Apple unveils faster PowerBooks

Apple has increased the processing speeds as well as other elements of the PowerBook

31 January 2005 18:48 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Before you get excited, its not the announcement of a G5 PowerBook, however Apple has increased the speed of processor and added a couple of other features while bring the price down even further.

The new PowerBook, which will start from £1049 will now offer processing speeds upto 1.67GHz, faster hard drives and a faster 8x SuperDrive.

Other updates include all models coming with 512Mb as standard, integrated AirPort 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0 wireless networking and two new Apple patent-pending technologies — the Scrolling TrackPad and the Sudden Motion Sensor.

Apple's patent-pending Scrolling TrackPad that works with every application and document, so users can easily scroll through long Web pages or across large photographs. Simply touch the trackpad with two fingers instead of one to quickly scroll or pan within the window.

Every PowerBook also includes Apple's patent-pending Sudden Motion Sensor technology which integrates a tri-axis accelerometer to help protect a spinning hard drive if the notebook is accidentally dropped.

Every PowerBook now includes iLife '05. The top of the range model will feature the 1.67GHz, a 17-inch screen and cost £1,849. It will include: 512MB of 333MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB; a 100GB (5400-rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor; a slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive; ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 128MB video memory; DVI (Dual Link for 30-inch support), VGA, S-video and composite video support; AirPort Extreme 54Mbps 802.11g Wi-Fi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem; two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800; optical digital audio input and output; a Scrolling TrackPad; and illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.