iBook G3/500 (12.1-inch LCD) Review: Specs, Price and More Facts

Introduced: January 7, 2002
Terminated: May 20, 2002

Logic Board
Processor:   PowerPC 750cx (G3)
Processor Speed:   500 MHz
PMMU:   Integrated
FPU:   Integrated
Bus Speed:   66 MHz
Data Path:   64-bit
ROM Size:   1 MB
Level 1 Cache:   64K
Level 2 Cache:   256K
Expansion Slots:   none

Battery:

  • 42-watt-hour lithium-ion battery provides up to 5 hours of battery life on a single charge
  • Integrated charge indicator LEDs on battery
  • Power adapter port

Memory
RAM Type:   SO-DIMM
RAM Slots:   1
Min – Max RAM:   128 MB – 640 MB
Minimum RAM Speed:   10 ns
Install in groups of:   1
RAM Sizes:   32, 64, 128, 256, 512 MB
Onboard RAM:   128 MB

Ports
USB:   2 x USB 1.1
FireWire:   1 x 400-Mbps
Modem:   Built-in 56K V.90 modem (RJ-11 connector)
Ethernet:   Built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Video:

  • VGA video output port for video mirroring on an external display or projector (24-bit color)
  • Composite video output to TV or projector through AV port (requires Apple AV Cable)

AirPort Ready:

  • Built-in antennas and card slot for optional 11-Mbps AirPort Card; IEEE 802.11b compliant

Audio:

  • 16-bit CD-quality stereo sound output minijack through AV port
  • Built-in stereo speakers
  • Built-in microphone
  • Support for external USB audio devices such as microphones and speakers

Video
Display:

  • Built-in 12.1-inch (diagonal) TFT XGA active-matrix display
  • Supports millions of colors at 1024 x 768-pixel resolution
  • Supports resolution scaling to 800 x 600-pixel and 640 x 480-pixel resolution with millions of colors

Graphics Support:

  • ATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics accelerator with 8 MB of SDRAM graphics memory and AGP 2X support

Storage
Disk Drive:

  • 24x-speed (maximum) CD-ROM drive
  • Optional 8x-speed (maximum) DVD-ROM drive

Internal Hard Drive:   15 GB Ultra ATA
Floppy Disk Drive:   none

Operating System
Addressing Modes:   32-bit
Original OS:   9.2.1, X v10.1 (Puma)
Original Enabler:   none

Compatible MacOS:
9.2.1, X v10.1 (Puma)
X v10.2 (Jaguar)
X v10.3 (Panther)
X v10.4 (Tiger)

Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger) requires:

  • Built-in FireWire
  • At least 256 MB of RAM
  • DVD drive (DVD-ROM), Combo (CD-RW/DVD-ROM) or SuperDrive (DVD-R) for installation
  • At least 3 GB of free disk space; 4 GB if you install the XCode 2 Developer Tools

Miscellaneous
Form Factor:   iBook (12.1″)
Order No.:   M8597LL/C

Keyboard/Trackpad:

  • Built-in full-size keyboard with 77 (U.S.) or 78 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement), and embedded keypad
  • Solid-state trackpad provides precise cursor control; supports tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities

Dimensions (Inches):   9.06 H x 11.2 W x 1.35 D
Average Weight (lbs):   4.9
Original Price:   $1299 US

Comments
This model originally included a built-in keyboard and trackpad, VGA display adapter, modem cable, power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, and lithium-ion battery; Mac OS X v10.1, Mac OS 9.2, QuickTime, iMovie 2, iTunes 2, AppleWorks, Mac OS X Mail, Microsoft Internet Explorer, EarthLink, AOL, World Book Mac OS X Edition, Otto Matic, PCalc, Acrobat Reader, and FAXstf 10.0 Preview; Apple Hardware Test CD; complete setup, learning, and reference documentation; limited warranty; and 30 days of free Internet service through EarthLink.

Leave a Comment