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MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
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The PowerBook G3 is a series of laptop Macintosh personal computers that were designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1997 to 2001. It was the first laptop to use the PowerPC G3 (PPC740/750) series of microprocessors, and was marketed as the fastest laptop in the world for its entire production run. The PowerBook G3 was succeeded by the PowerBook G4.
The G3 was the first black Apple laptop, and was succeeded in this by the black MacBook in 2006. Previous PowerBooks were dark gray.
The Wallstreet, Lombard, and Pismo models were praised for their straightforward upgrade options, not only for accessible drives and memory but also for their CPU daughtercards that could be detached from the logic boards. This encouraged the aftermarket, including Sonnet, Powerlogix, Wegener Media, and others, to offer G3 CPU upgrades across various series. In some instances, they even provided G4 upgrades, allowing these machines to rival or exceed the performance of Apple's contemporary 'G4 Titanium' PowerBooks of that era.
 PowerBook G3 "Kanga" | |
| Codename | Kanga, PowerBook 3500 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
Product family | PowerBook |
| Type | Laptop |
| Released | November 10, 1997 |
Introductory price | US$5,700 (equivalent to $11,400 in 2025) |
| Discontinued | January 1998 |
| Mac OS 8.0 – 9.1 | |
| CPU | PowerPC 750 @ 250 MHz |
| Memory | 32 MB (60 ns EDO DIMM) |
| Storage | 5 GB |
| 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy, 20× CD-ROM | |
| Display | 12.1-in color active-matrix, 800 × 600, 16-bit |
| Graphics | Chips and Technologies 65554 |
| Dimensions | 2.4 × 11.5 × 9.5 in (61 × 292 × 241 mm) |
| Weight | 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) |
| Predecessor | PowerBook 3400 |
Apple, seeking to retain its claim of offering the fastest notebook computer available, a title then held by the 240 MHz PowerPC 603ev-based PowerBook 3400, rushed the PowerBook G3, code-named Kanga, to market on November 10, 1997 at a price of US$5,700 (equivalent to $11,400 in 2025). Rather than wait for a redesigned enclosure, the company re-used the 3400's chassis, which itself was largely based on the design of 1995's PowerBook 5300.
The PowerBook G3 used a 250 MHz PowerPC 750 (G3) processor, which delivered significantly better performance than the 603ev. Compared with its predecessor, it increased the system bus speed from 40 to 50 MHz and included a 512 KB level 2 cache operating at 100 MHz, compared with the 3400's 256 KB cache operating at 40 MHz. Standard memory increased from 16 MB to 32 MB and was expandable to 160 MB. The integrated Chips and Technologies 65554 graphics controller retained the same architecture but doubled video memory from 1 MB to 2 MB. The hard drive capacity increased from 3 GB to 5 GB and offered improved transfer performance.[1][2]
According to Macworld, these hardware changes enabled the PowerBook G3 to outperform the 240 MHz PowerBook 3400 by 71% in processor benchmarks, while graphics performance improved by 74%.[3][4]
Macworld also noted that the computer retained the PowerBook 3400's 12.1-inch TFT SVGA display and its limitation of requiring a restart when connecting an external monitor because it did not support simultaneous dual-display operation.[1]
The model was discontinued in January 1998 after less than five months on the market and was replaced by the redesigned PowerBook G3 Series ("Wallstreet"). It is the only G3-based Macintosh not officially supported by Mac OS X. Retrospective reviews have generally described the Kanga as a transitional model that enabled Apple to introduce a G3-based PowerBook before the redesigned Wallstreet series was ready. Because it retained the older chassis design, it remained compatible with expansion bay modules, batteries, and other peripherals introduced for the PowerBook 190, 5300, and 3400.
