Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) vs Apple Power Macintosh 5500/250

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Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) compared with Power Macintosh 5500/250

	ApplePower Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003)	ApplePower Macintosh 5500/250
Overview
Released
Released	June 2003	1997
Performance
Processor
Processor	PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003) or 2 × PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003)	PowerPC 603e 250 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1 or 2	1
Graphics
Graphics	ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64 MB)	–
Memory
Memory	256 MB or 2 GB (better)	32 MB
Storage
Storage	80 GB (better)	2 GB to 4 GB
CPU
CPU	Stock single 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 with 256 KB L2 cache and 1 MB L3 cache. Contemporary Macworld reporting of Apple Store configurations also documents dual 1.25 GHz processors, each with 2 MB L3; this custom build is labelled in configuration details rather than presented as a second stock base.	250 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache and 64-bit 50 MHz system bus. This is a distinct clock configuration from the 5500/225.
GPU
GPU	Stock ATI Radeon 9000 Pro with 64 MB DDR in an AGP 4x slot. Macworld also documents a custom dual-processor build with NVIDIA GeForce4 Titanium; that build has other upgrades and is not treated as a freely interchangeable stock configuration.	2 MB built-in SGRAM with hardware 2D and 3D acceleration. Exact support table gives 24-bit colour through 832 × 624, 16-bit through 1152 × 870 and 8-bit at 1280 × 1024. The Australian brochure explicitly specifies the built-in display up to 1024 × 768 with 16-bit colour, but its separate Display support subsection incorrectly repeats a 1 MB/8-bit at 832 × 624 table resembling the earlier 5400; that inconsistent subsection is not used. The exact service table confirms 2 MB SGRAM and accelerated graphics.
Memory type
Memory type	Stock 256 MB PC2700 DDR333; four DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB. The single-processor configurations retain the stock drive and graphics at base and maximum memory. The documented dual-processor custom base has 256 MB.	32 MB RAM in the exact Australian brochure and support specification, with no soldered system memory; two 168-pin DIMM sockets permit up to 128 MB. Shared Service Source specifies 60 ns or faster, 5 V buffered EDO DIMMs and supports fast-page modules too; mixing types can operate at fast-page timings.
Storage type
Storage type	Stock 80 GB 7200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; up to four internal drives. Tray-loading Combo drive reads DVD at 8x and CD at 32x, writes CD-R at 16x and CD-RW at 10x. Macworld documents a dual 1.25 GHz custom base with 80 GB, Combo drive and Radeon 9000 Pro, and a separate upgraded build with 2 GB RAM, two 160 GB drives, SuperDrive and GeForce4 Titanium. The two-drive build is described here without flattening its drives into a single capacity.	April 1997 Australian brochure specifies a graphite 32 MB/4 GB IDE/12× CD-ROM configuration. Exact support database instead lists 2 GB minimum and 24× CD-ROM. Shared Service Source documents later graphite Japanese/Australian 32 MB/4 GB/24× configurations with video input, 33.6 Kbit/s modem and Mac OS 8.0, and a US education 32 MB/24× configuration with video input, NTSC output and Ethernet. The later January 1998 family catalogue lists 2 GB and 12× or 24× drives. All retain a 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy; optical-drive and bundle conditions are kept explicit.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	Four PCI slots and an occupied AGP 4x graphics slot.	One PCI slot for a 6.88-inch, 15 W card with a Macintosh driver, Communications Slot II for modem or Ethernet, video-input slot and optional TV/FM tuner bay. Australian brochure includes video input and lists TV tuner with infrared remote and Avid Cinema card/software as optional. The later US education configuration also supplies NTSC output.
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	12.8″
Resolution
Resolution	–	1024 × 768
Panel
Panel	–	CRT
Display type
Display type	–	Built-in noninterlaced flat-square multiple-scan CRT, 15-inch nominal tube with 325 mm diagonal viewable image (12.8 inches in the January 1998 family catalogue), 0.28 mm dot pitch and software-selectable modes from 640 × 480 to 1024 × 768. Brochure states up to 75 Hz without assigning that maximum to the highest resolution, so headline refresh remains omitted. Base tilts −5° to +15° and swivels 360°.
