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Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5) vs Apple PowerBook G3 (Original, 1997)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacBook Pro 14″ (M5)ApplePowerBook G3 (Original, 1997)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2025November 1997
Display
Screen size14.2″12.1″
Resolution3024 × 1964800 × 600
PanelMini-LED–
Refresh rate120 Hz–
Brightness1,000 nits–
HDR peak brightness1,600 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina XDR display12.1-inch active-matrix TFT colour LCD; the maker does not publish IPS/TN panel technology, 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 Tone800 × 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
ProcessorApple M5PowerPC G3 250 MHz (original PowerBook G3)
CPU cores101
Graphics10-core GPUChips and Technologies 65554 (2 MB VRAM)
Memory16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB32 MB
Storage1 TB to 4 TB5 GB
CPU10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores250 MHz PowerPC G3; 50 MHz system bus, 512 KB backside L2 cache running at 100 MHz. Exact fitted silicon supplier and process are unpublished.
GPUNeural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decodeChips 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.
AI engine16-core Neural Engine–
Memory typeUnified memory32 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.
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s–
Storage typeSSD, configurable up to 4 TB5 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 24 hoursUp to 4 hours
Battery capacity72.4 Wh47 Wh
Weight1.55 kg3.4 kg
Thickness15.5 mm60.96 mm
Width × depth312.6 × 221.2 mm292.1 × 241.3 mm
Battery life detailUp to 16 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer battery47 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.
ChargerSold separately in the UK (70 W or 96 W Apple USB-C adapters offered); needs at least 60 W over USB PD45 W AC adapter, 100–240 V at 50/60 Hz input, 24 V 1.875 A output.
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 jackEthernet, headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6E–
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 supportOne 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 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/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.
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keysFull-size built-in keyboard with 3 mm travel, 19 mm key pitch and an inverted-T arrow cluster.
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadBuilt-in solid-state trackpad.
SpeakersSix-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; Spatial Audio with Dolby AtmosFour speakers: two in the display and two beneath the keyboard; 16-bit stereo at 44.1, 22 or 11 kHz.
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modesBuilt-in omnidirectional electret microphone.
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 separatelyFloppy 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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