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Apple Macintosh PowerBook 170 vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacintosh PowerBook 170ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 1991February 2005
Display
Screen size10″17″
Resolution640 × 4001440 × 900
TouchscreenNoNo
Display type10-inch backlit active-matrix monochrome LCD, 640 × 400 pixels at 1-bit colour. Apple's 1991 product information rounds the diagonal to 10 inches; some later catalogues call it 9.8 inches.17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.
Performance
Processor68030 25 MHz (PowerBook 170)PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Early 2005)
CPU cores11
Graphics–ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory4 MB512 MB or 2 GB
Storage40 MB80 GB to 100 GB
CPU25 MHz Motorola 68030 and 25 MHz Motorola 68882 floating-point coprocessor; a Power Saver mode could run the processor at 16 MHz on battery.1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted.
GPU–ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128 MB DDR and dual-link DVI
Memory type4 MB original configuration, comprising 2 MB on the logic board and a 2 MB expansion card; 8 MB maximum. Apple's later support sheet lists 2 MB as the minimum across its service configurations.512 MB PC2700 DDR333 standard; two SO-DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB.
Storage typeOriginal 40 MB internal SCSI hard drive with a built-in 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drive. Apple's later support sheet lists 40–80 MB drives.100 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 standard with Sudden Motion Sensor. Retained maker build-to-order list offers 80 GB or 100 GB on 15/17-inch models; 80 GB alternative represented without changing the 100 GB stock specification. 8× DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 3 hoursUp to 4.5 hours
Battery capacity–58 Wh
Weight3.03 kg3.1 kg
Battery life detailRemovable nickel-cadmium battery; Apple claimed 2–3 hours of use, with about 30 minutes more in its 16 MHz Power Saver mode.58 Wh lithium-ion, up to 4.5 hours. Maker reference 3.1 kg includes battery and optical drive and varies by configuration/manufacturing. Published dimensions: height 2.6 cm, width 39.2 cm, depth 25.9 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-30 SCSI connector, two RS-422 serial ports, mono audio input and stereo output. A 2400-baud internal modem was standard.Two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, DVI, S-video and PC Card/CardBus slot. Combined optical-digital/analogue input and output minijacks.
External displays–DVI dual-link: external display up to 2560 × 1600, including 30-inch Cinema HD display; VGA, S-video and composite supported with listed adapters.
KeyboardBuilt-in keyboard with a centred 30 mm trackball below the keys.Full-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor; Apple states backlighting up to ten times brighter than previous generation.
TrackpadBuilt-in trackball.Two-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support
Speakers–Two stereo speakers
Microphones–Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the boxSystem 7.0.1, battery and AC adapter. Apple dates the model's introduction to 21 October 1991; the 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 report says his unit shipped the previous week and arrived Monday; February precision retained without a verified first shipping day. Launch Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife ’05.

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