-
The original iBook computerThere have been many versions of the iBook. The initial model (code named P1) was the iBook G3/300. It was the laptop cousin to the wildly successful (as well as wildly colorful) iMac series. It featured a 300GHz G3 processor 64MB RAM, 6GB hard drive and a 12.1-inch color display.
The iBook brand went through multiple models over the next few years and the name was finally discontinued in 2003, when the MacBook series of laptops were introduced. - Besides the original G3 iBook (which came in colorful, translucent cases), there were white iBook models, which was a more powerful, traditionally shaped (e.g. less round) computer. This was the configuration that lasted the rest of the life of the iBook line. Eventually Apple split its laptop line into the MacBook and MacBook Pro models.
- Early models of the iBook were not nearly as powerful as the desktop computers that Apple produced concurrently. In fact, the user had to sacrifice functionality for the benefit of portability and style. As the laptop industry matured, more features and performance enhancements helped narrow the gap between laptop and desktop computers, including adding a Fire Wire port and wireless networking capability.
-
Even the iBook cases were fun lookingOne of the determining factors of a laptop is the physical weight of the computer. Early iBook models weighed over six pounds, but by the time the final iBook was introduced in April 2003, the weight had dropped below five pounds.
There were only two options in screen size: 12.1-inch and 14.1-inch. Although all performance attributes improved over time, the final version of the iBook only featured a 900MHz processor, 640MB RAM and a 40GB hard drive. -
The last iBook modelThe iBook was a pioneer in the world of laptop computing. Previously, only high-powered executives and power users owned (or even used) laptop computers. Apple's deft blend of engineering, marketing and product design allowed the laptop to infiltrate the consumer and student market, which was the genesis of the ubiquity of laptops today.
