Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008) compared with PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008)ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
Overview
ReleasedFebruary 2008February 2005
Display
Screen size17″17″
Resolution1680 × 1050 (better)1440 × 900
TouchscreenNoNo
Display type17-inch TFT widescreen display at 1680 × 1050, matte or glossy. Optional 1920 × 1200 LED-backlit display; exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008) or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008)PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Early 2005)
CPU cores21
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (512 MB GDDR3)ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory2 GB or 4 GB (better)512 MB or 2 GB
Storage200 GB to 300 GB (better)80 GB to 100 GB
CPUIntel Core 2 Duo at 2.5 GHz or optional 2.6 GHz, with 6 MB shared L2 cache and an 800 MHz frontside bus.1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted.
GPUNVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512 MB GDDR3 video memoryATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128 MB DDR and dual-link DVI
Memory type2 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, configurable to 4 GB, in two SO-DIMM slots.512 MB PC2700 DDR333 standard; two SO-DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB.
Storage type250 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive; optional 200 GB 7200-rpm or 300 GB 4200-rpm drive with either processor. 8× SuperDrive with double-layer DVD 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.
Connections
Ports3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-FiAirPort Extreme 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/gAirPort Extreme 802.11g/b
Bluetooth2.1 + EDR2.0 + EDR
WebcamBuilt-in iSight camera–
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailThree 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 optical digital audio output/headphone output.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 displaysSupports an external display up to 2560 × 1600 pixels alongside the built-in display. DVI-to-VGA adapter included; other display adapters optional.DVI dual-link: external display up to 2560 × 1600, including 30-inch Cinema HD display; VGA, S-video and composite supported with listed adapters.
KeyboardBacklit keyboard with ambient light sensors and revised function keys; the previous embedded numeric keypad is removed.Full-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor; Apple states backlighting up to ten times brighter than previous generation.
TrackpadMulti-Touch trackpad supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate and three-finger swipe.Two-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo speakersTwo stereo speakers
MicrophonesOmnidirectional microphone beneath the left speaker grille.Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the boxMacBook Pro, removable battery, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, DVI-to-VGA adapter, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X Leopard and iLife ’08; Apple Remote sold separately. The retired SP4 spec sheet is unavailable, so maker launch notice and exact early-2008 user guide supply core specifications.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.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)–Up to 4.5 hours
Battery capacity–58 Wh
Weight–3.1 kg
Battery life detailRemovable lithium-polymer battery. Capacity, life, metric weight and dimensions are omitted because the surviving maker launch notice and exact manual do not publish them. Macworld describes the model as 6.6 lb; this original unit is retained without conversion.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.
Charger85 W MagSafe Power Adapter65 W power adapter
MaterialsAluminium enclosureAluminium enclosure
ColoursSilver–

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