GENERATIONS
last updated May 2005
These three tech notes explain the various generations of G3, G4, and G5, when they were released, and the names associated with each. You can find much of this information at AppleSpec (below), but it is provided here as an easy-to-use note for quickly identifying which generation a machine is. Please refer to the AppleSpec for detailed information.
This reference does not go back further than the G3 processor.
APPLE SPEC
http://www.info.apple.com/info.apple.com/applespec/applespec.taf?ql=ri&name=g3
*** KEY ***
A =ADB
S =Serial
C =SCSI
C* =may have shipped with SCSI card
U =USB
F =Firewire
R =Airport Ready
*** OPTICAL DRIVES ***
CD only = play CDs
DVD-ROM = play CDs, play DVDs
CDRW = play CDs, burn CDs & CD-RWs
Combo = CDRW + DVD-ROM (play DVDs & CDs, burn CDs & CD-RWs)
SuperDrive = CDRW + DVD-R (play DVDs & CDs, burn DVDs & CDs & CD-RWs)
*Note about iBook drives: during this time, differnet iBooks were shipped with different configurations of CD, DVD-ROM, Combo, and SuperDrives. Some where BTO (Built to Order), so don’t rely on the information above coorelating to the generation of iBook.
*** ABOUT THE CHART ***
Each generation is listed with a PLUS “+” symbol to indicate the new generation. A dash “-” symbol is used to indicate when different models released at the same time with different specs (such as the varrying sizes of PB G3 Series displays). These can be considered a “Sub-generation” or the “siblings” of the generation noted with the PLUS symbol.
(L) indicates a late remarket, usually “last year’s” model remarketed 6 months later. For the purpose of this chart, these have been listed on a separate line below the model they actually are. Note the different release date.