Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) | ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 2006 | October 2005 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 17″ | 17″ |
| Resolution | 1680 × 1050 | 1680 × 1050 |
| 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 Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read. | 17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology, absolute brightness and refresh rate unpublished on maker sheet |
| Display features | – | Millions of colours at native resolution; maker UK launch claims up to 46% brighter than preceding 17-inch model |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2006) | PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Late 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, 1 GB or 2 GB |
| Storage | 100 GB to 200 GB (better) | 100 GB to 120 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 with Velocity Engine, 512 KB on-chip L2 SRAM and 167 MHz system bus; exact silicon supplier/process omitted |
| GPU | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3) | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with AGP 4× support, 128 MB DDR video memory and dual-link DVI |
| Memory type | 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots; 2 GB standard, configurable to 3 GB. | 512 MB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM running at 333 MHz standard in one SO-DIMM; two slots, maximum 2 GB, with 512 MB and 1 GB module options |
| 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. | 120 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 standard or 100 GB 7200 rpm build-to-order, with Sudden Motion Sensor. Slot-loading 8× DVD±R SuperDrive supports 2.4× double-layer DVD+R, 4× DVD±RW, 24× CD-R and 16× CD-RW; optional DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 5.5 hours | Up to 5.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 68 Wh (better) | 58 Wh |
| Weight | – | 3.1 kg |
| Thickness | – | 26 mm |
| Width × depth | – | 392 × 259 mm |
| 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 with charge indicator LEDs; maker up to 5.5 hours depends on configuration and use. Maker reference 3.1 kg includes battery and optical drive and varies by configuration/manufacturing. Metric dimensions are maker centimetres expressed in millimetres |
| Charger | 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter | 65 W power adapter with cable management system |
| 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 at up to 480 Mbps, FireWire 800 and 400, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, DVI, S-video and Type I/II PC Card slot; combined optical-digital/analogue input and output minijacks; Kensington lock slot |
| 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. | Simultaneous native 1680 × 1050 internal and up to 2560 × 1600 external display with millions of colours; dual-link DVI, including 30-inch Cinema HD display; mirroring, VGA with included DVI adapter, composite with included S-video adapter |
| 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; 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, inverted-T arrows and embedded keypad |
| Trackpad | Scrolling trackpad with a separate button; two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag. | Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap, drag and scrolling support |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers | Two built-in 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. | Power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, lithium-ion battery, modem cable, DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters; Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and iLife ’05 supplied. Apple UK confirms immediate availability on 19 October 2005 |
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