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][5]
| Formal name | PowerBook G3[6] | |
|---|---|---|
| Code names | Kanga PowerBook 3500 | |
| Introduction | November 10, 1997 | |
| Discontinuation | March 14, 1998 | |
| Model | Number | M3553 |
| Gestalt ID | 313 | |
| Order no. | M5993 | |
| Display | Size | 12.1-inch (310 mm) |
| Type | TFT | |
| Resolution | 16-bit color, 800 × 600, 83 ppi | |
| Performance | Processor | PowerPC 750 |
| Clock speed | 250 MHz | |
| L1 cache | 64 KB | |
| L2 cache | 512 KB via 100 MHz backside bus | |
| RAM | 32 MB (60 ns EDO DIMM) Expandable to 160 MB | |
| Graphics | Chips and Technologies 65554 with 2 MB of SGRAM | |
| Storage | Hard drive | 5 GB |
| Optical drive | 20× CD-ROM | |
| Connections | Connectivity | 10BASE-T Ethernet 33.6k modem |
| Peripherals | 1× ADB 1× Serial GeoPort 2× PC Card II (1× PC Card III) 1× HDI-30 SCSI Audio out mini-jack | |
| Video out | VGA | |
| Battery | 47-watt-hour removable lithium-ion | |
| Operating system | Original | Mac OS 8.0 |
| Maximum | Mac OS 9.1 | |
| Dimensions | Weight | 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) |
| H × W × D | 2.4 × 11.5 × 9.5 in (61 × 292 × 241 mm) | |
 "Wallstreet II/PDQ" PowerBook | |
| Codename | Wallstreet, Mainstreet, Wallstreet II/PDQ ("Pretty Darn Quick") |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
Product family | PowerBook |
| Type | Laptop |
| Released | May 6, 1998 |
Introductory price | US$2,299 (equivalent to $4,500 in 2025) |
| Discontinued | May 10, 1999 |
| Mac OS 9 & Mac OS X | |
| CPU | PowerPC 750 @ 233, 250, 266, 292 or 300 MHz |
| Predecessor | PowerBook 1400c PowerBook 2400c PowerBook 3400c |
| Made in | Taiwan, Ireland (until late 1998), USA (from 2000) |
The second generation of PowerBook G3s, now called the PowerBook G3 Series, was introduced in May 1998. The machine was completely redesigned with a new case that was lighter and more rounded than the previous PowerBook G3; however, it was still an Old World ROM Macintosh. The new PowerBooks, code-named Wallstreet, came in three screen sizes: a 12" passive matrix LCD, a 13.3-inch TFT LCD, and a 14.1-inch TFT LCD. The 12.1" models had 2 MB VRAM on board, while the 13.3" and 14.1" models were equipped with 4 MB VRAM allowing for 'millions of colors' at maximum resolution (1024×768 for both; the 13.3" having a higher pixel density). The 13.3" display came with a quick-to-fail ribbon cable that was produced too short, leading to a swath of warranty repairs that led Apple to remove the 13.3" model from the lineup after the initial production run. The Wallstreet was the first PowerBook to use industry-standard ATA optical drives. This change meant that CD and DVD recorders designed for Wintel machines could more easily be used in this computer, often at a price far less than those manufactured by Apple. It also came in three CPU speeds: 233 MHz, 250 MHz, and 292 MHz. The 233 MHz model was sometimes nicknamed Mainstreet, as it lacked L2 cache, making it far slower than the other two in the lineup. The 250 MHz and 292 MHz models shipped with 1 MB of cache. Because of this large cache, as well as the swifter system bus, the Wallstreets were known to suffer from some heat issues. Many of the problems of the Wallstreet PowerBook G3s were fixed in the next revision, the Wallstreet II. The WallStreet I was the last PowerBook assembled by Apple in Cork, Ireland.
The Wallstreet design was updated in August 1998, codenamed Wallstreet II or PDQ, for "Pretty Darn Quick". It featured a 14.1-inch display on 266 MHz and 300 MHz models. The 233 MHz machine was now equipped with a vastly improved TFT panel (compared to the passive matrix of the 12.1" Wallstreet I series), as well as a 512 KB backside cache allowing for far superior performance at the same 233 MHz, though it was equipped with 2 MB onboard VRAM compared to the 4 MB on the faster 14.1" models. The 13.3" display was removed from the line, owing to both the falling production costs of the larger TFT and the near-guaranteed failure of the 13.3" models' ribbon cable through the hinge; it was produced slightly too short, and many failed soon after purchase. Processor speeds were bumped on the faster two models, resulting in 233 MHz, 266 MHz, and 300 MHz models.
The case has two docking bays, one on each side. The left-hand bay can accommodate a battery, a 3.5" floppy disk, a third-party Iomega Zip drive, or a third-party add-on hard drive. The right-hand bay is larger and can accommodate any of the above, plus a 5.25" optical drive (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM). A small internal nickel–cadmium battery allowed swapping of the main batteries while the computer "slept". With a battery in each bay, battery life was doubled. DVDs can be displayed with the use of a hardware decoder built into a CardBus (PCMCIA) card.
