Apple Updates Powerbook G4 Series with BrighterScreens
Most people find laptops worthwhile because of their portability. Sometimes though, you may want to leave it at home because of security issues, or because lugging that 13 pound desktop replacement back and forth to the office is starting to become a real grind. That's when a remote pc access solution becomes attractive.
Afterriding the wave of its iPod fad, Apple has recalled itsroots-computers-and has finally released updated versions of itsPowerBook G4 lineup. Ok so no widescreen displays for iBooks this time, however one of the major enhancements to thenew PowerBooks are the new, clearer screens. The updated 17-inchPowerBook, for instance, features 1680-by-1050 pixel resolution,which represents a 36 percent gain from the previous model. The15-inch comes with a 1140-by-960 pixel res, a 26 percentgain.
And oh, thebrightness! According to Apple estimates, the new 17-inch displayis 46 percent brighter than before. To light up those pixels, Apple loaded the 15- and 17-inchers with 1.67 GHz processor speed,topped off with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics card with128 MB DDR of dedicated video memory. The 12-inch PowerBook, incase you're wondering, comes with 1.5 GHz.
All of the new PowerBooks come standard with 512 MB of DDR2 SDRAM, 80 GB of hard drive, anda read-write DVD 8X SuperDrive. The laptops also come equippedwith built-in wireless capabilities thanks to Bluetooth 2.0+EDRand a 802.11g WiFi networking AirPort Extreme capable of 54 Mbps.For wire connections, the notebooks have USB ports, Ethernet andFireWire.
And you can't expect an Apple computer without the uniquesoftware that makes Steve Jobs a hit with computer literateseverywhere. There's the vaunted OS 10.4, the "Tiger," which is the fifth major release ofApple's premier operating system, and Apple's Sudden MotionSensor technology. And the Apple suite of lifestyle applicationsthat help you connect with your iPod and other digital andmultimedia devices-the iLife suite.
This combination of enhanced hardware and software somehow alsoresult in an additional hour of battery life for the new PowerBooks.
There's no need to wait even that long for your own. The 12-,15-, and 17-inch versions are available immediately online atApple's site, at their brick-and-mortar stores, or at authorizedApple resellers, starting at only $1,499.
