Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.33GHz)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006) | ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.33GHz) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | May 2006 | September 2003 |
| 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 Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read. | 17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.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 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch 2003) |
| CPU cores | 2 | 1 |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3) | ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (64 MB DDR) |
| Memory | 1 GB or 2 GB | 512 MB or 2 GB |
| Storage | 100 GB to 120 GB (better) | 80 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. | 1.33 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 9600, 64 MB DDR video memory, AGP 4×. |
| 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. | 80 GB 4200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; 80 GB 5400 rpm build-to-order alternative. 2× DVD-R/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 | 1.1 |
| 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, one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, Type I/II PC Card slot, DVI, S-video, audio input and headphone output. |
| 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. | Dual display/mirroring; external resolution up to 2048 × 1536. DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters included; ADC adapter separate. |
| 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 |
| Trackpad | Scrolling trackpad with a separate button; two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag. | 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 UK states immediate 17-inch availability on 16 September 2003. Launch Mac OS X 10.2.7; retained whole-family sheet lists later Panther software. |
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