The PowerBook G3 Series was Apple's first notebook offering that matched the build-to-order customization of the Power Mac G3 desktop line. It was discontinued in May 1999. It is the last Apple computer ever to bear the rainbow-colored Apple logo, and the last Mac to support Apple's SuperDrive. It was also the last Old World ROM model in the PowerBook series. The PDQ series was entirely produced in Taiwan, and the machine's manufacture labels (showing production in Ireland or Taiwan) on the underside of the machines can be used to identify between otherwise nearly identical Wallstreet and PDQ series for collectors and enthusiasts.
The 12.1" and 13.3" Wallstreet I and PDQ series shared a more curved top case at all corners; the lid and its corners were flattened and squared off for the larger LCD of the 14.1" model, resulting in a bulkier appearance. Many press releases and visual media at the time relied on the more 'attractive' curvature of the case on those smaller-display models, regardless of the 14.1" model's superior and more upmarket display.
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][5]
| Formal name | PowerBook G3 Series (1st)[7] | PowerBook G3 Series (2nd) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code name | Wallstreet Mainstreet |
Wallstreet | Wallstreet II PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) | ||||||||
| Timetable | Introduction | May 6, 1998 | October 1, 1998 | September 1, 1998 | October 1, 1998 | ||||||
| Discontinuation | September 1, 1998 | May 10, 1999 | |||||||||
| Model | Model number | M4753 | |||||||||
| Gestalt ID | 314 | 312 | 406 | ||||||||
| Model identifier | |||||||||||
| Order number | M6477, M6359 | M6481 | M6484 | M6357 | M6541 | M7229 | M7109 | M7110 | M7111 | M7310 | |
| Display | Size | 12.1 in (310 mm) | 13.3 in (340 mm) | 14.1 in (360 mm) | 13.3 in (340 mm) | 14.1 in (360 mm) | 12.1 in (310 mm) | 14.1 in (360 mm) | |||
| Type | STN Passive matrix | TFT | |||||||||
| Resolution | 24-bit color, 800 × 600 | 24-bit color, 1024 × 768 | 24-bit color, 800 × 600 | 24-bit color, 1024 × 768 | |||||||
| Performance | Processor | PowerPC 750 | |||||||||
| Clock speed | 233 MHz | 250 MHz | 292 MHz | 233 MHz | 233 MHz | 266 MHz | 300 MHz | ||||
| L1 cache | 64 KB | ||||||||||
| L2 cache | None | 1 MB via 125 MHz backside bus | 1 MB via 146 MHz backside bus | 512 KB via 116 MHz backside bus | 1 MB via 133 MHz backside bus | 1 MB via 150 MHz backside bus | |||||
| RAM | 32 MB PC100 SDRAM Expandable to 192 MB (Apple) or 512 MB |
64 MB PC100 SDRAM Expandable to 192 MB (Apple) or 512 MB |
32 MB PC100 SDRAM Expandable to 192 MB (Apple) or 512 MB |
64 MB PC100 SDRAM Expandable to 192 MB (Apple) or 512 MB | |||||||
| Graphics | ATI Rage LT with 2 MB or 4 MB of SGRAM | ATI Rage LT with 4 MB of SGRAM | ATI Rage Pro LT with 2 MB of SGRAM | ATI Rage Pro LT with 4 MB of SGRAM | |||||||
| Storage | Hard drive | 2 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB | |||
| Optical drive | 20× CD-ROM | 20× CD-ROM Optional 1× DVD-ROM |
20× CD-ROM Optional 1× DVD-ROM |
1× DVD-ROM | 20× CD-ROM | ||||||
| Connections | Connectivity | 10BASE-T Ethernet 56k modem | |||||||||
| Peripherals | 1× ADB 1× Serial GeoPort 2× PC Card II (1× PC Card III) 1× HDI-30 SCSI Audio out mini-jack | ||||||||||
| Video out | VGA | VGA and S-Video | |||||||||
| Battery | 49-watt-hour removable lithium-ion (1 or 2) | ||||||||||
| Operating system | Original | Mac OS 8.0 | Mac OS 8.1 | ||||||||
| Maximum | Mac OS X 10.2.8 "Jaguar", Mac OS 9.2.2 and Mac OS X Server 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Dimensions | Weight | 7.2 lb (3.3 kg) | 7.6 lb (3.4 kg) | 7.2 lb. (3.3 kg) | 7.8 lb (3.5 kg) | ||||||
| Volume | 2.0 × 12.7 × 10.4 in (51 × 323 × 264 mm) | ||||||||||
 PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze Keyboard) | |
| Codename | Lombard |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
Product family | PowerBook |
| Type | Laptop |
| Released | May 10, 1999 |
Introductory price | US$2,499 (equivalent to $4,800 in 2025) |
