iBook

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The original "Blueberry" iBook Clamshell

The iBook is a line of discontinued laptop computers sold by Apple Inc. between 1999 and 2006. The line was targeted at the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.

Three distinct designs of the iBook were introduced during its lifetime. The first design, known as the "Clamshell", was a significant departure from portable computer designs at the time due to its shape, bright colors, inclusion of a handle, and wireless networking. Two years later, a second line abandoned the original form factor in favor of a more conventional rectangular design. In October 2003 the third design added a PowerPC G4 chip and a slot-loading drive.

Apple replaced the iBook line with the MacBook in May 2006 during Apple’s transition to Intel processors.

[edit] iBook G3 ("Clamshell")

iBook G3 ("Clamshell")

The original iBook in Blueberry color
Developer	Apple Computer
Type	Laptop
Release date	July 21, 1999
Discontinued	May 1, 2001
CPU	PowerPC G3, 300–466 MHz

In the late 1990s Apple was trimming its product line from the bewildering variety of intersecting Performa, Quadra, LC, Power Macintosh and PowerBook models to a simplified "four box" strategy: desktop and portable computers, each in both consumer and professional models. Three boxes of this strategy were already in place: The newly-introduced iMac was the consumer desktop, the Blue and White G3 filled the professional desktop box, and the PowerBook line served as the professional portable line. This left only the consumer portable space empty, leading to much rumor on the Internet of potential designs and features. Putting an end to this speculation, Steve Jobs unveiled the iBook G3 during the keynote presentation of Macworld Conference & Expo, New York City on July 21, 1999.

The design was clearly influenced by Apple's consumer desktop, the iMac. In fact, the marketing slogan was "iMac to go". The clamshell design also echoed the eMate 300. Apple continued its trend of using transparent colored plastics for the shell, and releasing a product in multiple colours. Like the iMac, the iBook G3 had a PowerPC G3 CPU, and no legacy Apple interfaces. USB, Ethernet, modem ports and an optical drive were standard. The ports were left uncovered along the left side: a cover was thought to be fragile. When the lid was closed, the hinge kept it firmly shut, so there was no need for a latch on the screen. The hinge included an integrated carrying handle. Additional power connectors on the bottom surface allowed multiple iBook G3s to be charged on a custom-made rack. The iBook G3 was the first Mac to use Apple's new "Unified Motherboard Architecture", which condensed all of the machine's core features into two chips, and added AGP and Ultra DMA support.

The iBook was the first mainstream computer ever designed and sold with integrated wireless networking. On the iBook's introduction, Phil Schiller, Apple's VP of Marketing, held an iBook while jumping off a height as data from the computer was transferred to another in order to demonstrate the wireless networking capability. The display bezel contained the wireless antenna, which attached to an optional internal wireless card. Lucent helped create this wireless capability which established the industry standard. Apple released the AirPort Wireless Base Station at the same time.

There was heated debate over many things such as the aesthetics, features, weight, performance, and pricing. To provide good impact protection, the iBook was larger and heftier than the PowerBook of the time, and yet had lower specifications. Standard features like PC card slots were absent. Speculated features such as touch-screens and an ultra-long battery life were absent. The iBook gained the label "toilet seat", due to the distinctive design. Nevertheless, this same design made the iBook G3 unmistakable in movies and television shows.

The iBook was a commercial success. The line continually received processor, memory, hard disk upgrades, and new colors. FireWire and video out were later added. The design was discontinued in May 2001, in favor of the new "Dual USB" iBooks.

Vestiges of design ideas first adopted in the iBook G3 can be still be seen today: a striking portable case design in multiple bright colors, moving interface ports from the back to the side and leaving them uncovered, and integrated wireless networking.

[edit] Models

The five colors of the iBook Clamshell Series.
(Top row: "Tangerine" and "Blueberry"
Bottom row: "Graphite", "Indigo" and "Key Lime")

• All changes between models are marked by bold lettering.

The iBook has been upgraded to 576 MB of RAM including the 64 MB onboard.

[edit] Expandability and upgrades

The original iBook's only customer-serviceable parts were the memory (RAM) and AirPort card, accessed via two slots under the easily-removable keyboard. No other modifications were possible in-warranty. There was no PCMCIA port for additional expansion capabilities. 40 screws needed to be removed to access the hard disk or optical drive.

