Might 10, 1999: The third-generation PowerBook G3 is available in 20% slimmer and a couple of kilos lighter than its predecessor, however most individuals bear in mind the laptop computer for its “bronze” keyboard. Though it doesn’t get a brand new identify to differentiate it from earlier laptops within the lineup, followers name it “Lombard” after Apple’s inside code identify (or just the “PowerBook G3 Bronze Keyboard”).
Enhancing the PowerBook G3 formulation
The PowerBook G3, launched on at the present time in 1999, will not be my favourite of the laptop computer line. (That may be the following 12 months’s “Pismo” PowerBook, which nonetheless stands as one among Apple’s all-time greatest laptops.) Nonetheless, the Lombard mannequin proved extremely popular in its day.
Because the (precise) identify suggests, it boasted Apple’s zippy PowerPC 750 (G3) processor. Working at both 333 or 400 MHz, the Lombard clocked in increased than its predecessors. Nonetheless, Apple lowered the L2 cache, which meant that typically the laptop computer ran a bit extra slowly.
No one might quibble in regards to the laptop computer’s battery life, although, as a result of Apple improved it considerably over earlier fashions. The PowerBook G3 Lombard might run for 5 hours on a single cost. Plus, homeowners might add a second battery by switching out the optical drive within the growth bay. That doubled battery life to a whopping 10 hours.
The translucent keyboard that gave the laptop computer its widespread identify was fabricated from bronze-tinted plastic relatively than steel. A DVD drive got here as an non-obligatory additional for the 333 MHz mannequin, or as commonplace on all 400 MHz variations.
PowerBook G3 Lombard lastly brings USB ports
The Lombard launched USB ports to the PowerBook, though the laptop computer retained SCSI assist for what turned out to be the final time. It dropped Apple Desktop Bus assist altogether and ditched one of many PC Card slots, leaving only one.
Over the lifespan of the PowerBook G3, Apple phased out ADB and SCSI in favor of USB and the corporate’s Emmy Award-winning FireWire interface. These adjustments made the Lombard a very transitional laptop computer.
The PowerBook G3 Lombard provided 64MB of RAM, a 4GB laborious drive, ATI Rage LT Professional graphics with 8MB of SDRAM, and a 14.1-inch TFT active-matrix shade show. It required Mac OS 8.6 or later, however might run any Apple working system as much as OS X 10.3.9.
1999: An ideal 12 months for Apple
The PowerBook G3 Lombard scored one other dwelling run for Apple. It got here the 12 months after Cupertino returned to profitability, as onlookers waited for the corporate to journey up.
In the long run, 1999 proved a seminal 12 months for the corporate. The ultra-popular iMac rolled out in new colours, Apple launched Mac OS 9, and the world acquired a glimpse of OS X for the primary time.
Whereas the brand new ultra-connected iBook turned a very powerful participant in Apple’s laptop computer lineup later that 12 months, the PowerBook G3 Lombard actually didn’t let the workforce down by any measure. The $2,499 laptop computer packed specs far forward of what the competitors provided on the time.
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