By Bylan Lynch, VNU Net
Apple has unveiled several new versions of its colourful iBook
laptop range and announced the availability of a public beta
version of its next operating system, OS X.
Opening the Paris Apple Expo show this morning, chief executive
Steve Jobs revealed the addition of a trio of new colours and specs
for the new iBook laptops, all of which will feature the company’s
iMovie2 video-editing software.
Jobs also said that the public beta of Apple’s new OS X
operating system is available through the company’s online store
(applestore.com), priced at $29.95.
The iBook debutantes are an indigo-coloured version of the iBook
and a graphite-coloured version of the iBook Special Edition. Both
are also available in ‘key lime’ from Apple’s online store
only.
Indigo iBook has an estimated price of $1499. The laptop has a
366Mhz PowerPC G3 processor, 64Mb SDram, 256k level 2 cache, 10Gb
IDE hard drive, 24x-speed CDRom drive, USB and Firewire ports, a
built-in 56K modem 10/100BASE-T ethernet and iMovie 2.
Meanwhile, Graphite iBook Special Edition has an estimated price
of $1799. It boasts a 466Mhz Power PC G3 processor, with 64Mb of
SDRam, 256K level 2 cache, a 10Gb IDE hard drive, 6x-speed DVDRom
drive, USB and Firewire ports, internal 56K modem, 10/100BASE-T
ethernet and iMovie 2.
“iBook has been a big hit with consumers, students and
educators, and the addition of portable digital video editing with
Firewire and iMovie2 makes it even better,” said Jobs. “Anyone can
now own a portable movie studio for just $1499.”
He also announced that the Radeon graphics accelerator card
would be a build-to-order option for all Apple’s G4 and Power Mac
G4 Cube systems ordered through the online site, adding $100 to the
sale price.