Apple iBook (Early 2000) vs Apple PowerBook G3 (Original, 1997)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiBook (Early 2000) | ApplePowerBook G3 (Original, 1997) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | February 2000 | November 1997 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 12.1″ | 12.1″ |
| Resolution | 800 × 600 | 800 × 600 |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | 12.1-inch active-matrix TFT SVGA display supporting millions of colours at 800 × 600. Exact panel technology, brightness and built-in refresh unpublished. | 12.1-inch active-matrix TFT colour LCD; the maker does not publish IPS/TN panel technology, brightness or refresh rate. |
| Display features | – | 800 × 600 native display with 16-bit colour on the built-in screen. The 1997 launch release says 18-bit colour, differing from the technical sheet. |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC G3 300 MHz (iBook Early 2000) or PowerPC G3 366 MHz (iBook Early 2000) | PowerPC G3 250 MHz (original PowerBook G3) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | ATI Rage Mobility (4 MB SDRAM) | Chips and Technologies 65554 (2 MB VRAM) |
| Memory | 64 MB or 320 MB (better) | 32 MB |
| Storage | 6 GB (better) | 5 GB |
| CPU | 300 MHz PowerPC G3 in the Blueberry and Tangerine stocks, or 366 MHz in the Graphite Special Edition; 66 MHz data path, 64 KB L1 cache and 512 KB L2 cache. Exact supplier and silicon model omitted. | 250 MHz PowerPC G3; 50 MHz system bus, 512 KB backside L2 cache running at 100 MHz. Exact fitted silicon supplier and process are unpublished. |
| GPU | ATI Rage Mobility with 4 MB SDRAM and AGP 2× support. | Chips and Technologies 65554 PCI graphics controller with 2 MB video RAM; built-in display supports 16-bit colour, external display up to 24-bit colour. |
| Memory type | 64 MB onboard and one SO-DIMM slot; maker-supported maximum 320 MB total. | 32 MB EDO DRAM built in, one expansion slot for 16, 32, 64 or 128 MB modules; maker maximum 160 MB. A separate 4 MB ROM is listed in the contemporary technical sheet. |
| Storage type | 6 GB IDE hard drive and 24× CD-ROM drive throughout this February 2000 generation. | 5 GB internal 2.5-inch ATA hard drive. The expansion bay takes a 1.44 MB floppy module or 20× CD-ROM module, both in the original package; removable media are not counted as internal storage. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 6 hours | Up to 4 hours |
| Battery capacity | 45 Wh | 47 Wh (better) |
| Weight | – | 3.4 kg |
| Thickness | – | 60.96 mm |
| Width × depth | – | 292.1 × 241.3 mm |
| Battery life detail | 45 Wh lithium-ion battery; maker claim up to six hours. The retained maker sheet publishes 6.7 pounds and dimensions 11.6 H × 13.5 W × 1.8 D inches. No metric values calculated. | 47 Wh removable lithium-ion main battery; maker claims 2–4 hours depending on use, with 4 hours as the maximum. A 60 mAh NiMH backup battery keeps clock and memory alive briefly for battery exchange. Maker reference weight is 3.4 kg with floppy module, 3.5 kg with CD-ROM and 3.2 kg without a module. |
| Charger | – | 45 W AC adapter, 100–240 V at 50/60 Hz input, 24 V 1.875 A output. |
| Materials | Rubber-coated translucent enclosure, pull-out carrying handle and latchless closing mechanism. | – |
| Colours | Blueberry and Tangerine at 300 MHz; Graphite Special Edition at 366 MHz. | – |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | Optional AirPort 802.11b | – |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | One USB port, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, internal 56K modem and stereo headphone output. No FireWire, video-out, PC Card slot or audio input. AirPort requires an optional internal card. | One shared RJ-45 socket for 10BASE-T Ethernet and the internal 33.6 Kbps modem; ADB, HDI-15 external video, HDI-30 SCSI with disk mode, GeoPort/RS-422 serial, stereo audio output and input, and an infrared transceiver supporting IR Talk and IrDA. Two PC Card Type I/II slots or one Type III card; the lower slot supports Zoomed Video. |
| External displays | No built-in external display output | External VGA/SVGA/Apple displays through HDI-15, up to 1024 × 768 at 24-bit colour; display mirroring is supported. The technical sheet lists 640 × 480 and 800 × 600 as well. |
| Keyboard | Built-in full-size keyboard (EveryMac exact-model page). | Full-size built-in keyboard with 3 mm travel, 19 mm key pitch and an inverted-T arrow cluster. |
| Trackpad | Built-in trackpad with a separate button | Built-in solid-state trackpad. |
| Speakers | Single built-in speaker | Four speakers: two in the display and two beneath the keyboard; 16-bit stereo at 44.1, 22 or 11 kHz. |
| Microphones | No built-in microphone | Built-in omnidirectional electret microphone. |
| In the box | Mac OS 9 and a YoYo-style power adapter. All three colour configurations available immediately according to the 16 February 2000 maker notice. | Floppy and 20× CD-ROM expansion-bay modules, removable battery and AC adapter. Original Mac OS 8 installation. Apple announced US availability immediately in November 1997; European sales were planned for late November and Japan for December. The current maker sheet gives 2.4-inch thickness (60.96 mm); its older technical PDF lists 65.6 mm despite labelling that as 2.4 inches, so the current sheet controls the main dimension. |
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