Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M4) vs Apple Macintosh PowerBook Duo 270c

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MacBook Air 13″ (M4) compared with Macintosh PowerBook Duo 270c

	AppleMacBook Air 13″ (M4)	AppleMacintosh PowerBook Duo 270c
Overview
Released
Released	March 2025	1993
Display
Screen size
Screen size	13.6″	8.4″
Resolution
Resolution	2560 × 1664 (better)	640 × 480
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	–
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	60 Hz	–
Brightness
Brightness	500 nits	–
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	Liquid Retina display; LED-backlit with IPS technology	Backlit active-matrix TFT colour LCD; 256 colours at 640 × 480 or thousands at 640 × 400. Apple's exact-model product description gives 8.4 inches; the later service table labels this model 9 inches
Screen finish
Screen finish	–	Antiglare polariser
Pixel density
Pixel density	224 ppi	–
Colour range
Colour range	Wide colour (P3); 1 billion colours	–
Display features
Display features	True Tone	–
Performance
Processor
Processor	Apple M4	Motorola 68030 33 MHz
CPU cores
CPU cores	10	1
Graphics
Graphics	8-core GPU or 10-core GPU	–
AI engine (NPU)
AI engine (NPU)	38 TOPS	–
Memory
Memory	16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB (better)	4 MB or 12 MB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 2 TB (better)	240 MB
CPU
CPU	10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores	Motorola 68030 at 33 MHz with an integrated memory-management unit and a separate Motorola 68882 maths coprocessor at 33 MHz
GPU
GPU	8-core or 10-core GPU; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decode	Colour Screen Controller with video RAM; selecting thousands of colours centres a 640 × 400 image with black bands above and below
AI engine
AI engine	16-core Neural Engine	–
Memory type
Memory type	Unified memory	4 MB soldered on the logic board, with one Duo expansion-card slot; maximum 32 MB. Apple memory kits expand to 8 or 12 MB; larger capacities require third-party cards
Memory bandwidth
Memory bandwidth	120 GB/s	–
Storage type
Storage type	SSD, configurable up to 2 TB	Internal 240 MB SCSI hard drive in the two configurations listed in Apple's product description. The developer note also describes a 160 MB option, without an ordering configuration. External 1.4 MB floppy drive requires a Duo Floppy Adapter or Duo MiniDock
Cooling
Cooling	Fanless	–
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 18 hours	Up to 4 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	53.8 Wh	–
Weight
Weight	1.24 kg (better)	2.1 kg
Thickness
Thickness	11.3 mm (better)	38 mm
Width × depth
Width × depth	304.1 × 215 mm	277 × 216 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer battery	Removable Type II nickel-metal hydride battery. Apple's product description claims 2–4 hours; the developer note claims 4.5 hours, while the later service manual gives approximately 2–3 hours. Service weight is 2.1 kg with a battery; its paired 4.8 lb figure is inconsistent. Dimensions are rounded from Apple's 10.9 × 8.5 × 1.5 inch support table; the service manual swaps width/depth and pairs 1.5 inches with 36 mm
Charger
Charger	30 W USB-C adapter with the 8-core GPU model; 35 W Dual USB-C Port adapter with the 10-core GPU model	AC adapter supplied; service manual gives a 24 V DC, 1.04 A output
Fast charging
Fast charging	With the 70 W USB-C Power Adapter	–
Materials
Materials	100% recycled aluminium enclosure; more than 55% recycled content overall	–
Colours
Colours	Sky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight	–
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, headphone jack	–
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6E	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	–
Webcam
Webcam	12MP Center Stage	–
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	2 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40 Gb/s); MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support	152-pin docking connector, RS-422 serial/LocalTalk mini-DIN-8 port, power input and optional internal Express Modem. Additional video, SCSI and floppy connections require docking accessories
External displays
External displays	Up to two at up to 6K 60 Hz, alongside the built-in display	Optional PowerBook Duo Dock or Duo MiniDock provides external video and desktop peripheral expansion
Keyboard
Keyboard	Backlit Magic Keyboard, 78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys	Built-in keyboard with two-level tilt adjustment; 63 keys on the domestic version or 64 on the ISO version
Trackpad
Trackpad	Force Touch trackpad	19 mm trackball with two buttons
Speakers
Speakers	Four-speaker sound system; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos	Four-voice, 8-bit monophonic sound input and output at 11 or 22 kHz
Microphones
Microphones	Three-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes	Built-in omnidirectional electret microphone; the support summary's Mic Type none does not describe the built-in microphone documented in the developer and service manuals
Biometrics
Biometrics	Touch ID	–
In the box
In the box	13-inch MacBook Air, 30 W or 35 W Dual USB-C Port power adapter (by model), USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)	Computer, battery, AC adapter, System 7.1 software and documentation; desktop docks sold separately. Apple lists introduction on 21 October 1993. The Mac December 1993 buying guide lists the model in the current retail range with a UK basic price; no exact first-sale month is established, so release precision remains the year