25 Jan 2008 12:25
CNET Networks' TechRepublic runs a regular series called "Cracking Open..." in which it takes a look inside a variety of gadgets. ZDNet.co.uk is publishing this excerpt.
With an innovative design intended to grab your attention, the original clamshell iBook from Apple generated almost as much buzz in the IT world as the iPhone has recently. In 1999, PC users were generally stuck with the familiar, black, rectangle laptop, but the iBook came in blueberry and orange and was shaped like a clamshell or, some might argue, toilet seat. But what was the iBook like on the inside?
Our iBook had been stuffed in a closet for a few years. The LCD screen was non-functioning, but it didn't appear to be cracked.
After removing the plastic covers surrounding the LCD, we can see that the connections at the base where the two clamshell halves join seem a little frazzled — perhaps that is where the problems lie.
While just getting started with the cracking open, several themes became obvious. The iBook contains lots of plastic parts and lots of screws. By the time I have finished, there will be over 50 loose screws, and several more will still be left that I didn't see the need to remove.
Apple hid the upgradeable parts — the few that there were — under the keyboard, which just pops out of its housing.
The first thing to come out is the PCMCIA AirPort Wi-Fi card. Under it is a metal plate held in place by two screws. Under that plate is the RAM. As you can see here, the original owner upgraded the amount of RAM in her blueberry iBook. The long yellow connection below the extra RAM stick is for the keyboard.
The power circuitry is situated along the front edge of the iBook.
The sides of the iBook lit up when it was on — how unnecessarily cool is that? Perhaps this design innovation is why my new PC has neon lights inside it.
The LCD is made by Samsung — you can see the logo under the mesh. Even in 1999, Apple was using fairly standard peripherals. It was only a matter of time before it dropped all its proprietary hardware.
This is the modem for the iBook. It is surprisingly large. It was encased in a foil-like sheet — I guess to keep the electronic noise down.
We can get a good look at some of the chips in this photo. The 39SF020 is a flash memory chip from Silicon Storage Technology; Winbond Electronics Corporation makes integrated circuits and dynamic RAM; and Conexant Systems makes modem chip sets.
The main logic board under the modem contains two large chips.
The main logic board has many additional electronics. The Maxim chip in the right corner, for example, is an SSOP.
This part shows quite a lot of dirt — there must have been some air flow here — as well as pet hair. Perhaps heat played a factor in our blueberry iBook's demise.
With IBM all over it, this must be the PowerPC CPU.
Capacity sure has grown since 1999. A Zune and iPod cracked open earlier had 4GB.
Here's an overview of part of the mainboard.
This monstrosity covered most of the chips in the iBook. It had about 10 screws holding it in place.
The Apple iBook G3 was considered innovative for its time in 1999, but I found the components to be fairly standard. In this reviewer's opinion, the only real innovation was in the way the iBook looked.
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