PowerBook G4

“Titanium, then aluminum, always beautiful — it left the stage before anyone asked it to.”

The PowerBook G4 was a series of notebook computers Apple Computer made between 2001 and 2006, running on the RISC-based PowerPC G4 chip from the Apple/IBM/Motorola alliance. It came in two beloved forms: a titanium-bodied model with a translucent black keyboard and 15-inch screen, and later an aluminum version in 12-, 15-, and 17-inch sizes. Both were hailed for their modern design, long battery life, and processing

Apple produced the titanium models from 2001 to 2003, then shifted to aluminum; the 15-inch model held onto its titanium body until September 2003 before going aluminum with a FireWire 800 port. The line was discontinued in May 2006, closing out five years of PowerPC portables. It retired with its reputation for good looks and stamina intact — the chip inside may have moved on, but the design lineage carried forward.

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