Apple Updates Titanium G4, iBook Laptops

The Cupertino-based computer maker released two new Titanium models: a 550MHz unit with 128 Mbytes of SDRAM and a 20-Gbyte hard drive, and a 667MHz unit with 256 Mbytes of SDRAM and a 30-Gybte hard drive. The 550MHz and 667MHz models carry retail prices of $2,199 and $2,999, respectively.

Other new Titanium G4 features include a 100MHZ system bus for the 550MHz model and a 133MHz system bus for the 667MHz model, ATI Mobility Radeon graphics with AGP 4X and 16-Mbyte DDR video memory, built-in 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet, 1-Gybte-expandable SDRAM and 256 Kbytes of on-chip Level 2 cache. Both models can be configured with a slot-loading DVD-ROM or CD-RW drive, as well as hard drives of up to 48 Gbytes. The 667MHz model comes with an AirPort wireless networking card pre-installed.

Apple said the new Titanium PowerBooks outperform Pentium III-based 1.13GHz notebooks by an average of 48 percent, based on tests employing commonly used actions in Adobe Photoshop 6.0.

The enhanced iBooks, which have PowerPC G3 processors, come in three standard models: a 500MHz unit with a 15 Gbyte hard drive and CD-ROM drive, priced at $1,299; a 600MHz unit with a 15-Gbyte hard drive and DVD-ROM drive, priced at $1,499;and a 600MHz unit with a 20-Gbyte hard drive and DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, priced at $1,699.

All iBooks now come with 128 Mbytes of SDRAM (expandable to 640 Mbytes) and 256-Kbyte Level 2 cache. Other features include an ATI Rage Mobility 128 graphics controller with 8 Mbytes RAM and AGP 2X, plus a built-in 56-Kbps modem and 10/100BaseT Ethernet. Options include an Airport card and an up to 30-Gbyte hard drive, and users can choose a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive.

The new Titanium G4s and iBooks come installed with Mac OS X 10.1, Classic Mac OS 9.2.1, iTunes digital audio software, iMovie 2 digital video-editing software and Disc Burner CD-burning software. Education discounts also are available, with prices running about $100 less for each iBook model and roughly $200 to $300 less for each Titanium G4.

Notebooks have been a revenue driver for Apple this year, and Fred Anderson, CFO of the company, cited iBook and Titanium G4 sales as key contributors to the company's financial results. In the third quarter, its most recent quarter, Apple sold 106,000 Titanium G4s and 182,000 iBooks. Overall, Apple sold 296,000 iBook and PowerBook laptops in the quarter, a 57 percent gain from second-quarter laptop sales and 36 percent increase from third-quarter 2000 laptop sales. Apple is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and year-end 2001 results tomorrow.

In addition to upgrading its notebook lines, Apple has quietly released an 800MHz dual-processor Quicksilver G4 server--the same way it replaced its 533MHz single-CPU PowerMac G4 server with a 733MHz Quicksilver model. Some Apple VARs had expected the company to announce a dual-processor server last month at Seybold San Francisco, where it unveiled Mac OS X Server 10.1, the first major upgrade of its server operating-system software.

The 800MHz dual-processor server, available in two standard models, comes with OS X Server 10.1 installed, 256 Kbytes of Level 2 cache and 2 Mbytes of Level 3 cache per processor, a CD-RW drive, a Nvidia GeForce2 MX-based graphics card and Gigabit Ethernet. One model, priced at $3,799 retail, features 256 Mbytes of SDRAM and an 80-Gbyte hard drive. The other, priced at $4,749, has 1 Gbyte of SDRAM and two 80-Gbyte hard drives. The single-CPU 733MHz server is priced at $2,799.