Apple iBook 14-inch (Early 2003) vs Apple PowerBook G3 Series (September 1998)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiBook 14-inch (Early 2003) | ApplePowerBook G3 Series (September 1998) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | April 2003 | September 1998 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 14.1″ | 14.1″ |
| Resolution | 1024 × 768 | 1024 × 768 or 800 × 600 |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | 14.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display supporting millions of colours. Exact panel technology, brightness and refresh unpublished. | Active-matrix TFT; 14.1-inch XGA 1024 × 768 or later 12.1-inch SVGA 800 × 600; resolution scaling supports lower resolutions |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC G3 900 MHz (iBook Early 2003) | PowerPC G3 233 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series September 1998), PowerPC G3 266 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series September 1998) or PowerPC G3 300 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series September 1998) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 (32 MB video memory) | – |
| Memory | 256 MB or 640 MB (better) | 32 MB or 64 MB |
| Storage | 40 GB (better) | 2 GB to 8 GB |
| CPU | 900 MHz PowerPC G3; 512 KB on-chip L2 cache at processor clock and 100 MHz system bus. Exact silicon supplier/model omitted. | PowerPC G3 at 233, 266 or 300 MHz, 66 MHz system bus; 512 KB backside cache on 233 MHz or 1 MB on 266/300 MHz. Dedicated backside buses 117, 133 or 150 MHz; integrated FPU and 64 KB L1 cache |
| GPU | ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 with 32 MB dedicated video memory and AGP 2 ×; configuration table names DDR SDRAM. | ATI RAGE LT PRO with 4 MB SGRAM on 14.1-inch or 2 MB on 12.1-inch TFT; earlier passive-matrix models remain in the original May entry |
| Memory type | 256 MB stock (128 MB onboard plus 128 MB SO-DIMM); one slot supports 512 MB module for 640 MB total. | 32 MB or 64 MB factory SDRAM in two 144-pin SO-DIMM slots; original maker expansion limit 192 MB |
| Storage type | 40 GB Ultra ATA stock with Combo drive:24 × CD-R write, 10 × CD-RW write, 8 × DVD read, 24 × CD read. Larger factory drives mentioned without capacities; no unconfirmed matrix added. | Removable 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB internal IDE drive. Expansion bays accept CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, optional floppy, battery and third-party modules; 20× CD-ROM or 1.5× DVD-ROM with up to 12× CD reading |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 6 hours | Up to 3.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 55 Wh (better) | 49 Wh |
| Weight | 2.7 kg (better) | 3.5 kg |
| Thickness | 34 mm | – |
| Width × depth | 323 × 259 mm | – |
| Battery life detail | 55 Wh lithium-ion battery; maker claim up to six hours. Published 2.7 kg reference weight varies by configuration/manufacturing process; dimensions use maker-published 32.3 × 25.9 × 3.4 cm. | Removable 49 Wh lithium-ion battery; up to 3.5 hours with one or seven hours with two under maker normal-use conditions. Reference 3.5 kg includes modem, battery and CD-ROM; 12.1-inch reference is 3.3 kg. Maker sources give rounded dimensions and conflicting axis labels, so no unqualified dimensions adopted |
| Charger | – | 45 W AC adapter |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | Optional AirPort 802.11b | – |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | Two 12 Mbps USB ports, one 400 Mbps FireWire port, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, internal 56K V.92 modem and stereo headphone output. Optional 11 Mbps AirPort card; Bluetooth available through an optional external USB adapter, not built in. | ADB, HDI-30 SCSI, RS-422 serial, 10BASE-T Ethernet, RJ-11 K56flex/V.90 modem, 4 Mbps infrared, VGA-style video, S-video and stereo audio input/output. Two Type I/II or one Type III PC Card slots with CardBus; lower slot supports Zoomed Video. No built-in USB or FireWire |
| External displays | VGA mirroring with included adapter; S-video and composite video through an optional Apple Video Adapter. | VGA-style and S-video output; DVD-Video requires the decoder PC Card supplied with DVD-ROM configurations or optional DVD-Video kit |
| Keyboard | 77 US or 78 ISO keys, including 12 function keys, four arrows and embedded numeric keypad. | Full-size keyboard with 76 US or 77 ISO keys, twelve function keys, inverted-T arrows and embedded keypad |
| Trackpad | Tap, double-tap and drag support | Solid-state trackpad supports tap, double-tap and drag |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers | Two built-in stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Built-in microphone; external USB audio devices supported | Internal omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | Apple VGA Display Adapter, modem cable, power adapter, wall plug, power cord and battery; Mac OS X, Mac OS 9 and bundled iLife/productivity software. MacRumors reported the exact new configurations live in the Apple Store on 22 April 2003; first delivery day unestablished, so release month retained. | Mac OS 8.1, AC adapter and regional cables/adapters. AppleCare article 30895 retrospectively confirms September 1998 release; revised service manual introduces M7229 12.1-inch TFT on 1 October. October brochure lists both CD-ROM and DVD-ROM 300 MHz choices; optical-drive variants share the same CPU/RAM/disk configuration below |
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