[Macpartners] New PowerBooks

[Albert Willis]

Apple announced new PowerBooks on Monday. The press release is at: 
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jan/31powerbook.html. Detailed 
information at http://www.apple.com/powerbook/.

New features:

- all PowerBooks now ship with 512 MB of RAM standard
- AirPort Extreme wireless networking (802.11g) is built-in
- the 15" and 17" PowerBooks come with backlit keyboards
- new scrolling TrackPad--using two fingers, users can scroll through 
long web pages quickly
- all PowerBooks now have Sudden Motion Sensor technology, to safe 
guard the hard drive if dropped
- Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR: Bluetooth is now 3x faster at 3 mbps
- the 17" can now drive the 30" Cinema Display
- 100 GB drive comes standard with the 17"; it's a build to order 
option for the 12" & 15" models

Configurations & MIT departmental pricing)

  The 1.67 GHz, 17-inch PowerBook, for the price of $2,206.00 
(discounted from $2,699), includes:
	▪ 	 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 
2GB;
	▪ 	 a 100GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion 
Sensor;
	▪ 	 a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
	▪ 	 ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 128MB video memory;
	▪ 	 DVI (Dual Link for 30-inch support), VGA, S-video and composite 
video support;
	▪ 	 AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and 
internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
	▪ 	 Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
	▪ 	 two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire® 400 and 800;
	▪ 	 optical digital audio input and output;
	▪ 	 a scrolling TrackPad; and
	▪ 	 illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.

  The 1.67 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for the price of $1,930.00 
(discounted from $2,299), includes:
	▪ 	 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 
2GB;
	▪ 	 an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion 
Sensor;
	▪ 	 a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
	▪ 	 ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory with Dual 
Link DVI functionality;
	▪ 	 DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
	▪ 	 AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and 
internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
	▪ 	 Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
	▪ 	 two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
	▪ 	 a scrolling TrackPad; and
	▪ 	 illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.

  The 1.5 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for the price of $1,655.00 (discounted 
from $1,999), includes:  
	▪ 	 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open memory slot, expandable 
up to 2GB;
	▪ 	 an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion 
Sensor;
	▪ 	 a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
	▪ 	 ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory;
	▪ 	 DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
	▪ 	 AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and 
internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
	▪ 	 Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
	▪ 	 two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
	▪ 	 a scrolling TrackPad; and
	▪ 	 illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.

  The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for the price of $1,379.00 (discounted 
from $1,699), includes:
	▪ 	 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
	▪ 	 an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion 
Sensor;
	▪ 	 a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
	▪ 	 NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
	▪ 	 DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
	▪ 	 AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and 
internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
	▪ 	 Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
	▪ 	 two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
	▪ 	 a scrolling TrackPad.

  The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for the price of $1,286.00 (discounted 
from $1,499), includes:
	▪ 	 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
	▪ 	 a 60GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion 
Sensor;
	▪ 	 a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
	▪ 	 NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
	▪ 	 DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
	▪ 	 AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and 
internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
	▪ 	 Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
	▪ 	 two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
	▪ 	 a scrolling TrackPad.

   -- Al

______________________________
Albert Willis
Macintosh Platform Coordinator - Software Release Team
Information Services and Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
awillis at mit.edu