Apple Macintosh PowerBook 520c 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

Macintosh PowerBook 520c compared with PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
AppleMacintosh PowerBook 520cApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
Overview
ReleasedMay 1994February 2005
Display
Screen size9.5″17″
Resolution640 × 4801440 × 900 (better)
TouchscreenNoNo
Display type9.5-inch backlit dual-scan passive-matrix colour LCD with 256 colours17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.
Performance
ProcessorMotorola 68LC040 50 MHz (PowerBook 520)PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Early 2005)
CPU cores11
Graphics–ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory12 MB512 MB or 2 GB (better)
Storage240 MB to 320 MB80 GB to 100 GB (better)
CPUMotorola 68LC040 with 50 MHz internal processor speed and 25 MHz bus interface; no floating-point unit1.67 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 on the logic board, expandable to 36 MB; Apple's Japanese bundled configurations contain 12 MB512 MB PC2700 DDR333 standard; two SO-DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB.
Storage typeInternal SCSI hard drive and 1.4 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy drive; Japanese configurations pair 12 MB RAM with 240 or 320 MB storage. English support also lists a 160 MB drive100 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
Weight2.9 kg (better)3.1 kg
Thickness57 mm–
Width × depth292 × 245 mm–
Battery life detailNickel-metal hydride intelligent battery; Japanese specification claims three hours per battery, with one supplied and room for two. April 1995 Apple Facts instead gives 2–4 hours on one battery and 4–7 hours on two; 2.9 kg includes one battery58 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 detailADB, RS-422 serial/LocalTalk, AAUI Ethernet, HDI-30 SCSI, stereo audio input/output, external video and power input; optional internal modem and PCMCIA module supporting two Type II or one Type III cardTwo 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 displaysMirroring and extended desktop through an optional video adapter cableDVI dual-link: external display up to 2560 × 1600, including 30-inch Cinema HD display; VGA, S-video and composite supported with listed adapters.
Keyboard–Full-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor; Apple states backlighting up to ten times brighter than previous generation.
TrackpadBuilt-in solid-state trackpadTwo-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support
SpeakersTwo stereo speakers and a built-in microphoneTwo stereo speakers
Microphones–Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the boxJapanese 12 MB/240 MB bundle includes one intelligent battery, power adapter, KanjiTalk 7.5 media and PowerBook Mobility Bundle; the 12 MB/320 MB bundle adds Express Modem IIApple 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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