iBook Brought Up to Speed with G4

Apple has finally put to rest the sluggish PowerPC G3 processor, introducing new iBooks featuring the same G4 brain found in the PowerBook. The iBook line was also anointed with USB 2.0, and support for Airport Extreme and Bluetooth.

The iBook with G4 processor is pegged as a low-cost portable for the consumer market, offering advanced functionality at a price point 30 percent less than its PowerBook relatives.

Apple's new notebooks, available in both 12 and 14-inch models, feature a slot-loading CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, 32MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics adapter, and 256MB of DDR RAM. Mac OS X version 10.3, code-named Panther, is pre-installed on all systems.

The 12-inch iBook G4, with an 800 MHz processor and 30GB hard drive, is available now for $1,099 USD. The 14-inch model, expected to be available next week, features a 933 MHz processor and 40GB hard drive for $1,299, or a 1 GHz processor and 60GB hard drive for $1,499 USD.