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Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5) vs Apple PowerBook (FireWire)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacBook Pro 14″ (M5)ApplePowerBook (FireWire)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2025February 2000
Display
Screen size14.2″14.1″
Resolution3024 × 19641024 × 768
PanelMini-LED–
Refresh rate120 Hz–
Brightness1,000 nits–
HDR peak brightness1,600 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina XDR display14.1-inch active-matrix TFT colour LCD. The maker does not publish IPS/TN subtype, brightness or refresh rate.
Pixel density254 ppi–
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); 1 billion colours–
Screen finishStandard, or nano-texture as an option–
Display features1,000,000:1 contrast; 1,000 nits sustained full-screen XDR brightness; ProMotion up to 120 Hz, with fixed 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz rates; True Tone1024 × 768 native resolution. VGA and S-video output support an extended desktop or video mirroring.
Performance
ProcessorApple M5PowerPC G3 400 MHz (PowerBook FireWire) or PowerPC G3 500 MHz (PowerBook FireWire)
CPU cores101
Graphics10-core GPUATI RAGE Mobility 128 (8 MB SDRAM)
Memory16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB64 MB or 128 MB
Storage1 TB to 4 TB6 GB to 12 GB
CPU10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores400 or 500 MHz PowerPC G3, each with 1 MB backside L2 cache and 100 MHz system bus. Exact fitted silicon supplier and process not assigned.
GPUNeural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decodeATI RAGE Mobility 128 graphics controller on AGP 2×, 8 MB video SDRAM. Service Source also names it ATI Rage Mobility M3.
AI engine16-core Neural Engine–
Memory typeUnified memory64 MB PC100 SDRAM standard on 400 MHz, 128 MB on 500 MHz; two 144-pin SO-DIMM slots, maker maximum 512 MB using up to 256 MB per slot. EDO and some earlier PC66 modules are incompatible.
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s–
Storage typeSSD, configurable up to 4 TBOriginal Apple factory pairs: 400 MHz/64 MB/6 GB Ultra ATA/66 and 500 MHz/128 MB/12 GB Ultra ATA/66, each with DVD-ROM. Apple offered an 18 GB build-to-order drive without an exact associated factory pairing. Later 10 GB/20 GB refresh is reported by Macworld, not folded into the original launch configurations. Apple launch calls the DVD drive 6× maximum; its Service Source describes a 4× drive and DVD-RAM read compatibility.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 24 hoursUp to 5 hours
Battery capacity72.4 Wh50 Wh
Weight1.55 kg2.7678248 kg
Thickness15.5 mm43.18 mm
Width × depth312.6 × 221.2 mm322.58 × 264.16 mm
Battery life detailUp to 16 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer battery50 Wh removable lithium-ion battery. Maker claims up to five hours with one battery or ten hours using a second battery in the optical bay. Reference 6.1 lb weight includes DVD and one battery; weight-saving module gives 5.7 lb.
ChargerSold separately in the UK (70 W or 96 W Apple USB-C adapters offered); needs at least 60 W over USB PD45 W maximum AC power, 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz.
Fast chargingWith a 96 W or higher USB PD power source–
Materials100% recycled aluminium enclosure; 45% recycled content overall–
ColoursSpace Black, Silver–
Connections
Ports3 × Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SD card slot, MagSafe 3, headphone jack2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EAirPort 802.11b with optional internal card
Bluetooth5.3–
Webcam12MP Center Stage–
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detail3 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40 Gb/s); HDMI with multichannel audio output; SDXC card slot; MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance headphone supportTwo 400 Mbps FireWire ports with FireWire Disk Mode, two USB ports, VGA, S-video, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.90 modem, 4 Mbps IrDA, stereo line input and headphone output. One Type I/II PC Card/CardBus slot. No built-in SCSI or ADB.
External displaysUp to two over any mix of Thunderbolt and HDMI at 6K 60 Hz or 4K 144 Hz, or one at up to 8K 60 Hz, 5K 120 Hz or 4K 240 Hz, alongside the built-in displayExternal VGA monitors and PAL/NTSC S-video televisions; internal/external extended desktop and video mirroring.
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keysFull-size keyboard with inverted-T arrows and embedded numeric keypad; flip-up access to RAM, AirPort card and hard drive.
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadBuilt-in trackpad with tap, double-tap and drag.
SpeakersSix-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; Spatial Audio with Dolby AtmosBuilt-in stereo speakers.
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modesBuilt-in microphone and line input.
BiometricsTouch ID–
In the box14-inch MacBook Pro, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m), polishing cloth (nano-texture display only); power adapter sold separatelyMac OS 9 and 6× maximum DVD-ROM drive in both Apple launch configurations; AirPort card optional. Apple’s 16 February 2000 release explicitly says available immediately at Apple Store and authorised resellers. Current support identifies a 15 February introduction; the first confirmed on-sale day is the 16th. The support table labels its 10.4 × 12.7 × 1.7-inch axes inconsistently; the case orientation gives 12.7-inch width, 10.4-inch depth and 1.7-inch thickness.

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