Apple Macintosh PowerBook Duo 270c vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)

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

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

Macintosh PowerBook Duo 270c compared with PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)

	AppleMacintosh PowerBook Duo 270c	ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
Overview
Released
Released	1993	October 2005
Display
Screen size
Screen size	8.4″	17″
Resolution
Resolution	640 × 480	1680 × 1050 (better)
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	Backlit 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service table labels this model 9 inches	17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology, absolute brightness and refresh rate unpublished on maker sheet
Display features
Display features	–	Millions of colours at native resolution; maker UK launch claims up to 46% brighter than preceding 17-inch model
Screen finish
Screen finish	Antiglare polariser	–
Performance
Processor
Processor	Motorola 68030 33 MHz	PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Late 2005)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1	1
Graphics
Graphics	–	ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory
Memory	4 MB or 12 MB	512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	240 MB	100 GB to 120 GB (better)
CPU
CPU	Motorola 68030 at 33 MHz with an integrated memory-management unit and a separate Motorola 68882 maths coprocessor at 33 MHz	1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, 512 KB on-chip L2 SRAM and 167 MHz system bus; exact silicon supplier/process omitted
GPU
GPU	Colour Screen Controller with video RAM; selecting thousands of colours centres a 640 × 400 image with black bands above and below	ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with AGP 4× support, 128 MB DDR video memory and dual-link DVI
Memory type
Memory type	4 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 cards	512 MB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM running at 333 MHz standard in one SO-DIMM; two slots, maximum 2 GB, with 512 MB and 1 GB module options
Storage type
Storage type	Internal 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 MiniDock	120 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 standard or 100 GB 7200 rpm build-to-order, with Sudden Motion Sensor. Slot-loading 8× DVD±R SuperDrive supports 2.4× double-layer DVD+R, 4× DVD±RW, 24× CD-R and 16× CD-RW; optional DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 4 hours	Up to 5.5 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	–	58 Wh
Weight
Weight	2.1 kg (better)	3.1 kg
Thickness
Thickness	38 mm	26 mm (better)
Width × depth
Width × depth	277 × 216 mm	392 × 259 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Removable 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 mm	58 Wh lithium-ion with charge indicator LEDs; maker up to 5.5 hours depends on configuration and use. Maker reference 3.1 kg includes battery and optical drive and varies by configuration/manufacturing. Metric dimensions are maker centimetres expressed in millimetres
Charger
Charger	AC adapter supplied; service manual gives a 24 V DC, 1.04 A output	65 W power adapter with cable management system
Materials
Materials	–	Aluminium enclosure
Connections
Ports
Ports	–	2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	–	AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	–	2.0 + EDR
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	152-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 accessories	Two USB 2.0 ports at up to 480 Mbps, FireWire 800 and 400, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, DVI, S-video and Type I/II PC Card slot; combined optical-digital/analogue input and output minijacks; Kensington lock slot
External displays
External displays	Optional PowerBook Duo Dock or Duo MiniDock provides external video and desktop peripheral expansion	Simultaneous native 1680 × 1050 internal and up to 2560 × 1600 external display with millions of colours; dual-link DVI, including 30-inch Cinema HD display; mirroring, VGA with included DVI adapter, composite with included S-video adapter
Keyboard
Keyboard	Built-in keyboard with two-level tilt adjustment; 63 keys on the domestic version or 64 on the ISO version	Full-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor; 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, inverted-T arrows and embedded keypad
Trackpad
Trackpad	19 mm trackball with two buttons	Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap, drag and scrolling support
Speakers
Speakers	Four-voice, 8-bit monophonic sound input and output at 11 or 22 kHz	Two built-in stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in omnidirectional electret microphone; the support summary's Mic Type none does not describe the built-in microphone documented in the developer and service manuals	Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the box
In the box	Computer, 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 year	Power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, lithium-ion battery, modem cable, DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters; Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and iLife ’05 supplied. Apple UK confirms immediate availability on 19 October 2005