Steve Jobs unveiled the new iBook Special Edition during his keynote address at MacWorld Expo Japan on Wednesday. Sporting a 366mhz G3 processor, 6 gigabyte hard drive, and a slick new graphite and ice skin, the iBook SE seems to be the next evolutionary step. Aah, but read on.
All iBooks will ship with a 64 MB standard SDRAM configuration (was 32 MB), 6 gigabyte hard drive (was 3.3 gig), and a 12.1 TFT SVGA display with 4 MB VRAM.
The new iBook SE lacks the 128 MB of SDRAM and 13 gigabyte hard drive that add so much value to the iMac DV SE. It offers just a slight speed bump and a cool new color scheme for an extra US$200.
No DVD, no extra RAM, no larger hard drive.
With the iMac DV Special Edition absolutely flying off store shelves, Apple surely saw a chance to cash in. Well guess what? It isn’t just the color that sells. The iBook SE lacks the added value that made the iMac DV SE such a big hit.