| Discontinued | February 16, 2000 |
| Mac OS 8.6 – 10.3.9 | |
| CPU | PowerPC 750 @ 333 or 400 MHz |
The third generation of PowerBook G3 (Lombard) was introduced in May 1999. It was much slimmer and lighter than its predecessor and was the first New World ROM PowerBook. It had longer battery life, and as with the Wallstreet II, the user could double the duration to 10 hours by substituting a second battery for the optical drive in the expansion bay. The keyboard was also improved and now featured translucent bronze-tinted plastics, which is the origin of the "bronze keyboard" nickname. It was also the first Apple laptop to have a glowing Apple logo on the back.[8][9]
Internal hard drives for the Pismo, Lombard, and Wallstreet II can be used interchangeably. The expansion bay drives (DVD, CD, floppy, battery) are interchangeable on the Pismo and Lombard, but not on the Wallstreet. A DVD drive was optional on the 333 MHz model and standard on the 400 MHz version. The 400 MHz model included a hardware MPEG-2 decoder for DVD playback, while the 333 MHz model was left without (except for the PC card one used by Wallstreet). Further DVD playback optimizations enabled both models to play back DVDs without use of hardware assistance. This model introduced USB ports to the PowerBook line while retaining SCSI support and eliminating ADB entirely (although the keyboard and touchpad still used an ADB interface internally). Graphics were provided by an ATI Rage LT Pro chipset on the PCI bus, to drive its 14.1-inch LCD at a maximum resolution of 1024×768.
Mac OS 8.6–10.3.9 are supported by Apple, but 10.4 is not, although OS X will not install (except for 10.0) if both RAM slots are not occupied with identical size RAM. The use of XPostFacto 4 enables users to upgrade to Tiger, and it runs quite well for an unsupported machine.[citation needed] More RAM (up to 512 MB), a greater hard drive (up to 128 GB), and CPU upgrades (up to a 433 MHz G4) are available for these PowerBooks.
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][5]
| Formal name | PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze keyboard) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Code name | Lombard | ||
| Timetable | Introduction | May 10, 1999 | |
| Discontinuation | February 16, 2000 | ||
| Model | Model number | M5343 | |
| Model identifier | PowerBook 1,1 | ||
| Order number | M7304 | M7308 | |
| Display | Size | 14.1 in (360 mm) | |
| Type | TFT | ||
| Resolution | 24-bit color, 1024 × 768 | ||
| Performance | Processor | PowerPC 750 | |
| Clock speed | 333 MHz | 400 MHz | |
| L1 cache | 64 KB | ||
| L2 cache | 512 KB via 133 MHz backside bus | 1 MB via 160 MHz backside bus | |
| RAM | 64 MB of PC100 SDRAM Expandable to 384 MB (Apple) or 512 MB | ||
| Graphics | ATI Rage Pro LT with 8 MB of SDRAM | ||
| Storage | Hard drive | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| Optical drive | 24× CD-ROM or 2× DVD-ROM | ||
| Connections | Connectivity | 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56k modem | |
| Peripherals | 2× USB 1.1 2× PC Card II (1× PC Card III) (333 MHz) or 1× PC Card II (400 MHz) 1× HDI-30 SCSI Audio out mini-jack | ||
| Video out | VGA and S-Video | ||
| Battery | 50-watt-hour removable lithium-ion (1 or 2) | ||
| Operating system | Original | Mac OS 8.6 | |
| Maximum | Mac OS X 10.3.9 "Panther" and Mac OS 9.2.2 | ||
| Dimensions | Weight | 6.1 lb (2.8 kg) | |
| Volume | 1.7 × 12.7 × 10.4 in (43 × 323 × 264 mm) | ||
 PowerBook (FireWire) | |
| Codename | Pismo |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Computer |
Product family | PowerBook |
| Type | Laptop |
| Released | February 16, 2000 |
Introductory price | US$2,499 (equivalent to $4,700 in 2025) |
| Discontinued | January 9, 2001 |
| Mac OS 9.0.2 – 10.4.11 | |
| CPU | PowerPC 750 @ 400 or 500 MHz |
| Successor | PowerBook G4 |
The fourth generation of PowerBook G3 (Pismo) was introduced in February 2000. It was code-named "Pismo" after Pismo Beach, California. For this generation, Apple dropped "G3" from the name.
