Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) | ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 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; 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 Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read. | 17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.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 | ||
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 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 | 2 GB or 3 GB (better) | 512 MB or 2 GB |
| Storage | 100 GB to 200 GB (better) | 80 GB to 100 GB |
| CPU | Dual-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. | 1.67 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; 2 GB standard, configurable to 3 GB. | 512 MB PC2700 DDR333 standard; two SO-DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB. |
| Storage type | 160 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. | 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 |
| Battery life detail | Removable 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 Unpublished metric fields omitted.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. |
| 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; 802.11n requires the optional software enabler | 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 10.4.8 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 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. |
More comparisons
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) vs Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 AA18250
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3 Pro / M3 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M1 Pro / M1 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) vs Dell XPS 17 9700
- Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
- Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)

