Apple · iBook

iBook G4 (12-inch, Late 2003)

Released October 2003

A white 12-inch PowerPC G4 notebook with a removable battery, an optical drive and an XGA display.

Model history · 9 models, 1999–2003

Size: 12.1″
Display: –
Processor: PowerPC G4 800 MHz (iBook Late 2003)
Memory: 256 MB – 640 MB
Weight: 2.2 kg
Battery: 6 h

What reviewers say

Reviews praised the compact construction, everyday usability, battery life and value. They found the modest performance, occupied memory slot and 640 MB memory ceiling limiting; external displays support mirroring only.

From vintageapple.org and osnews.com

Specifications

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Display

Screen size: 12.1″
Resolution: 1024 × 768
Touchscreen: No
Display type: Active-matrix TFT XGA display supporting millions of colours. Exact panel technology, brightness and built-in refresh rate are unpublished in the cited maker sheet.

Performance

Processor: PowerPC G4 800 MHz (iBook Late 2003)
CPU cores: 1
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 (32 MB DDR)
Memory: 256 MB or 640 MB
Storage: 30 GB
CPU: PowerPC G4 at 0.8 GHz, with Velocity Engine, 256 KB on-chip L2 cache at processor speed and 133 MHz system bus. Exact silicon model and supplier are not published in the cited maker sheets.
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 32 MB dedicated DDR SDRAM and AGP 4× support.
Memory type: PC2100 266 MHz DDR SDRAM; 128 MB soldered plus 128 MB in the single SO-DIMM slot as standard. Up to 640 MB total, requiring replacement of the installed module.
Storage type: 4200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; 40 GB and 60 GB build-to-order options. Stock processor/drive ties are 800 MHz/30 GB (12-inch), 933 MHz/40 GB or 1 GHz/60 GB (14-inch). Slot-loading DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive in the consumer stocks.

Battery and size

Battery life (maker's claim): Up to 6 hours
Battery capacity: 50 Wh
Weight: 2.2 kg
Thickness: 34.2 mm
Width × depth: 285 × 230 mm
Battery life detail: Removable 50 Wh lithium-ion battery, with charge-indicator LEDs; maker claim up to six hours. Published 2.2 kg reference weight varies with configuration and manufacturing process. The current maker support sheet supplies the reference metric values; the older developer note gives slightly different depths and 2.6 kg for the 14-inch.
Materials: White polycarbonate enclosure
Colours: White

Connections

Ports: 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-Fi: Optional AirPort Extreme 802.11g
Bluetooth: Optional Bluetooth 1.1
Operating system: macOS
Port detail: Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 port, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, stereo headphone output and Mini-VGA video output. AirPort Extreme and internal Bluetooth are optional. The maker developer note specifies Bluetooth 1.1.
External displays: VGA mirroring through the included Apple VGA adapter; S-video and composite TV output require the optional Apple Video Adapter. Extended desktop is unsupported.
Keyboard: Full-size keyboard with 77 US or 78 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and an embedded numeric keypad.
Trackpad: Trackpad with a separate button; tap, double-tap and drag capabilities.
Speakers: Built-in stereo speakers
Microphones: Built-in microphone
In the box: iBook, rechargeable battery, power adapter, Apple VGA Video Adapter, software and documentation. Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, iLife and Classic environment. Native Mac OS 9 startup unsupported.

Configurations

Processor	Memory	Storage	Graphics
PowerPC G4 800 MHz (iBook Late 2003)	256 MB	30 GB	ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 (32 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 800 MHz (iBook Late 2003)	640 MB	30 GB	ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 (32 MB DDR)

Pros and cons

Pros

Removable battery and accessible memory slot
Built-in optical drive and FireWire 400
Stereo speakers and built-in microphone

Cons

External display supports mirroring only
Display limited to 1024 × 768 pixels
Single memory expansion slot

Closest rivals

Model	Size	Display	Processor	Memory	Weight	Battery	Released
AppleiBook 12-inch (Early 2003)	12.1″	–	PowerPC G3 800 MHz (iBook Early 2003) or PowerPC G3 900 MHz (iBook Early 2003)	128 MB – 640 MB	2.2 kg	5 h	Apr 2003
AppleiBook 12-inch (Late 2002)	12.1″	–	PowerPC G3 700 MHz (iBook Late 2002) or PowerPC G3 800 MHz (iBook Late 2002)	128 MB – 640 MB	2.2 kg	5 h	Nov 2002
AppleiBook 12-inch (Mid 2002)	12.1″	–	PowerPC G3 600 MHz (iBook Mid 2002) or PowerPC G3 700 MHz (iBook Mid 2002)	128 MB – 640 MB	2.2 kg	5 h	May 2002

Previous model: iBook 12-inch (Early 2003). Newer model: iBook G4 (12-inch, Early 2004).

Sources

Photo: Apple support image; low-resolution shared iBook family front image with later blue wallpaper and Dock artwork.

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