Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) vs Apple Power Macintosh 6100/66AV
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePower Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) | ApplePower Macintosh 6100/66AV | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2003 | 1995 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003) or 2 × PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003) | PowerPC 601 66 MHz (Power Macintosh 6100/66AV) |
| CPU cores | 1 or 2 | 1 |
| Graphics | ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64 MB) | – |
| Memory | 256 MB or 2 GB (better) | 8 MB or 16 MB |
| Storage | 80 GB (better) | 350 MB |
| 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. | 66 MHz PowerPC 601 with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB L1 cache, standard 256 KB L2 cache and 64-bit data path at 33 MHz; 4 MB ROM |
| 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. | AV video card with fixed 2 MB VRAM, plus separate HDI-45 video using system DRAM |
| 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. | 8 MB soldered to the logic board and two 72-pin noncomposite 80 ns SIMM sockets accepting a matched pair; maximum 72 MB total. English support lists an 8 MB minimum; Japanese 6100/66 bundle includes 16 MB, with the AV card sold separately. |
| 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. | English support lists a 350 MB internal SCSI hard drive. Original Apple TIL describes 8 MB/350 MB 6100/66 bundles and states that the AV card upgrades them to the 66AV; Japan offers 16 MB/350 MB with 2× AppleCD 300i Plus and separately sold AV card. Those AV-installed configurations are shown, without implying that the Japanese AV card was bundled. Service Source lists CD-ROM standard in some 66AV configurations and optional in others; 1.44 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy is built in. |
| Expansion slots | Four PCI slots and an occupied AGP 4x graphics slot. | One processor-direct expansion position occupied by the AV card. A NuBus adapter cannot be used while retaining the AV card. |
| Display | ||
| Screen | None built in | None built in |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | Ethernet |
| External displays | – | Up to 2 |
| Ethernet | 1 Gb/s | – |
| Front ports | Headphone connection and built-in mono speaker. | – |
| 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, AAUI-15 Ethernet, HDI-45 and DB-15 video, external DB-25 SCSI, two LocalTalk/GeoPort serial ports, 16-bit stereo audio input and output, and S-video input and output with composite adapters |
| 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. | Two simultaneous displays using DRAM and AV-card outputs. AV VRAM supports 24-bit colour at 640 × 480 and 832 × 624, or 16-bit colour at 1024 × 768 and 1152 × 870. Only one monitor or television can be attached to the AV card at a time. |
| Speakers | Built-in mono speaker and connection for Apple Pro Speakers; no built-in microphone. | – |
| Keyboard and mouse | Black Apple Pro input devices and DVI-to-VGA adapter. | Original Apple TIL lists power cord, keyboard cable, mouse and microphone; Japanese standard 6100/66 bundle includes mouse and display adapter with keyboard sold separately. AV-card and regional bundle accessories remain distinct. |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | Tower | Compact |
| Weight | 19.1 kg | 6.4 kg (better) |
| Width × depth × height | 226 × 467 × 432 mm | 415 × 399 × 85 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| 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. | Shared Service Source gives 85 × 415 × 399 mm and 6.4 kg, varying with installed devices. Japanese 6100/66 page gives 396 mm depth; April 1995 AppleFacts gives 86 × 411 × 396 mm and 6.3 kg. Different maker measurements remain qualified; shared service values retained for this AV record. |
| Power supply | – | Automatically configured 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz. Exact English support lists 210 W maximum. Shared Service Source separately gives 132 W maximum continuous and 201 W peak AC input, excluding monitor power, with 86 W continuous DC output; conditions remain qualified. |
| 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. | Exact support lists original System 7.5 with PowerPC Enabler 1.1.1 and introduction on 3 January 1995. April 1995 AppleFacts lists the current 6100/66 with an Apple AV configuration, and Apple's TIL describes the AV-card upgrade. Release year 1995 retained; first-sale month unresolved. Japanese standard bundles include KanjiTalk 7.5 CD-ROM, manuals and warranty. |
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