series of laptops by Apple Computer

July 1999: The suspense is over! In one of what has to be the longest-anticipated and one of the most eagerly awaited product introductions in its history, Apple computer unveiled its new compact iBook consumer notebook on Wednesday at Macworld Expo New York.

Touted as the iMac to Go, iBook features an advertised battery life of up to six hours, a 300 MHz PowerPC G3 chip (reportedly a 333 MHz chip de-clocked for lower power consumption), and Apple’s new optional AirPort wireless networking for cable-free Internet access (which will also be offered as an add-on for the “professional” Lombard PowerBook ), in a new laptop form factor available in two of the iMac’s five fruit-flavor colors – Blueberry and Tangerine.

The iBook features a 12.1″ TFT display; a PowerPC G3 microprocessor that outperforms the fastest Intel processor found in any notebook PC; built-in 56K modem and 10/100Base-T ethernet networking; built-in CD-ROM drive; and two built-in antennas and an internal slot to accept Apple’s new AirPort wireless networking card. iBook’s design features include a rubber-coated translucent enclosure for durability, a pullout (color-highlighted) handle for safe carrying nested in the display hinge area, and a latchless closing mechanism.

Specs (via Low End Mac)

• Display: 12.1″ (diagonal) built-in TFT SVGA active-matrix display, offering 640 x 480 pixel and 800 x 600 pixel resolution with millions of colors
• Weight: 6.7 pounds (3.0 kg)
• Processor: 300 MHz PowerPC G3 processor; 512 KB backside level 2 cache on processor module 66 MHz system bus; 66 MHz memory bus; Integrated floating-point unit and 64 KB on-chip level 1 cache (32 KB data and 32 KB instruction)
• Memory: 32 MB of SDRAM; single 1.25-inch SO-DIMM slot (3.3 volt, PC66 compliant) supports up to 128 MB for a total of 160 MB of RAM
• Storage: 3.2 GB IDE hard disk drive
• Cd-Rom: Built-in 24x-speed (maximum) CD-ROM drive
• Connectivity: One 12 Mbps Universal Serial Bus (USB) port for USB devices such as printers, storage devices, keyboard, mouse, USB hubs, and data capture probes
• Communications: Built-in 10/100Base-T Ethernet; Built-in 56K modem supporting K56flex and V.90 standards*; Optional 11 Mbps AirPort wireless networking card (IEEE 802.11 DSSS compliant)
• Sound: Single built-in mono speaker; 16-bit stereo sound output minijack
• Graphics Support: 4 MB of SDRAM video memory; Built-in 2D/3D graphics acceleration through an integrated ATI RAGE Mobility graphics controller with 2x AGP
• Battery: Lithium-ion; 45-watt-hour; Up to 6 hours of battery life, depending on configuration and usage
• Keyboard: Built-in full-size keyboard with 76 (U.S.) or 77 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement), and embedded keypad
• Trackpad: Solid-state Apple trackpad supports tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
• Electrical Requirements: Line voltage: 100 to 240 volts AC; Frequency: 50 to 60 Hz; EPA ENERGY STAR compliant
• Size And Weight Width: 13.5″ (34.4 cm) Height: 11.6″ (29.4 cm) Average depth: 1.8″ (4.6 cm); depth ranges from 1.24″ (3.15 cm) at the thinnest point to 2.06″ (5.2 cm) at the thickest point Weight: 6.7 pounds (3.0 kg)
• Width: 13.5″ (34.4 cm)
• Height: 11.6″ (29.4 cm)
• Average Depth: 1.8″ (4.6 cm); depth ranges from 1.24″ (3.15 cm) at the thinnest point to 2.06″ (5.2 cm) at the thickest point