We take an early look at Apple's shiny new aluminium-encased PowerBook.Apple unveiled a new 15-inch, aluminium-encased PowerBook this week and also updated its entire line of high-end notebooks. Apple CEO Steve Jobs detailed the changes at the Apple Expo trade show in Paris.
Upside: The sleek, 2.8cm-thick, 2.5kg PowerBook features a 15.2-inch (diagonal) wide-screen display and the same great looks that distinguish the 12-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks. It's fully loaded as well, with processor speeds up to 1.25GHz (that's the PowerPC G4 chip), DDR RAM capacity up to 2GB, a slot-loading Superdrive (for burning DVDs or CDs), and wireless networking via Airport Extreme (802.11g).
Downside: The top-of-the-line 15-inch PowerBook costs a hefty AU$4,799.
Other PowerBooks updated: Apple also updated its 12-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks. The new, AU$5,499 17-inch model sports a faster, 1.33GHz G4 processor. The updated 12-inch model now sells for AU$2,999, and its G4 processor speed jumps to 1GHz. For another AU$300, you can replace the combo drive with the Superdrive.
Outlook: Jobs has called 2003 the year of the laptop for Apple. Will the new 15-inch PowerBook follow through? Check back later for our full review.
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