The original Pismo was rumored to be a latchless design, akin to the iBook, which is similar in specification. Apple settled on fitting the Pismo board into the form factor of the previous Lombard G3 PowerBook, but with many improvements. The Pismo was available at CPU speeds of 400 MHz or 500 MHz, with a front side bus speed of 100 MHz (50% swifter than the Lombard's front side bus); it also implemented a unified motherboard architecture, and replaced SCSI with the newer FireWire interface (IEEE-1394). The PCI graphics used on the Lombard were updated to an AGP-connected ATI Rage Mobility 128, though the video memory was kept at 8 MB, and could not be upgraded, and the screen's resolution was the same as well. A 6× DVD-ROM drive became standard.[10] It was also the first PowerBook with AirPort networking as an official option (although it could be added to the earlier models via various third-party CardBus cards). The Pismo can be upgraded with additional RAM (officially 512 MB with then-available RAM, but it accepts 1 gigabyte) and a larger hard drive (up to 128 GB). Brighter screens and replacement batteries were also available.
The left expansion bay, like the Lombard, could take only a battery, but the right bay was able to accommodate a tray-loading or slot-loading Combo Drive or SuperDrive, a Zip 100 drive, a Zip 250 drive, an LS-120 SuperDisk drive, a VST floppy disk drive, a second hard drive (with adapter, which was tough to find), or a second battery. Lombard and Pismo accept the same expansion bay devices.
Versions of Mac OS from 9.0.2 through 10.4.11 are officially supported. For some time, G3 (750FX) CPU upgrades at speeds of up to 900 MHz and G4 (7410LE) upgrades up to 550 MHz were available. These upgrades are now out of production and must be purchased secondhand.
The Pismo was assembled by Quanta Computer in Taiwan, as well as by Apple Computer at their Elk Grove, California manufacturing plant.
The Pismo PowerBook was the last of the G3 line. It was succeeded by the PowerBook G4 Titanium models.
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][5]
| Formal name | PowerBook (Firewire) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Code name | Pismo | ||
| Timetable | Introduction | February 16, 2000 | |
| Discontinuation | January 9, 2001 | ||
| Model | Model number | M7572 | |
| Model identifier | PowerBook 3,1 | ||
| Order number | M7630 | M7633 | |
| Display | Size | 14.1 in (360 mm) | |
| Type | TFT | ||
| Resolution | 24-bit color, 1024 × 768 | ||
| Performance | Processor | PowerPC 750 | |
| Clock speed | 400 MHz | 500 MHz | |
| L1 cache | 64 KB | ||
| L2 cache | 1 MB via 160 MHz backside bus | 1 MB via 200 MHz backside bus | |
| RAM | 64 or 128 MB of PC100 SDRAM Expandable to 512 MB (Apple) or 1 GB | ||
| Graphics | ATI Rage 128 with 8 MB of SDRAM | ||
| Storage | Hard drive | 4–6 GB | 6–18 GB |
| Optical drive | 6× DVD-ROM | ||
| Connections | Connectivity | 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56k modem Optional AirPort 802.11b | |
| Peripherals | 2× USB 1.1 2× FireWire 400 1× PC Card I/II Audio out mini-jack | ||
| Video out | VGA and S-Video | ||
| Battery | 50-watt-hour removable lithium-ion (1 or 2) | ||
| Operating system | Original | Mac OS 9.0.2 | |
| Maximum | Mac OS X 10.4.11 "Tiger" and Mac OS 9.2.2 | ||
| Dimensions | Weight | 6.1 lb (2.8 kg) | |
| Volume | 1.7 × 12.7 × 10.4 in (43 × 323 × 264 mm) | ||
The PowerBook G3 was featured in many facets of popular culture from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, including You've Got Mail, NewsRadio, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, House on Haunted Hill, Mission: Impossible, Disney's The Kid, Dark Angel, What Women Want, The West Wing, Friends, The Lone Gunmen, The Core, Duplex, Saw, Sex and the City,[11] How I Met Your Mother, Night at the Museum, Charmed, Everybody Loves Raymond, Stargate SG-1, That's So Raven and Angel.
