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· Announcement

iBook (14") and iMac G4 15"

Apple announced two products on 7 January 2002: iBook (14") and iMac G4 15".

It was the 1st of 6 dated moments the archive holds for 2002, 58 days after the previous one, 10 November 2001.

iBook (14") product photograph

No machine-readable author provided. Ocmey assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain

What Apple announced

iBook (14")

Mac · iBook · discontinued 22 October 2003

The iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers. It was the first mass consumer product to offer Wi-Fi network connectivity, which was then branded by Apple as AirPort.

The iBook had three different designs during its lifetime. The first, known as the "Clamshell", was inspired by the design of Apple's popular iMac line at the time. It was a significant departure from previous portable computer designs due to its shape, bright colors, incorporation of a handle into the casing, lack of a display closing latch, lack of a hinged cover over the external ports and built-in wireless networking. Two years later, the second generation abandoned the original form factor in favor of a more conventional, rectangular design. In October 2003, the third generation was introduced, adding a PowerPC G4 chip, USB 2.0 and a slot-loading drive. iBooks were very popular in education, with Henrico County Public Schools being the first of many school systems in the United States to distribute one to every student.

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iMac G4 15"

Mac · iMac · discontinued 31 August 2004

The iMac G4 is a personal computer designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from January 2002 to August 2004. The all-in-one computer comprises a hemispheric base that holds the components, including a PowerPC G4 processor, and a flatscreen liquid-crystal display (LCD) mounted above. The display is connected to the base via an adjustable arm that allows the monitor to be tilted and swiveled.

Apple's previous release, the iMac G3 (1998), was a commercial success at a time when the company was close to bankruptcy. As component prices fell, Apple envisioned a replacement that would use an LCD instead of the G3's bulky cathode-ray tube. The resulting iMac G4 took two years to develop. The new shape was inspired by a sunflower, with Apple's design team exploring different ways of attaching the monitor to the base before settling on a single stainless steel arm. The iMac G4 eschewed the colorful translucency of the iMac G3 in favor of opaque white with silver accents.

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Also in 2002

Sources

  1. iBook (14") · Wikipedia
  2. iMac G4 15" · Wikipedia

Dates on this page are announcement dates, not shipping dates. Product summaries are drawn from the linked articles, and specification claims in them are the publisher’s, not independent testing. Photograph credits and licences are listed in full on the image credits page.