Back in 2002 Griffin released the iCurve, a nearly invisible laptop stand which was made of a single bar of crystal clear plastic. The elegant and curvy design matches the Clamshell in a perfect way. The iCurve lifts your iBook display to a comfortable viewing height when you work for hours on your desk- and to save your aching neck. You have to use it with an external keyboard and mouse, because the stand is not rock-steady enough to type on it. If you are a collector, the iCurve is an ideal way to show your beloved Clamshell.In 2006, the iCurve was detached by the Griffin Elevator which is not as beautiful but more solid.
My iBook Clamshell Gemini
The Gemini is based on a G3 Clamshell iBook (300/366/466MHZ) - it has a integrated touchscreen and was built to support disabled people. The Gemini iBook was the second Mac modded by Assistive Technology Inc., the first one was called Freestyle and featured a PowerPC 603e Processor. I bought my 366Mhz Indigo Gemini in 2009 and carefully upgraded it with a DVD Drive and 120GB HD.
The Gemini has no internal keyboard, there are a couple a new internal wires, so the upgrade process was very delicate.
More than 12 years have passed since Steve Jobs unveiled the original iBook in July 1999. Most of the used Clamshell iBooks you can buy today have lost their original packaging and accessories. If you want to get a reasonable price for your iBook it may be wise to collect the things together, because Apple enthusiasts pay a considerable sum of money for it. In a multi-part series i will present the original contents of the boxes - it may vary in different countries. The design of the covering box remained nearly the same beginning in July 1999, the first revision in February 2000 and the final second edition in September 2000.
Many Clamshell Owners don't posess the original Software installation and restore CD (orange or grey) any more. If you plan to install OS9 (some say they best OS ever) keep an eye out for the orginal white OS9 retail CD with the number 9 in orange.
The Clamshell iBook was reputed to attract women. This statement has been tested thoroughly by Jörg Pitschmann, a photographer from Berlin, who owns a Clamshell graphite.
This was the model that everyone was talking about. Should you buy the Pismo, or the SE 466 MHz Clamshell iBook? That was ‘the’ question during the time. While some knew that the Pismo simply had more to offer (i.e. 14.1″ 1024 x 768 screen), others were not as convinced.