Later on, some users have even transplanted a 1024×768 LCD from the more recent white iBook onto a clamshell iBook.^[1]

All clamshell iBooks shipped with Mac OS 8.6 or 9.0 however all iBooks supported upgrading to Mac OS X v10.0–v10.3.9. Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger", requires a Firewire port found only on the late-model iBook G3 FireWire/SE (366/466 MHz). it is possible however to use a third-party software such as XPostFacto, to install version 10.4 on the clamshell iBook.

[edit] In Popular Culture

The iBook Clamshell appears in many early 2000s shows, such as George Lopez, and Malcolm in the Middle. The Clamshell also Appears in the EA game The Sims thanks to unoffical add-on, That's Life, as well as in the movies Legally Blonde and Coyote Ugly.

[edit] iBook G3 Dual USB (12.1 in and 14.1 in)

iBook G3 ("Dual USB")

The second-generation iBook G3 (12.1 in).
Developer	Apple Computer
Type	Laptop
Release date	May 1, 2001
Discontinued	October 22, 2003
CPU	PowerPC G3, 500–900 MHz

Apple debuted the next-generation iBook G3 at a press conference in Cupertino, California on May 1, 2001. The previous bold colors and bulky form-factor were abandoned, as was the handle, the latchless design and the additional power connectors on the bottom surface.

The resulting iBook was available in white only, and incorporated transparent polycarbonate in its casing. It was 30% lighter, and occupied less than 50% of the volume of the model it replaced, being smaller in all 3 dimensions. Despite that, it added an extra USB port and a higher resolution screen. Apple claimed the compact design did not sacrifice durability, saying it was “twice as durable” as the previous model.

With this revision, Apple began transitioning to translucent and white polycarbonate casings in most of its consumer line, such as the iMac and the eMac. In contrast, most of its professional products used an anodized aluminum finish. (The Mac mini uses both.)

[edit] Models

• iBook G3 Dual USB (May 1, 2001) – Second generation iBook G3
  • 12.1 in active-matrix TFT Display (1024×768 resolution)
  • PowerPC G3 500 MHz
  • 256 kB L2 cache
  • 64/128 MB RAM
  • ATI Rage Mobility 8 MB VRAM
  • 10 GB hard disk
  • CD/CDRW/DVD/Combo
  • USB 1.1, FireWire, video out, Ethernet
  • AirPort (802.11b, optional)
  • Mac OS 9.1
  • 2.2 kg (4.9 lb)
• iBook G3 Dual USB Late 2001 (October 16, 2001) - Minor revision
  • 600 MHz
  • 15 GB hard disk (most models)
  • Mac OS X 10.1
  • (Other specifications same as Dual USB)
• iBook G3 14 in (October 2001) – New model, larger 14 in display
  • 14 in active-matrix TFT display (1024×768 resolution)
  • 512 kB L2 cache
  • (Other specifications same as Dual USB Late 2001)
• iBook G3 Mid 2002 (May 20, 2002) – Minor revision
  • 600/700 MHz
  • ATI Mobility Radeon 16 MB VRAM
  • Mac OS X 10.1
  • (Other specifications same as 14 in)
• iBook G3 Late 2002 (November 2002) – Minor revision
  • 800 MHz
  • Casing now opaque and white instead of translucent and magnesium
  • ATI Mobility Radeon, 32 MB VRAM
  • Mac OS X 10.2 and 9.2.2
  • (Other specifications same as 14 in)
• iBook G3 Early 2003 (April 22, 2003) – Minor revision
  • 800/900 MHz
  • ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32 MB VRAM
  • 30/40 GB Hard disk

The headphone jack on the iBook G3 with dual USB functions as an audio/video output when connected via the Apple AV Cable for iBook.

[edit] iBook G4

iBook G4

iBook G4 (12 inch)
Developer	Apple Computer
Type	Laptop
Release date	October 22, 2003
Discontinued	May 16, 2006
CPU	PowerPC G4, 800 MHz–1.42 GHz

Apple added a PowerPC G4 chip to the iBook line on October 23, 2003—finally ending Apple’s use of the PowerPC G3 chip. A slot-loading optical drive replaced the disc tray. The iBook G4 also features an opaque white case finish and keyboard, and a plastic display hinge.

