Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.5GHz)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) compared with PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.5GHz)
AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.5GHz)
Overview
ReleasedNovember 20062004
Display
Screen size17″17″
Resolution1680 × 1050 (better)1440 × 900
Brightness300 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeWidescreen TFT display; optional glossy finish 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 Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read.17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.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
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2006)PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch 2004)
CPU cores21
GraphicsATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR) or ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory2 GB or 3 GB (better)512 MB or 2 GB
Storage100 GB to 200 GB (better)80 GB
CPUDual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.33 GHz, with 4 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz frontside bus. The record retains the maker’s clock and model without an unverified Intel SKU.1.5 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted.
GPUATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64 MB DDR; 128 MB video-memory build-to-order option.
Memory type667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots; 2 GB standard, configurable to 3 GB.512 MB PC2700 DDR333 standard; two SO-DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB.
Storage type160 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 100 GB at 7200 rpm or 200 GB at 4200 rpm. 8× SuperDrive with 4× double-layer DVD+R writing.80 GB 4200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; 80 GB 5400 rpm build-to-order alternative. 4× DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 5.5 hoursUp to 4.5 hours
Battery capacity68 Wh (better)58 Wh
Weight–3.1 kg
Battery life detailRemovable 68 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 5.5 hours in Apple’s test. Apple publishes 6.8 lb and a 15.4 × 10.4 × 1.0-inch enclosure; weight varies by configuration. Unpublished metric fields omitted.58 Wh lithium-ion, up to 4.5 hours.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–
Connections
Ports3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-FiAirPort Extreme 802.11g; 802.11n requires the optional software enablerAirPort Extreme 802.11g/b
Bluetooth2.0 + EDR1.1
WebcamBuilt-in iSight camera–
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detail3 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 displaysOne 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.
KeyboardFull-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys; embedded numeric keypadFull-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor
TrackpadScrolling trackpad with a separate button; two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag.Tap, double-tap and drag support
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo speakersTwo stereo speakers
MicrophonesBuilt-in omnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grilleInternal omnidirectional microphone
In the boxMacBook 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 10.4.8 Tiger and iLife ’06. Apple’s 24 October announcement says this model would ship the following week, crossing the month boundary; Macworld’s contemporary laboratory report confirms that actual shipping began in November. An exact first-sale day is unestablished.Apple announced 19 April 2004 and expected the 17-inch model in early May. Actual first on-sale month unestablished after a bounded search; year precision retained. Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife ’04 supplied.

More comparisons