PowerBook G4 "Titanium"

The PowerBook G4 "Titanium" was Apple's first PowerPC G4-based laptop. The first revision of the "TiBook" was released in January 2001, with the final revision being discontinued in September 2003. It was the first laptop with a widescreen display (excluding a couple 90s mini-laptops). The TiBook is considered by many to have one of the most innovative designs of all time, with its appearance still not being too dated today.

Specifications

Spec	Original (Early 01)	"Gigabit Ethernet" (Late 01)	"DVI" (Early 02)	"867MHz & 1.0GHz" (Late 02)
Release Date	January 2001	October 2001	April 2002	November 2002
Discontinuation Date	October 2001	April 2002	November 2002	September 2003
Processor	CPU Type: Soldered BGA PowerPC G4 @400 or 500MHz	CPU Type: Soldered BGA PowerPC G4 @550 or 667MHz	CPU Type: Soldered BGA PowerPC G4 @667 or 800MHz	CPU Type: Soldered BGA PowerPC G4 @867MHz or 1.0GHz
RAM	PC100 SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: 128 or 256MB Maximum: 1GB	PC133 SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: 128, 256, or 512MB Maximum: 1GB	PC133 SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: 256 or 512MB Maximum: 1GB
Hard Disk	2.5" IDE Uses proprietary adapter: Yes Standard: 10, 20, or 30GB	2.5" IDE Uses proprietary adapter: Yes Standard: 20, 30, or 48GB	2.5" IDE Uses proprietary adapter: Yes Standard: 30, 40, or 60GB	2.5" IDE Uses proprietary adapter: Yes Standard: 40 or 60GB
Display	15.2" TFT LCD @1152x768		15.2" TFT LCD @1280x854
GPU	ATI Rage Mobility 128 VRAM: 8MB	ATI Mobility Radeon VRAM: 16MB	ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 VRAM: 32MB	ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 VRAM: 32 or 64MB
Main Battery	Lithium Ion
PRAM Battery	Proprietary Lithium
Power Supply	24V mini-RCA-style jack
Disk Drives	Slot-loading optical drive (6X DVD-ROM)	Slot-loading optical drive (6X DVD-ROM or 8X DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo)	Slot-loading optical drive (8X DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo)	Slot-loading optical drive (8X DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo or SuperDrive)
PC Cards	1x PCMCIA/CardBus Slot (Type II)
Networking	- 56k Modem - 10/100 Ethernet - AirPort WiFi (802.11b, Optional)	- 56k Modem - Gigabit Ethernet - AirPort WiFi (802.11b, Optional)
Other I/O	- 2x USB 1.1 - 1x FireWire 400 - 1x VGA Out - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Line Out		- 2x USB 1.1 - 1x FireWire 400 - 1x DVI Out - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Line In - 1x Line Out
Pointing Device	Trackpad
Minimum Mac OS	Mac OS 9.1	Mac OS 9.2.1	Mac OS 9.2.2
Maximum Mac OS	Mac OS X 10.4.11 - Mac OS X 10.5.8 (unofficially)			Mac OS X 10.5.8

Resources

Service Manual (Early 01)	Service Manual (Late 01)	Service Manual (Early 02)	Service Manual (Late 02)

Upgrades

SSD Upgrade

See our page on IDE SSDs for more info.

From the options on that page, I'd recommend the IDE to mSATA adapter.

CPU Upgrades

The CPU on the TiBook is soldered in place, so you cannot upgrade it without replacing the entire logic board.

Common Faults & Maintenance

The PowerBook G4 "Titanium" can be a rather unreliable laptop, due mainly to flawed design.

Hinge Failure

The TiBook's display hinges are too stiff, and were epoxied to the rear display housing rather than being screwed in place. Due to these factors, failure is common. Failed hinges usually go completely floppy.

Paint Wear

The titanium parts of the laptop are painted white as they are naturally an ugly shade of gray. The paint Apple used is very prone to wearing and/or chipping off, and as such, the majority of TiBooks look rough these days. If you have one in good condition, handle it with care.

Case Splitting

The titanium case can also sometimes crack/split. This is apparantly more of a problem on the early revision models.

Playing Dead

Some TiBooks will act completely dead when their PRAM battery dies. If the battery is unplugged, the laptop will start working again. If you have a completely dead TiBook, this is what you should try first.