[edit] Models

• iBook G4 (October 22, 2003) – Major revision, processor switch
  • 12 in or 14 in active-matrix TFT display (1024×768 resolution)
  • G4 800/933 MHz/1 GHz
  • 256 MB RAM
  • 30/40/60 GB hard disk
  • Slot-load combo drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM)
  • USB 2.0, FireWire 400, video out, Ethernet 10/100
  • AirPort Extreme (802.11g, optional)
  • Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther"
• iBook G4 Early 2004 (April 19, 2004) - Minor revision
  • G4 1.0/1.07/1.2 GHz
  • Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD-R) "Built to Order" option
  • (Other Specifications Same as iBook G4)
• iBook G4 Late 2004 (October 19, 2004) – Minor revision
  • G4 1.2/1.33 GHz
  • 30/40/60 GB hard disk
  • Slot-load combo drive (DVD/CD-RW)/SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
  • AirPort Extreme Standard
  • (Other Specifications Same as iBook G4 Early 2004)
  • The three models are: M9623LL/A (12 in, 1.2 GHz, combo drive), M9627LL/A (14 in, 1.33 GHz, combo drive), M9628LL/A (14 in, 1.33 GHz, SuperDrive)
  • Originally shipped with Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" but with the release of Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger" on 29 April 2005, all iBooks were shipped with the more up-to-date operating system.

iBooks offered several ports on their left side, including a Kensington Security Slot, modem, Ethernet, Firewire, 2 USB, video out and headphone.

• iBook G4 Mid 2005 (July 26, 2005 to May 16, 2006) – Minor revision and the last PowerPC iBooks
  • G4 1.33/1.42 GHz
  • M9846LL/A: (Retail $999) 1.33 GHz; 12 in display; 40 GB hard disk; slot-load combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
  • M9848LL/A: (Retail $1299) 1.42 GHz; 14 in display; 60 GB hard disk; slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
  • While the 14 in display is bigger it is the same resolution as the 12 in.
  • Both models now feature: 512 MB memory (expandable to 1.5 GB) at 333 MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 graphics processor with 32 MB video RAM; Sudden Motion Sensor (parks the hard drive head if the iBook is dropped); scrolling trackpad; Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
  • Both have a bus at a 10:1 ratio (133 MHz or 142 MHz)
  • (Other Specifications Same as iBook G4 Late 2004)

[edit] Expandability and upgrades

The iBook keyboard lifts up, therefore allowing installation of the AirPort (wireless) card and additional memory. This gives the keyboard a "spongy" effect, especially in PowerPC G3 models with the translucent keyboard. The "sponginess" was corrected in the PowerPC G4 models.

Accessing the hard disk drive is complex and time-consuming, involving partial disassembly of the unit and the removal of over 20 different-sized screws.

The memory in the iBook G4 is covered by a removable Airport card, and accessible by removing the RAM shield with a Phillips 00 screwdriver. While some of the earlier models (e.g., 800 MHz and 933 MHz) have a specified 640 MB RAM limit, it may be possible to have a total of 1.5 GB of RAM installed (512 MB built-in, plus a 1 GB SO-DIMM ) or 1.25 GB in the earlier models with 256 MB of ram soldered to the logic board.

[edit] Quality issues

In late November 2003, a number of iBook G3 users reported display problems with their laptops. In December 2003, a group of users headed by Michael Johnson at blackcider.com, and Bill Owen at eyestir.com sought to file a class action suit against Apple. In response, Apple initiated the "iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program" in January 2004, which covered the expense of repairing affected iBooks for three years.^[2][3]

The iBook G4 seemed to suffer from similar display problems as the iBook G3, but was not covered by the repair extension program. Owners of iBooks that required expensive repairs for these problems submitted new class action lawsuits in December 2006.^[4] One discussion forum discovered that a shim placed between the plastic casing and the GPU solved the problem by preventing the GPU losing contact. It was thought that Apple was using this solution as well—the video can actually even be reactivated temporarily by squeezing the machine midway between the trackpad and the left of case.

For a detailed explanation of the technique for iBook G4 models, see this guide; for the iBook G3, see this guide. One possible fix on the iBook G3 is to place a 50 cent euro coin on GPU thermal pad. The copper coin conducts heat from the thermal pad to the metallic bottom cover while simultaneously pressing the GPU against the motherboard. See this post for pictures using a different coin.

On May 2, 2007, the Danish Consumer Board published an extensive report^[5][6] made by an external party concerning the Apple iBook G4 logic board issue. A press release^[7] referred to the global consequences this could have for possible guarantee claims.

The pre-1 GHz G4 models suffered from the dead video problem for a different reason: a sub-processor chip found on the underside of the iBook G4 could separate over time due to heat expansion and contraction.

Timeline of portable Macintoshes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: iBook

• Apple iBooks in Education
• Apple – Support – Specifications – iBook
• Apple – How to identify your iBook
• Comprehensive technical details
• Video of Jobs launching the iBook G3 at Macworld 1999
• Apple "MacBook" filing suggests iBook re-branding