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Apple iBook G4 (12-inch, Late 2004)

Apple · iBook

iBook G4 (12-inch, Late 2004)

Released October 2004

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

Model history · 11 models, 1999–2004
  1. 1999iBook (1999)Compare
  2. 2000iBook (Early 2000)Compare
  3. 2000iBook (FireWire)Compare
  4. 2001iBook (Dual USB)Compare
  5. 2001iBook (Late 2001)Compare
  6. 2002iBook 12-inch (Mid 2002)Compare
  7. 2002iBook 12-inch (Late 2002)Compare
  8. 2003iBook 12-inch (Early 2003)Compare
  9. 2003iBook G4 (12-inch, Late 2003)Compare
  10. 2004iBook G4 (12-inch, Early 2004)Compare
  11. 2004iBook G4 (12-inch, Late 2004)
Size
12.1″
Display
–
Processor
PowerPC G4 1200 MHz (iBook Late 2004)
Memory
256 MB – 1.25 GB
Weight
2.2 kg
Battery
6 h

What reviewers say

Reviews praised the compact, solid construction, battery life and improved value with wireless networking included. Performance suited everyday tasks, with a small stock hard drive and limited expansion. Macworld found the processor increase modest and the standard memory insufficient for demanding work; DVD writing was unavailable on the 12-inch model.

From macworld.com and notebook.cz

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

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 Exact panel technology, brightness and built-in refresh rate are unpublished in the cited maker sheet.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 1200 MHz (iBook Late 2004)
CPU cores
1
Graphics
ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 (32 MB DDR)
Memory
256 MB or 1.25 GB
Storage
30 GB
CPU
PowerPC G4 at 1.2 GHz, with Velocity Engine, 512 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; 256 MB soldered and one empty SO-DIMM slot. Factory totals 512 MB, 768 MB or 1.25 GB; maximum 1.25 GB.
Storage type
4200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; 60 GB and 80 GB factory upgrades. The 12-inch starts at 30 GB with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive. Both 1.33 GHz 14-inch stocks have 60 GB: M9627 has a Combo drive and M9628 a 4× DVD-R SuperDrive. These optical variants share one set of processor/memory/storage configurations.

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.
Materials
White polycarbonate enclosure
Colours
White

Connections

Ports
2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
AirPort Extreme 802.11g
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 is included according to the stock configurations and UK launch notice; a generic technical paragraph still calls it optional. Internal Bluetooth is optional; version unpublished.
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 and iLife ’04 at launch. Later review units bundled Tiger and iLife ’05.

Configurations

ProcessorMemoryStorageGraphics
PowerPC G4 1200 MHz (iBook Late 2004)256 MB30 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9200 (32 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1200 MHz (iBook Late 2004)1.25 GB30 GBATI 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
SizeDisplayProcessorMemoryWeightBatteryReleased
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 MB2.2 kg5 hApr 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 MB2.2 kg5 hNov 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 MB2.2 kg5 hMay 2002

Previous model: iBook G4 (12-inch, Early 2004). Newer model: iBook G4 (12-inch, Mid 2005).

Sources

  1. support.apple.com/kb/sp68
  2. apple.com/uk/newsroom/2004/10/19Apple-Unveils-Fastest-Most-Affordable-iBook-G4-…

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

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