Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006) | ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | May 2006 | February 2005 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 17″ | 17″ |
| Resolution | 1680 × 1050 (better) | 1440 × 900 |
| Brightness | 300 nits | – |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Widescreen TFT display; matte at launch, with glossy option added later in May 2006 with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read. | 17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished. |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core Duo 2.16 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2006) | PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Early 2005) |
| CPU cores | 2 | 1 |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3) | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR) |
| Memory | 1 GB or 2 GB | 512 MB or 2 GB |
| Storage | 100 GB to 120 GB (better) | 80 GB to 100 GB |
| CPU | Dual-core Intel Core Duo at 2.16 GHz, with 2 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz frontside bus. The record retains the maker’s clock and model rather than copying an unverified retail-chip specification. | 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted. |
| GPU | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3) | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128 MB DDR and dual-link DVI |
| Memory type | 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots; 1 GB standard, configurable to 2 GB. | 512 MB PC2700 DDR333 standard; two SO-DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB. |
| Storage type | 120 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 100 GB at 7200 rpm. 8× SuperDrive with 2.4× double-layer DVD+R writing. | 100 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 standard with Sudden Motion Sensor. Retained maker build-to-order list offers 80 GB or 100 GB on 15/17-inch models; 80 GB alternative represented without changing the 100 GB stock specification. 8× DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 5.5 hours | Up to 4.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 68 Wh (better) | 58 Wh |
| Weight | 3.1 kg | 3.1 kg |
| Thickness | 25.9 mm | – |
| Width × depth | 392 × 265 mm | – |
| Battery life detail | Removable 68 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 5.5 hours in Apple’s test. Maker reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. | 58 Wh lithium-ion, up to 4.5 hours. Maker reference 3.1 kg includes battery and optical drive and varies by configuration/manufacturing. Published dimensions: height 2.6 cm, width 39.2 cm, depth 25.9 cm. |
| Charger | 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter | 65 W power adapter |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure | Aluminium enclosure |
| Colours | Silver | – |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | AirPort Extreme 802.11g | AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b |
| Bluetooth | 2.0 + EDR | 2.0 + EDR |
| Webcam | Built-in iSight camera | – |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | 3 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, dual-link DVI, ExpressCard/34, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output, and Kensington lock slot. VGA adapter included; composite/S-video adapter optional. | Two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, DVI, S-video and PC Card/CardBus slot. Combined optical-digital/analogue input and output minijacks. |
| External displays | One external display up to 2560 × 1600 alongside the built-in screen through dual-link DVI; included VGA adapter, optional composite/S-video adapter. | DVI dual-link: external display up to 2560 × 1600, including 30-inch Cinema HD display; VGA, S-video and composite supported with listed adapters. |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys; embedded numeric keypad | Full-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor; Apple states backlighting up to ten times brighter than previous generation. |
| Trackpad | Scrolling trackpad with a separate button; two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag. | Two-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers | Two stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Built-in omnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grille | Internal omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | MacBook Pro, removable battery, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Apple Remote and DVI-to-VGA adapter included. Mac OS X 10.4.6 Tiger and iLife ’06. Apple’s 24 April 2006 notice states shipping the following week, supporting May month precision without an exact delivery day. The optional glossy screen was introduced later in May and is not treated as an original launch configuration. | Apple announced 31 January 2005 with availability planned later that week. Ken Mingis’s 10 February Computerworld report says his unit shipped the previous week and arrived Monday; February precision retained without a verified first shipping day. Launch Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife ’05. |
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