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack	Headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	–
Front ports
Front ports	Headphone connection and built-in mono speaker.	Headphone output, sound-volume and display controls; infrared receiver for the optional TV/FM remote.
Back ports
Back ports	Two USB 1.1, two FireWire 400, Gigabit Ethernet with Auto-MDIX, ADC and DVI display connectors, audio line-in/out and Apple Pro Speakers connection. The maker lists a V.92 modem. Optional original AirPort; the contemporary Apple-spokesman report confirms no AirPort Extreme, internal Bluetooth or FireWire 800.	ADB, external DB-25 SCSI, two RS-232/RS-422/LocalTalk/GeoPort-compatible serial ports, PlainTalk-compatible sound input and stereo output. Australian brochure includes a high-speed GeoPort modem without a published rate; later graphite service configurations specify a 33.6 Kbit/s modem. Exact support and US education service configuration list 10BASE-T, while the January 1998 maker catalogue qualifies Ethernet as configuration-dependent. Modem and Ethernet use the same communications slot; no universal Ethernet headline is assigned. Brochure supports six external SCSI devices.
External displays
External displays	ADC and DVI connectors with included DVI-to-VGA adapter. Digital resolution up to 1920 × 1200; analogue up to 1600 × 1200. The exact sheet does not publish a simultaneous display count.	January 1998 family catalogue lists NTSC TV output on some configurations; the service manual confirms NTSC output in the US education 250 MHz bundle. Australian brochure establishes built-in video input but does not establish included TV output. Computer-monitor video mirroring needs the appropriate external connector; do not treat an optional connector as included.
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in mono speaker and connection for Apple Pro Speakers; no built-in microphone.	Built-in stereo speakers, 16-bit stereo sound input/output and SRS 3D surround processing, with rear stereo speaker output.
Microphones
Microphones	–	Built-in microphone; PlainTalk-compatible external sound input.
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Black Apple Pro input devices and DVI-to-VGA adapter.	April 1997 Australian graphite presentation includes matching keyboard, mouse and necessary cables, built-in video-in card, high-speed modem, Apple System 7.5 software and a regional productivity, reference, education and game bundle. Internet service fees are additional. TV tuner/remote and Avid Cinema are optional. Later US education and international Mac OS 8.0 bundles vary; gallery shows the beige family education configuration, unlike the graphite primary.
Design and power
Type
Type	Tower	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	19.1 kg (better)	21 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	226 × 467 × 432 mm	383 × 406 × 445 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Maker dimensions: height 43.2 cm, width 22.6 cm, depth 46.7 cm; weight 19.1 kg. These published metric values differ slightly from the FW800 sheet.	Australian exact brochure gives 44.5 × 38.3 × 40.6 cm (height × width × depth) and 21 kg / 47 lb. Exact support dimensions and January 1998 family catalogue agree. Weight varies with installed internal devices. Shared service physical table swaps width/depth and prints inconsistent pound/kilogram weights; the exact brochure measurements are used.
Power supply
Power supply	–	Exact support and Australian brochure specify 220 W maximum continuous, 110–240 V AC at 50–60 Hz; includes low-power sleep mode. Shared Service Source lists a separate 125 W entry and 220 W maximum for all line/load conditions. No value is treated as measured operating consumption.
Noise
Noise	–	Variable-speed fan automatically runs at the lowest speed needed to minimise noise; the processor also has a small cooling fan. No acoustic measurement is published in these sources.
In the box
In the box	Mac OS X 10.2.4 and bootable Mac OS 9.2.2, install/restore DVD and Apple Hardware Test. First sale uses the 23 June 2003 Macworld report that these models were for sale at Apple’s online store; a 29 June report quotes an Apple spokesman confirming manufacture and sale. The first day is contemporary Apple Store reporting rather than a retained maker launch notice.	April 1997 Australian maker brochure presents the 250 MHz graphite computer as a ready-to-use product and directs buyers to authorised resellers. Exact support later records introduction on 1 September 1997, while the Australian brochure predates that regional/configuration entry. Retail year 1997 is supported by the contemporary Australian sales brochure; exact first-sale month is unresolved. Exact support lists System 7.5.5 with Enabler 411; later shared service configurations use Mac OS 8.0.