Apple Macintosh PowerBook Duo 270c vs Apple PowerBook G4 (12-inch, 1.5GHz)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Macintosh PowerBook Duo 270c compared with PowerBook G4 (12-inch, 1.5GHz)
AppleMacintosh PowerBook Duo 270cApplePowerBook G4 (12-inch, 1.5GHz)
Overview
Released19932005
Display
Screen size8.4″12.1″
Resolution640 × 4801024 × 768 (better)
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeBacklit active-matrix TFT colour LCD; 256 colours at 640 × 480 or thousands at 640 × 400. Apple's exact-model product description gives 8.4 inches; the later service table labels this model 9 inches12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display; panel technology and refresh unpublished.
Screen finishAntiglare polariser–
Performance
ProcessorMotorola 68030 33 MHzPowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 12-inch 2005)
CPU cores11
Graphics–NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 (64 MB DDR)
Memory4 MB or 12 MB512 MB or 1.25 GB (better)
Storage240 MB60 GB to 100 GB (better)
CPUMotorola 68030 at 33 MHz with an integrated memory-management unit and a separate Motorola 68882 maths coprocessor at 33 MHz1.5 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz system bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted.
GPUColour Screen Controller with video RAM; selecting thousands of colours centres a 640 × 400 image with black bands above and belowNVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 with 64 MB DDR video memory and AGP 4×.
Memory type4 MB soldered on the logic board, with one Duo expansion-card slot; maximum 32 MB. Apple memory kits expand to 8 or 12 MB; larger capacities require third-party cards512 MB PC2700 DDR333 standard; one SO-DIMM slot, maximum 1.25 GB.
Storage typeInternal 240 MB SCSI hard drive in the two configurations listed in Apple's product description. The developer note also describes a 160 MB option, without an ordering configuration. External 1.4 MB floppy drive requires a Duo Floppy Adapter or Duo MiniDock5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor. Combo base60GB; SuperDrive base80GB; 100GB build-to-order on either. 8× DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive; optical-drive differences retained in details.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 4 hoursUp to 5 hours
Battery capacity–50 Wh
Weight2.1 kg2.1 kg
Thickness38 mm–
Width × depth277 × 216 mm–
Battery life detailRemovable Type II nickel-metal hydride battery. Apple's product description claims 2–4 hours; the developer note claims 4.5 hours, while the later service manual gives approximately 2–3 hours. Service weight is 2.1 kg with a battery; its paired 4.8 lb figure is inconsistent. Dimensions are rounded from Apple's 10.9 × 8.5 × 1.5 inch support table; the service manual swaps width/depth and pairs 1.5 inches with 36 mm50 Wh lithium-ion, up to five hours. Published reference weight 2.1 kg with battery and optical drive; varies by configuration/manufacturing. Published dimensions: height 3.0 cm, width 27.7 cm, depth 21.9 cm.
ChargerAC adapter supplied; service manual gives a 24 V DC, 1.04 A output45 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 detail152-pin docking connector, RS-422 serial/LocalTalk mini-DIN-8 port, power input and optional internal Express Modem. Additional video, SCSI and floppy connections require docking accessoriesTwo USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400, 10/100 Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, mini-DVI, audio input and headphone output. Mini-DVI-to-DVI and mini-DVI-to-VGA adapters included; television adapter separate.
External displaysOptional PowerBook Duo Dock or Duo MiniDock provides external video and desktop peripheral expansionDual display and mirroring; external resolution up to 2048 × 1536.
KeyboardBuilt-in keyboard with two-level tilt adjustment; 63 keys on the domestic version or 64 on the ISO versionFull-size keyboard with embedded numeric keypad
Trackpad19 mm trackball with two buttonsTwo-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support
SpeakersFour-voice, 8-bit monophonic sound input and output at 11 or 22 kHzStereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speaker
MicrophonesBuilt-in omnidirectional electret microphone; the support summary's Mic Type none does not describe the built-in microphone documented in the developer and service manualsInternal omnidirectional microphone
In the boxComputer, battery, AC adapter, System 7.1 software and documentation; desktop docks sold separately. Apple lists introduction on 21 October 1993. The Mac December 1993 buying guide lists the model in the current retail range with a UK basic price; no exact first-sale month is established, so release precision remains the yearApple announced 31 January 2005 with availability planned later that week. Actual first on-sale month unestablished after a bounded search; year precision retained. Launch Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife ’05; later units shipped Tiger.

More comparisons