Apple iMac (17-inch, Mid 2006) vs Apple iMac G5 (17-inch, Ambient Light Sensor)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

iMac (17-inch, Mid 2006) compared with iMac G5 (17-inch, Ambient Light Sensor)
AppleiMac (17-inch, Mid 2006)AppleiMac G5 (17-inch, Ambient Light Sensor)
Overview
ReleasedJuly 2006May 2005
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core Duo T2400IBM PowerPC G5 1.8 GHz (iMac Ambient Light Sensor) or IBM PowerPC G5 2 GHz (iMac Ambient Light Sensor)
CPU cores21
GraphicsIntel GMA950ATI Radeon 9600 (128 MB)
Memory512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB512 MB or 2 GB
Storage80 GB to 160 GB160 GB to 400 GB (better)
CPU1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo; exact T2400 identity cross-checked with EveryMac. Existing chip record is reused; no sibling processor figures are borrowed.1.8 GHz PowerPC G5 with 600 MHz frontside bus and Combo drive, or 2.0 GHz with 667 MHz bus and SuperDrive; both have 512 KB L2 cache. Generic maker-clock chip records retain the single-core identity cross-checked with exact EveryMac sources; uncertain 970/970FX silicon revision is not inferred.
GPUIntel GMA950 integrated graphics, sharing system memory.ATI Radeon 9600 with 128 MB dedicated video memory; AGP 8x support.
Memory type667 MHz DDR2; 512 MB standard, configurable to 1 or 2 GB. The exact maker manual specifies matched pairs of 512 MB or 1 GB modules for the upgrades.400 MHz DDR SDRAM (PC3200), two 184-pin DIMM slots; 512 MB standard and 2 GB supported maximum. Configurations conservatively list the published base and maximum; no intermediate factory pairing is inferred.
Storage type80 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 160 GB; 24x Combo drive reads DVDs and reads/writes CDs, rather than burning DVDs.160 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 250 or 400 GB. The 1.8 GHz base has a Combo drive (DVD reading/CD writing); the 2.0 GHz base has an 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD writing.
Display
Screen size17″17″
Resolution1440 × 9001440 × 900
Brightness250 nits–
Display typeEveryMac specifies 1440 × 900 pixels, typical brightness 250 cd/m², contrast 500:1 and viewing angles of 140 degrees horizontal/120 degrees vertical. Exact model panel technology and refresh rate remain unpublished.Widescreen LCD with millions of colours; panel technology, refresh rate and brightness not published in the retained exact maker specification.
Connections
Ports3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet1 Gb/s1 Gb/s
Wi-Fi802.11g802.11g
Bluetooth–2.0 + EDR
CameraiSight camera–
Back portsThree USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports, Mini-DVI video output, Gigabit Ethernet and audio input/output. External-display resolution is omitted because the secondary figure explicitly refers to a different later model.Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports, Mini-VGA output, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical output and audio line-in. Built-in 56K V.92 modem is confirmed by launch press and exact manual; retained USB-HSP wording describes its internal transport, rather than an extra external USB device.
External displays–Optional Mini-VGA adapters provide VGA, S-video or composite output; no DVI connector is listed.
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo speakers and microphone.Built-in stereo speakers and microphone.
Keyboard and mouseApple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse; Apple Remote is optional. Macworld confirms Bluetooth is not included.Apple Keyboard and Apple Mouse; the later Mighty Mouse and iSight-generation remote are not substituted for the launch accessories.
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneAll-in-one
Weight–8.4 kg
Width × depth × height–426 × 173 × 430 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
In the boxInstitution-only education configuration; Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.6 and iLife ’06. Later secondary OS version 10.4.7 does not replace the maker launch wording.iMac G5, keyboard, mouse, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Tiger, iLife ’05 and AppleWorks. Classic support is available but not preinstalled and cannot boot Mac OS 9.

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