Apple Macintosh PowerBook 100 vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.67/1.5GHz)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Macintosh PowerBook 100 compared with PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.67/1.5GHz)
AppleMacintosh PowerBook 100ApplePowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.67/1.5GHz)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 1991February 2005
Display
Screen size9″15.2″
Resolution640 × 4001280 × 854 (better)
TouchscreenNoNo
Display type9-inch backlit FSTN monochrome LCD, 640 × 400 pixels at 1-bit colour (Apple service guide).15.2-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.
Performance
Processor68000 16 MHz (PowerBook 100)PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch Early 2005) or PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch Early 2005)
CPU cores11
Graphics–ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR) or ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory2 MB512 MB or 2 GB (better)
Storage20 MB to 40 MB80 GB to 100 GB (better)
CPU16 MHz Motorola 68000; no FPU or processor cache.1.5 or 1.67 GHz PowerPC G 4 with 512 KB on-chip L 2 and 167 MHz bus. Retained sheet processor paragraph omits 1.5 GHz, but factory configuration table and UK release confirm it. Exact silicon supplier omitted.
GPU–ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64 MB DDR standard; 128 MB plus dual-link DVI build-to-order restricted to 1.67 GHz. UK release higher-base bullet ambiguously mentions dual-link with 64 MB; its BTO paragraph and full sheet tie dual-link to 128 MB.
Memory type2 MB on the logic board and one expansion slot; 8 MB maximum.512 MB PC 2700 DDR 333 in a single SO-DIMM; two slots, maximum 2 GB.
Storage type20 MB or 40 MB internal SCSI hard drive; no built-in floppy drive. The HDI-20 port accepts an external floppy drive.80 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 standard on both processors; 100 GB build-to-order alternative, with Sudden Motion Sensor. Combo on 1.5 GHz base, 8× DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive on 1.67 GHz; SuperDrive upgrade available.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 4 hoursUp to 4.5 hours
Battery capacity–50 Wh
Weight2.3 kg (better)2.5 kg
Battery life detailSealed lead-acid battery; Apple claimed 2–4 hours of use before recharging.50 Wh lithium-ion, up to 4.5 hours. Maker reference 2.5 kg includes battery and optical drive; varies by configuration/manufacturing. Published dimensions: height 2.8 cm, width 34.8 cm, depth 24.1 cm.
Charger–65 W power adapter
Materials–Aluminium enclosure
Connections
Ports–2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-Fi–AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b
Bluetooth–2.0 + EDR
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailOne Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port, HDI-20 external floppy connector, HDI-30 SCSI connector, printer serial port and speaker output. No built-in Ethernet or video output.Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, Type I/II PC Card slot, DVI, S-video, audio input and headphone output.
External displays–DVI with VGA adapter and S-video/composite output; up to 2048×1536 external. Optional 128 MB dual-link configuration on 1.67 GHz supports 30-inch Cinema HD display.
Keyboard–Full-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor on both processor configurations; Apple states up to ten times brighter backlighting than previous generation.
TrackpadBuilt-in trackball.Two-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support
Speakers–Stereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speaker
Microphones–Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the boxOriginal system software was System 7.0.1. Apple dates the model's introduction to 21 October 1991; its technical sheet does not state a separate first-sale day.Apple announced 31 January 2005 with availability planned later that week. Ken Mingis’s 10 February Computerworld account confirms 15-inch units had reached buyers by then; February precision retained without a verified first shipping day. Launch Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife ’05.

More comparisons