Apple - PowerBook G4

The PowerBook G4 is packed with state-of-the-art communications capabilities like built-in Gigabit Ethernet, built-in 56K V.92 modem and wireless networking capability with AirPort Extreme.

54Mbps — nearly 5x faster
802.11g AirPort Extreme (17-inch and 12-inch PowerBook G4 models) is a powerhouse in the performance department, with the new 802.11g technology delivering a wireless data rate of up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps). The fastest broadband connections typically achieve speeds up to 1.5Mbps. AirPort Extreme, on the other hand, lets you share files with others on your network at speeds of up to 54Mbps — over 35 times faster.

The turbocharged new technology that lets you connect to the Internet without wires, additional phone lines or complicated networking hardware — from anywhere in your home, school or office, up to 150 feet away from a base station.

AirPort Extreme Base Station and AirPort Extreme Card

AirPort Extreme consists of two components: the AirPort Extreme Card and the AirPort Extreme Base Station. Together, they represent the future of wireless networking.

You’ll see how fast this technology really is when you use AirPort Extreme to network other computers in your home or office. In a video production studio, for instance, users can transfer large digital video files between computers at astonishing speeds.

AirPort Extreme is perfect for file sharing, web surfing and multiplayer gaming. Just think of the convenience: instead of handing out hard copies after a presentation, you can transfer your slide show directly from your PowerBook G4 to another. And you can do it securely, with no disks or cable hook-ups required.

The wireless Internet is everywhere
AirPort Extreme, like AirPort, uses radio waves to communicate. This works to your advantage: Unlike infrared signals, which require an unobstructed line of sight between the remote unit and the base station, radio waves can pass through solid objects from up to 150 feet away. Which means that you can take your PowerBook G4 into different rooms or onto different floors of a building and still maintain your active network connection — and surf the Internet through walls.

You can use AirPort Extreme to get online wirelessly at hundreds of Starbucks coffeeshops from coast to coast, courtesy of T-Mobile. Staying at a hotel? Log on wirelessly, using your AirPort-enabled PowerBook G4.

Hundreds of hotels around the world have made Wi-Fi compliant 802.11b wireless local area networks (WLANs) available in their guest rooms. Wayport, Inc., for instance, has provided wireless connectivity in thousands of rooms at more than 400 major hotels in the U.S. And because AirPort Extreme is 802.11b compatible, you can use your 17-inch or 12-inch PowerBook G4 (and, of course, your 15-inch model PowerBook G4) to surf the Internet in all of them. And with companies like the Surf and Sip Network creating many more locations to get online wirelessly, it’s getting to the point where you can log on to the Internet from practically anywhere.

Tight security
With AirPort Extreme, you get a host of enhanced security features, including 128-bit encryption and firewall protection. AirPort Extreme also provides Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) client support — perfect for schools and colleges.

Connecting wirelessly with Bluetooth
Bluetooth is built-in to the new 17-inch and 12-inch PowerBook G4 models (available with an optional adapter on the 15-inch PowerBook G4). Acting like “wireless USB,” Bluetooth connects wirelessly to digital devices like Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, PDAs and peripherals. Operating within a short range, it enables wireless data transfers between a rapidly growing list of Bluetooth-savvy peripherals. Using iSync, for instance, you can use Bluetooth to synchronize your personal information between your PowerBook, your mobile phone and your Palm OS-based handheld. And your new PowerBook can use your Bluetooth enabled cell phone to take advantage of GPRS connectivity so you can check your email from just about anywhere — perfect for those occasions when a 802.11 wireless hotspot isn’t available.

Wireless Internet access requires AirPort Card or AirPort Extreme Card, AirPort Base Station or AirPort Extreme Base Station, or other wireless access point, and Internet access (fees may apply). Some ISPs are not currently compatible with AirPort and AirPort Extreme. Range may vary with site conditions.

Automatic networking:
the power of Mac OS X
AirPort Extreme represents the hardware side of the wireless networking equation. On the software side, the PowerBook G4 benefits from the Mac OS X networking architecture. Mac OS X is a multihoming operating system, which means that it can use all of its network interfaces at the same time. When you first set up your PowerBook G4, each network interface is automatically configured. So at work you may use the built-in Ethernet interface to connect to your local area network. When you go home, you may connect to the Internet wirelessly via AirPort Extreme. Because each of the network interfaces is already configured and because Mac OS X can use all of its network interfaces at the same time, Mac OS X will automatically see that you are no longer connected to the Ethernet network and instead begin using your AirPort Extreme connection. And if you go on the road and use the built-in modem to dial up to the Internet, Mac OS X will automatically use the modem to create your Internet connection. You don’t have to change any settings or locations.

Making the connection
The AirPort Extreme Base Station uses a physical connection to access the Internet and wireless connections to communicate with AirPort-enabled computers. The AirPort Extreme Base Station features an RJ-11 connector for the built-in 56-Kbps V.90 modem, and an RJ-45 connector that supports 10/100BASE-T Ethernet.

Built-in AirPort antennas

Wired for wireless networking
The PowerBook G4 is ready for wireless networking with two built-in antennas — you’re looking at one of them (17-inch model shown).

Gigabit Ethernet
The 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBook G4s are the first and only portables to feature built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (also known as Gigabit Ethernet) networking. The connection provides high-speed network access at work, and it’s great for a home office as well (especially if you plan to access the Internet via cable or DSL modem). The interface is auto-sensing, so all you do is plug in the Ethernet cable and let the interface configure itself for the type of network you have (10 megabits, 100 megabits or 1000 megabits). The 12-inch PowerBook comes with 10/100BASE-T Ethernet. All three PowerBook G4 models feature a 56Kbps V.92 modem for dial-up access to a corporate or university network, or your Internet service provider.

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