Apple Unveils New iBook, PowerBook and Power Mac G4 Lines
New iBook Special Edition in Stunning Graphite Leads New iBook Lineup
Mac OS X to Include Highest-Quality Japanese Fonts
MACWORLD EXPO TOKYO -February 16, 2000-In a keynote presentation here,
Apple today unveiled new iBook, PowerBook and Power Mac G4 lines, and
announced that the forthcoming Mac OS X operating system will include the
highest-quality Japanese fonts available.
The new iBook line builds upon the success of the most popular consumer
portable on the market* and includes the debut of iBook Special Edition.
Featuring double the memory and hard drive size, all three new iBook models
come standard with 64MB of memory and a 6GB hard drive. iBook Special
Edition features a faster 366 MHz PowerPC G3 processor and, like iMac DV
Special Edition, comes in a stunning Graphite-color enclosure.
PowerBook, Apple’s incredibly successful portable for creative
professionals, is now the fastest portable ever**. Powered by PowerPC G3
processors running at up to 500 MHz, PowerBook features up to 10 hours of
battery life*** and two built-in FireWire ports, which let users easily
transfer pro-quality digital video with DV camcorders or external hard
drives. With Apple’s Final Cut Pro 1.2 software installed, the new
PowerBook is a complete pro-quality mobile video editing system.
Apple also announced it has increased the performance of its
industry-leading Power Mac G4 line with faster processors running at 400-,
450-, and 500 MHz. The Power Mac G4, which features the PowerPC G4
processor with its remarkable Velocity Engine, runs professional
applications like Adobe Photoshop over 50 percent faster than 800 MHz
Pentium III-based PCs****.
All the new hardware products support Apple’s revolutionary AirPort
wireless networking solution which provides totally untethered Internet
access at speeds of up to 11 megabits per second. Apple’s AirPort solution
includes the AirPort Card, which fits easily inside iBook, PowerBook and
the Power Mac G4, and the AirPort Base Station, which contains a 56K modem
and a 10BASE-T Ethernet port for connecting to a phone line, cable modem,
DSL modem or local area network.
The new iBook, PowerBook and Power Mac G4 products are available
immediately via the Apple Store (www.apple.com) and through Apple
Authorized Resellers.
In addition to the significant hardware announcements, Apple today also
announced that its forthcoming Mac OS X will include the highest-quality
Japanese fonts available and the largest character set ever on personal
computers, through an agreement with Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co.,
Ltd., the premier font developer in Japan. The fonts, made up of 17,000
characters in each of six typefaces, will let all Mac OS X users-from
publishing professionals to first-time users-easily create the
highest-quality documents in Japanese, both on screen and in print.
Mac OS X is a completely new implementation of the Macintosh operating
system, featuring state-of-the-art technology throughout, including an
entirely new user interface called “Aqua.” Mac OS X is designed to make
computing even easier for consumers while simultaneously extending the
functionality for professional users.
*According to PC Data’s Portables Hardware Tracking Service
(October-December 1999).
**Based on 16 actions in Adobe Photoshop 5.5 when running on battery and AC
power.
***Up to 10 hours using the system’s dual-battery capability.
****Based on select tests published by Intel to demonstrate the speed of
the 800 MHz Pentium III processor.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to
students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world
through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.