Difference Between iBook and MacBook

iBook vs MacBook

The iBook and MacBook are both two separate lines of computers manufactured by Apple. The iBook has now been largely replaced by MacBook although both models were available in the market for quite some time during the transition. The primary difference between both the machines lies in the hardware. iBooks was built on the traditional Power PC architecture which is like a standard architecture for all Apple computers. The MacBooks is now built on an x86 architecture which is used typically in Intel-based processors. The transition in the hardware architecture helped Apple to grab all the attention from the market and also to take advantage of the price drop of the x86 architecture.

The gradual transition from Power PC to the x86 architecture resulted in the availability of both product lines on the market for some time.

The MacBook is designed to look very attractive, stylish, and thinner than the iBook. MacBook comes with a screen size of 13 inches and weighs around 5.2 lbs. Apple decided to choose the most popular widescreen format for its MacBook instead of the standard 4:3 ratio display which was used in its iBook model. This widescreen display made MacBook look much wider and rectangular as opposed to the square-shaped iBook. The iBook has a screen size of 12 inches and total weight of 4.9 lbs. The MacBook comes with a powerful 1.83 GHz Intel core duo processor when compared to iBook’s 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4. The memory installed on the MacBook is 512 MB at 667 MHz while the iBook has the same amount of RAM installed but at a front side bus speed of 133MHz. The maximum memory that can be installed on a MacBook is 2.0GB with 2 slots while the iBook supports a maximum memory of 1.5GB with a single slot.

MacBook has a storage capacity of 60GB whereas the iBook has a storage capacity of 40GB. MacBook includes an integrated iSight video camera which is not available in the iBook. The new features and the introduction of a powerful, multi-core processor makes MacBook more popular and superior when compared to iBook.

MacBook was initially introduced in only two colors; black and white. The production of the black MacBook model has been discontinued and white is the only MacBook model available for sale on the market. The iBook was available in a wide variety of colors; however, the production of the iBook was discontinued in 2006.

Summary:

1. iBook is built on the Power PC architecture while MacBook is built on x86 architecture.
2. MacBooks are designed to be thinner and more attractive compared to iBooks.
3. MacBook has a 13.3″ TFT XGA (widescreen) display whereas the iBook has a 12.1″ TFT XGA display.
4. MacBook has an integrated camera whereas iBook lacks a camera.
5. MacBook is superior to iBook in its hardware configuration, such as processor, storage, and memory.
6. The hard drive in MacBook is easily upgradable whereas iBook doesn’t support hard drive upgrades.
7. iBook production has been discontinued and is replaced by Apple’s very own MacBook.

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