Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Macintosh 8500/132
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePower Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) | ApplePower Macintosh 8500/132 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | August 2002 | 1996 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | 2 × PowerPC G4 867 MHz (Power Mac Mirrored Drive Doors 2002), 2 × PowerPC G4 1000 MHz (Power Mac Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) or 2 × PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) | PowerPC 604 132 MHz (Power Macintosh 9500/132) |
| CPU cores | 2 | 1 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce4 MX (32 MB) or ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64 MB) | – |
| Memory | 256 MB, 512 MB or 2 GB (better) | 16 MB |
| Storage | 60 GB to 120 GB (better) | 1.2 GB |
| CPU | Dual 867 MHz, dual 1 GHz or dual 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processors; each physical processor has 256 KB on-chip L2 cache. 867 MHz and 1 GHz have 1 MB DDR SRAM L3 per processor; 1.25 GHz has 2 MB. System bus 133 MHz on dual 867, 167 MHz on dual 1/1.25 GHz. CPU count describes physical processors; supplier is not inferred. | One 132 MHz PowerPC 604 on a removable processor card, with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB level-one cache, 256 KB level-two cache and a 44 MHz processor bus. The 50 MHz figure on the shared Japanese sheet is the family maximum, not the 132 MHz model's bus |
| GPU | Dual 867 MHz: NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 32 MB DDR. Dual 1/1.25 GHz: ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 64 MB DDR. Optional NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 128 MB; independent CTO options are not expanded into unsupported stock combinations. | Built-in 64-bit video subsystem with 2 MB VRAM, expandable to 4 MB. Standard memory supports 24-bit colour through 832 × 624, 16-bit at 1024 × 768 and 1152 × 870, and 8-bit at 1280 × 1024. With 4 MB, 24-bit colour extends through 1152 × 870 and 16-bit to 1280 × 1024; monitor and video output simultaneously require 4 MB. Exact model tables take precedence over contradictory high-colour catalogue appendix claims |
| Memory type | Dual 867 MHz: 256 MB PC2100 DDR SDRAM at 266 MHz. Dual 1 GHz: 256 MB PC2700 DDR at 333 MHz; dual 1.25 GHz: 512 MB PC2700. Four DIMM slots support up to 2 GB. Configurations preserve stock processor/drive/graphics ties at base and maximum memory. | 16 MB standard for the 8500/132, eight 168-pin 64-bit 70 ns-or-faster DRAM DIMM sockets, up to 512 MB supported; corresponding matching DIMMs permit interleaving. The shared Japanese page's 32 MB package is explicitly the 8500/150 and is not transferred. English support says 128 MB DIMMs were untested. 4 MB ROM |
| Storage type | 60/80/120 GB 7200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 stock drives respectively. Dual 867 MHz has Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW (CD-R 16x); faster models SuperDrive (DVD-R 2x, CD-R 8x). Four hard-drive bays support two ATA/100 and two ATA/66 drives, or up to four SCSI drives with a separately sold PCI card. Two optical bays, one occupied; optional second Combo drive. Maker optional storage choices remain in details rather than assumed CPU cross-pairs. | Exact Japanese 8500/132 configuration has a 1.2 GB internal Fast SCSI hard disk, manual-inject Apple SuperDrive floppy and AppleCD 600i 4× CD-ROM. Shared Service Source lists 1.2 or 2 GB across 132/150/180 but does not pair an additional 132 configuration, so none is inferred. Additional internal storage bay; external SCSI up to seven devices at 5 MB/s, internal channel up to 10 MB/s |
| Expansion slots | Four open full-length 64-bit 33 MHz PCI slots and dedicated AGP 4x graphics slot. | Three PCI 2.0 slots, all free with onboard video, and an internal Digital Audio/Video connector for compatible compression hardware; no NuBus slots |
| Display | ||
| Screen | None built in | None built in |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 1 Gb/s (better) | 0.01 Gb/s |
| External displays | Up to 2 | – |
| Front ports | Headphone jack and built-in speaker. | – |