| Timeline of portable Macintoshes |
|---|
 |
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The PowerBook G3 is a series of laptop Macintosh personal computers that were designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1997 to 2001. It was the first laptop to use the PowerPC G3 (PPC740/750) series of microprocessors, and was marketed as the fastest laptop in the world for its entire production run. The PowerBook G3 was succeeded by the PowerBook G4. The G3 was the first black Apple laptop, and was succeeded in this by the black MacBook in 2006. Previous PowerBooks were dark gray. The Wallstreet, Lombard, and Pismo models were praised for their straightforward upgrade options, not only for accessible drives and memory but also for their CPU daughtercards that could be detached from the logic boards. This encouraged the aftermarket, including Sonnet, Powerlogix, Wegener Media, and others, to offer G3 CPU upgrades across various series. In some instances, they even provided G4 upgrades, allowing these machines to rival or exceed the performance of Apple's contemporary 'G4 Titanium' PowerBooks of that era.
The iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers. It was the first mass consumer product to offer Wi-Fi network connectivity, which was then branded by Apple as AirPort. The iBook had three different designs during its lifetime. The first, known as the "Clamshell", was inspired by the design of Apple's popular iMac line at the time. It was a significant departure from previous portable computer designs due to its shape, bright colors, incorporation of a handle into the casing, lack of a display closing latch, lack of a hinged cover over the external ports and built-in wireless networking. Two years later, the second generation abandoned the original form factor in favor of a more conventional, rectangular design. In October 2003, the third generation was introduced, adding a PowerPC G4 chip, USB 2.0 and a slot-loading drive. iBooks were very popular in education, with Henrico County Public Schools being the first of many school systems in the United States to distribute one to every student. Apple replaced the iBook line with the MacBook on May 16, 2006 as part of the Mac transition to Intel processors.
Synchronous dynamic random-access memory (synchronous dynamic RAM or SDRAM) is any DRAM where the operation of its external pin interface is coordinated by an externally supplied clock signal. DRAM integrated circuits (ICs) produced from the early 1970s to the early 1990s used an asynchronous interface, in which input control signals have a direct effect on internal functions delayed only by the trip across its semiconductor pathways. SDRAM has a synchronous interface, whereby changes on control inputs are recognised after a rising edge of its clock input. In SDRAM families standardized by JEDEC, the clock signal controls the stepping of an internal finite-state machine that responds to incoming commands. These commands can be pipelined to improve performance, with previously started operations completing while new commands are received. The memory is divided into several equally sized but independent sections called banks, allowing the device to operate on a memory access command in each bank simultaneously and speed up access in an interleaved fashion. This allows SDRAMs to achieve greater concurrency and higher data transfer rates than asynchronous DRAMs could. Pipelining means that the chip can accept a new command before it has finished processing the previous one. For a pipelined write, the write command can be immediately followed by another command without waiting for the data to be written into the memory array. For a pipelined read, the requested data appears a fixed number of clock cycles (latency) after the read command, during which additional commands can be sent.
The Power Mac G4 Cube is a Mac personal computer sold by Apple Computer, Inc. between July 2000 and 2001. The Cube was conceived as a miniaturized but powerful computer by Apple chief executive officer (CEO) Steve Jobs and designed by Jony Ive. Apple developed new technologies and manufacturing methods for the product—a 7.7-inch (20 cm) cubic computer housed in clear polycarbonate. Apple positioned it in the middle of its product range, between the consumer iMac G3 and the professional Power Mac G4. The Cube was announced at the Macworld Expo on July 19, 2000. The Cube won awards and plaudits for its design upon release, but reviews noted its high cost compared to its power, its limited expandability, and cosmetic defects. The product was an immediate commercial failure, with only 150,000 units sold before production was suspended within one year of its announcement. The Cube is one of the rare failures for the company under Jobs, after having avoided bankruptcy. However, it influenced future Apple products, from the iPod to the Mac Mini. The Museum of Modern Art and other museums hold Cubes in their collections.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Madam C.J. Walker
