Apple Pie A closer look at every member of Apple's product line of Macs
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They're responsible for the boom in translucentcandy-colored tech products. They're all the rage when it comesto sizing down and sleeking out desktops. Don't look now . . .they're knocking at your office door. Say hello to iMac, iBook,PowerBook, Power Mac G4 and now the Power Mac G4 Cube. (What theheck is that thing?) Whether you've been a Mac Head all the wayor you've finally gotten fed up with Windows, there's anApple for every office occasion. We'll pick apart the productline and see what flavors go best on which plates.
They're cute. They're cuddly. They come in indigo, ruby,sage, graphite and snow. And starting at a street price of $799,you can almost say they're cheap. The focus on ease of use overbells and whistles makes iMacs ideal for computer novices and"I just need to get online" users. But you might not wantto run your business with one of these. Heavy-duty spreadsheet andgraphics applications will drag their feet a bit with the basic350MHz G3 processor. Consider an iMac if you're looking for aninexpensive way to add employee desktops to your Mac-basedoffice.
The cream of the iMac crop is the $1,499 DV Special Edition. A500MHz G3 processor, 128MB RAM, a 30GB hard drive, a DVD-ROM driveand two firewire ports position this iMac as a multimedia monster.Compare the DV specs to the slightly pricier G4 desktop we coverlater. This is definitely the iMac of choice for intensiveresource-consuming graphics and business applications. Still, thebuilt-in 15-inch monitor can be a put-off, especially when it comesto graphics work.
As if iMacs aren't small enough, the Apple laptop line packsin the portability. Remember learning how to form analogies in highschool? Well, PowerBook is to iBook as business is to consumer. Fora tight budget that still demands a Mac notebook, the $1,499 basiciBook will suffice. It takes $2,499 to move up to thebottom-of-the-line PowerBook. Still, that will get you a 400MHz G3processor, compared to the iBook's 300MHz G3. The PowerBookscreen clocks in at 14.1 inches compared to 12.1, and a DVD-ROMdrive and two firewire ports come standard. Those extra featureswill pay off for you on-the-go professional types.
At this point, Apple's AirPort technology is worthmentioning. Available as an option for most of the Mac line, theAirPort lets you wirelessly network and access the Internet from anAirPort Base Station ($299) up to 150 feet away. An AirPort cardfor your computer costs $99. It might not be your cheapestnetworking option, but you can surf nonstop all the way into theconference room.
Nothing tops the brute force of a Power Mac G4. If you'renot a mega-tycoon yet, however, it's worthwhile to shop aroundamong the lower-end G4s. A single 400MHz G4 with 64MB RAM and a20GB hard drive will only squeeze $1,599 out of you. Monitor soldseparately, mind you-a 17-inch Apple Studio Display adds on$499.
So what is that G4 Cube? It looks like someone ran a G4 desktopthrough a trash compactor. It starts at $1,799, and the specs reada lot like a regular Mac desktop: 450MHz PowerPC G4 processor, 64MBRAM, a 20GB hard drive and a DVD-ROM drive. On the other hand,it's tiny and doesn't use a fan to cool the components.That means no incessant annoying hum. Despite the interestingdesign and plentitude of computing power, somewhat limitedexpandability means the Cube may be better left to Mac aficionadoswho "just gotta have one."