| Back ports | Two FireWire 400, two USB chassis ports (maker four-port total includes two keyboard ports), Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, ADC/DVI, stereo audio line-in/out and Apple Pro Speakers minijack. Optional 11 Mbps AirPort 802.11b card. Bluetooth is a separately listed adapter, not built-in. No FireWire 800 in this 2002 generation. | One ADB connector, two GeoPort/LocalTalk-compatible serial connectors, DB-15 display output, external DB-25 SCSI, AAUI-15 and 10BASE-T Ethernet connectors, 16-bit stereo sound input/output, left/right RCA audio input/output, composite video input/output and S-video input/output. Both Ethernet connectors share one interface and cannot be used concurrently 24-bit analogue composite and S-video input/output. Japanese sheet specifies live display through 640 × 480 NTSC or 768 × 576 PAL/SECAM, capture through 320 × 240 at 25 frames/s NTSC, and a separate maximum 640 × 480 NTSC capture size without that frame-rate claim. NTSC and PAL/SECAM output supported; full-size preview is not full-size continuous capture |
| External displays | Two displays in extended desktop or mirroring modes; ADC and DVI with included DVI-to-VGA adapter. Connecting two ADC displays requires a separately sold DVI-to-ADC adapter. | One external display up to 1280 × 1024; available colour depth depends on VRAM. Simultaneous monitor and video output requires 4 MB VRAM |
| Speakers | Built-in speaker; optional Apple Pro Speakers. | Built-in speaker; stereo sound and RCA line audio interfaces support 16-bit, 44.1 kHz sampling |
| Microphones | – | Apple PlainTalk external microphone included in the exact Japanese package; no built-in microphone |
| Keyboard and mouse | Apple Pro Keyboard, optical Apple Pro Mouse, DVI-to-VGA adapter and modem cable. | Japanese 16 MB/1.2 GB package includes ADB Mouse II, PlainTalk microphone, power cable, KanjiTalk 7.5.3 CD-ROM, VideoShop 3.0J, manuals and warranty. Keyboard and display sold separately |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | Tower | Tower |
| Weight | 19.1 kg | – |
| Width × depth × height | 227 × 468 × 432 mm | 196 × 400 × 355.6 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Exact maker reference weight 19.1 kg varies with configuration and manufacturing process; height 43.2, width 22.7, depth 46.8 cm. These published dimensions differ slightly from earlier G4 sheets and are retained. | Exact Japanese sheet gives 355.6 × 196 × 400 mm, consistent with service manual's rounded 356 × 196 × 400 mm. Catalogue gives 363 × 196 × 401 mm. Weight is unresolved and omitted from the headline; exact Japanese page says 12.7 kg, but English support, service manual and catalogue give 25 lb or approximately 11.3 kg. All qualify weight by installed devices |
| Power supply | 100–125 V AC or 200–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz. Maximum current 6.5 A at low voltage or 7.5 A at high voltage; maker publishes no maximum wattage here. | 100–240 V AC automatically configured, single phase, 50–60 Hz. Service Source distinguishes 225 W maximum DC output from AC consumption |
| Power use | – | 340 W maximum continuous AC input and 520 W peak input, excluding monitor; exact Japanese specification and shared Service Source agree |
| In the box | Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar as default startup system, plus bootable Mac OS 9.2.2; iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD for SuperDrive. Maker August 13 release says dual 867/1 GHz available that week, so first sale uses August month precision. Actual dual-1.25 GHz shipping confirmed 18 September. January 2003 FireWire 800 models and June 2003 reissue are separate generations. | Original system software 7.5.3. English support gives 22 April 1996 as introduction; Apple's May 1996 catalogue lists the exact 8500/132 as an offering, supporting release year 1996. Actual first-sale month/day remains unconfirmed |
More comparisons
- Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max or M5 Ultra) vs Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002)
- Apple Mac Pro (M2 Ultra) vs Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002)
- Apple Mac Pro (2019) vs Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002)
- Apple Mac Pro (2006) vs Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002)
- Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Mac G5 (Late 2005)
- Apple Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) vs Apple Power Macintosh 8500/132
- Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Mac G5 (Early 2005)
- Apple Power Mac G5 (Early 2005) vs Apple Power Macintosh 8500/132
- Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Mac G5 (Late 2004)
- Apple Power Mac G5 (Late 2004) vs Apple Power Macintosh 8500/132
- Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Mac G5 (June 2004)
- Apple Power Mac G5 (June 2004) vs Apple Power Macintosh 8500/132
- Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) vs Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002)
- Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Mac G5 (2003)
- Apple Power Mac G5 (2003) vs Apple Power Macintosh 8500/132
- Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003)