus vs. 900 MHz on […]
Where did the computer go? It’s behind the flat panel display in the iMac G5! And the mouse and keyboard are available as wireless models with Bluetooth (which remains optional and can only be installed at the factory) – that means less cable clutter than most users are used to. Not just smaller and lighter, […]
The fourth generation (4G) iPod introduced the click wheel that we’re all familiar with today. Rather than 4 buttons surrounding the scrollwheel or a row of buttons above the scrollwheel, these functions are now controlled on the scrollwheel itself, a feature that had arrived with the iPod mini in January 2004. The four buttons that once surrounded […]
Less than a year after unveiling the original Power Mac G5, Apple released a new line of G5 models, each with dual processors and an 8x SuperDrive. As before, the entry level model uses 64-bit PCI slots and only supports up to 4 GB of RAM vs. PCI-X slots and an 8 GB RAM ceiling in the […]
Nearly a year after the Xserve G4 hit 1.33 GHz, Apple unveiled the Xserve G5 with single or dual 2.0 GHz G5 CPUs and a 1.0 GHz system bus (vs. 167 MHz on the G4), providing over 40% more overall processing power. Other changes include an 8 GB memory ceiling on the single-processor model, four times […]
For the first time, Apple offered a SuperDrive as an option on the iBook, making the 14″ 1.0 GHz model (actually 1.07 GHz) a very affordable, very portable way to burn DVDs. The “1 GHz” model is often sold on the used market as a 1.07 GHz iBook G4. Despite the fact that the CPU […]
In addition to a 33% speed boost over the 800 MHz Late 2003 model, the 2004 iBook uses a 1.07 GHz G4 processor with a 512 MB level 2 cache – twice as big as on the previous iBook G4. Another improvement is 256 MB of RAM on the system board (twice as much as […]
The same size and weight its 1.0 and 1.25 GHz predecessors, the 2004 15″ PowerBook G4 runs faster (at 1.33 and 1.5 GHz) and moves to the Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processor. The 1.5 GHz model has the same illuminated keyboard found on the 17″ PowerBook G4. The SuperDrive on the faster PowerBook officially supports […]
After seven months at 1 GHz, Apple speed bumped the little AlBook by 33% to 1.33 GHz and upgraded video memory from 32 MB to 64 MB. The new model supports ATA/100 hard drives, so drives over 120 GB are now supported, and uses a 167 MHz system bus. The 12″ PowerBook G4 had the […]
Incremental improvement were the name of the game for the 2004 eMac. This edition gets a 25% speed boost for both the CPU and the memory bus compared with the 1 GHz 2003 eMac. The G4 CPU used in this model also has a larger level 2 cache (512 KB vs. 256 KB), which further improves performance. […]
The biggest iMac to date, the 20″ model has a 1680 x 1050 display – and due to the weight of the screen, the base has to be heavier to counterbalance it. At 40.1 pounds, this is the heaviest iMac G4 yet. Except for the screen size and weight, the 20″ iMac G4 is identical […]
Mac OS X 10.3 Panther was released on October 24, 2003 and was last updated on April 15, 2005, when the 10.3.9 update was released. New features include Fast User Switching (you no longer have to log out so another user can log in), Exposé, FileVault (use at your own risk), and iChat AV, which […]
With the introduction of the G4 iBooks in October 2003, Apple phased out the last Macs with G3 processors, which had been in use since November 1997 – and brought the iBook past the 1 GHz mark. Although the G4 iBooks use a G4 CPU, it’s not the same version used in the PowerBook G4 – […]
With the introduction of the G4 iBooks in October 2003, Apple phased out the last Macs with G3 processors, which had been in use since November 1997. Although the G4 iBooks use a G4 CPU, it’s not the same version used in the PowerBook G4 – this edition has only a 256 KB level 2 […]
After eight months at 1.0 GHz, the 17″ PowerBook G4 received an impressive 33% performance boost to 1.33 GHz. Along with the new 15″ aluminum PowerBook G4, it is the first Apple portable to ship with ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics. Battery life is rated at 4.5 hours, and the price has been reduced to US$2,999. […]
A little bit bigger and heavier than its Titanium predecessor, the Late 2003 15″ PowerBook G4 is clad in aluminum, runs faster (at 1.0 and 1.25 GHz), gains USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 support, and includes the same 1280 x 854 15.2″ display as earlier models. The hinge design now matches that of the 12″ […]
The first iMac to reach 1.25 GHz, the 17″ G4 iMac has a wide aspect ratio “cinema” type screen and displays 1440 x 900 pixels – just perfect for DVDs. Along with the 1.0 GHz 15″ model, it’s the first iMac to support USB 2.0, and it’s also the first to sport GeForce 5200 graphics. […]
The last revision of the 15″ flat panel iMac has a 1 GHz G4 processor, a 32x Combo drive, and 32 MB of video memory. Along with the 1.25 GHz 17″ model, it is the first iMac to support USB 2.0. The 15″ 1 GHz iMac sold for the same $1,299 price as the original Bondi […]
The Power Mac G5 was introduced on 2003.06.23 – the same day Intel officially unveiled the 3.2 GHz Pentium 4. In terms of increased clock speed, that means Intel had a 6.7% speed bump the same day that Apple announced a 40% improvement in clock speed (from 1.42 GHz to 2.0 GHz), allowing it to […]