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I would venture to guess that they are going ot phase the higher end ibooks out completely.  They want anything above entry level to be in teh powerbook series. 

This of course if just my opinion.

Besides, the AlBook isn't plastic. 

Oh yes,

5. Metal on the outside of the case (the better to transfer the heat of the G4 to the air or your lap  )

...i still want one...

wow, burning a DVD at 1X and encoding with a 867mhz G4- an iDVD project would seriously take 6+ hours.

One big difference...$800 more between base powerbook and iBook.  Yeah I know G# v G4 and newer technology but for me that makes it anything BUT an iBook.

Did anyone mention that it also uses faster DDR memory?  And 40G hard drive, only $50 more for a 60G?  And "QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition", whatever that is.

http://www.apple.com/powerbook/specs.html

wow, burning a DVD at 1X and encoding with a 867mhz G4- an iDVD project would seriously take 6+ hours.

My 733 doesn't take that long.  Are you sure those numbers are correct?

I don't know about your 733, but current desktops including the iMac burn DVD's at 2x & 4x (DVD-R & DVD-RW) but the portables burn DVD's at 1x.

http://www.apple.com/powerbook/specs.html

I'm getting tired of this G4 iBook garbage.  The 12" PowerBook has a faster CPU, faster GPU, bigger harddrive, faster system bus, faster RAM, capable of SuperDrive.  Yeah, that's pretty close to the iBook.  People, just because it's the same shape and size doesn't mean it's the same machine.  If every bit a PowerBook.

You're right, and thanks for pointing this out. 

However, here's the real rub for me: I DON'T CARE if it's a G4 iBook or not.  The price and specs are right for me.  There was a time when Apple only sold PowerBooks - the term "iBook" is just a name.

Besides, it's not the same size (the g4 is smaller), and rectangle is pretty much the standard shape for a laptop (show me a round or triangular one ), it looks similar but the hinge is different, and if ports on the side work (I like them there) why not use that, regardless of iBook or PowerBook.

yeah, the same way the low end PowerMac has little in common with the high end.  Both their both PowerMacs.  The 12" has more in common with the Pro line than with the Consumer line.

Let us compare. First, we have the 12" PowerBook:

867 Mhz G4
256K L2 DDR Cache
NVidia GForce4 420 Go (32)
10/100 Ethernet
VGA Out
133Mhz Bus
Airport extreme
Bluetooth 1.1

Now, the 17" PowerBook:
1Ghz G4
1MB L3 DDR Cache
NVidia GForce4 420 Go (64)
Gigabit Ethernet
DVI out
133Mhz Bus
Airport extreme
Bluetooth 1.1

Now, the iBook:
800Mhz G3
512K L2 Cache
ATI 7500 (32)
10/100 Ethernet
VGA out
100Mhz bus

Saying the 12" PowerBook is a G4 iBook because the case is the same is crap. Keeping the same case is probably a cost cutting decision. That aside, decide for yourself. The AiBook has DDR Ram, G4, 133Mhz bus and a better graphics card going for it. However, like the iBook it has VGA out, no L3 Cache and 10/100 Ethernet.

It has its similarities and its differences. You decide what you really think it is.

as

It is not the same case as the iBook.  Period.  The hinges are different and the machine has different dimensions.

It is a low end G4 PowerBook.  Apple calls it just that... look at the Apple store and note it is placed at the low end of the fast, faster fastest continuum.  It has similar design cues as the 17". and why not?   The low end 15" and the high end 15" also share design cues and some technology... or I suppose the low end 15" is just  a repackaged iBook?

I'm happy the 12" does not have all of the bells and whistles of the 17" PowerBook... otherwise it would be close to the $3200 price tag and I couldn't afford it