Apple PowerBook G3 Series (September 1998) vs Apple PowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet, 1998)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePowerBook G3 Series (September 1998) | ApplePowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet, 1998) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | September 1998 | May 1998 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 14.1″ | 12.1″ |
| Resolution | 1024 × 768 or 800 × 600 | 800 × 600 or 1024 × 768 |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Active-matrix TFT; 14.1-inch XGA 1024 × 768 or later 12.1-inch SVGA 800 × 600; resolution scaling supports lower resolutions | 12.1-inch STN passive-matrix 800 × 600 screen or 13.3- and 14.1-inch TFT active-matrix 1024 × 768 screens; all are CCFL-backlit. The 14.1-inch case is 53 mm thick, compared with 51 mm for the smaller versions. |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC G3 233 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series September 1998), PowerPC G3 266 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series September 1998) or PowerPC G3 300 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series September 1998) | PowerPC G3 233 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series 1998), PowerPC G3 250 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series 1998) or PowerPC G3 292 MHz (PowerBook G3 Series 1998) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Memory | 32 MB or 64 MB | 32 MB or 64 MB |
| Storage | 2 GB to 8 GB | 2 GB to 8 GB |
| CPU | PowerPC G3 at 233, 266 or 300 MHz, 66 MHz system bus; 512 KB backside cache on 233 MHz or 1 MB on 266/300 MHz. Dedicated backside buses 117, 133 or 150 MHz; integrated FPU and 64 KB L1 cache | PowerPC 750 (G3) at 233, 250 or 292 MHz. The 233 MHz launch version has no backside L2 cache; the 250 and 292 MHz versions each have 1 MB L2 cache. System bus is 66.7 MHz on 233 MHz models and 83.3 MHz on faster models. |
| GPU | ATI RAGE LT PRO with 4 MB SGRAM on 14.1-inch or 2 MB on 12.1-inch TFT; earlier passive-matrix models remain in the original May entry | ATI 3D RAGE LT graphics with 2 MB or 4 MB SGRAM video memory, depending on configuration; built-in 2D and 3D acceleration. |
| Memory type | 32 MB or 64 MB factory SDRAM in two 144-pin SO-DIMM slots; original maker expansion limit 192 MB | 32 MB or 64 MB factory SDRAM in the listed regional configurations, using two SO-DIMM slots; Apple gives 192 MB as the original expansion limit. |
| Storage type | Removable 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB internal IDE drive. Expansion bays accept CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, optional floppy, battery and third-party modules; 20× CD-ROM or 1.5× DVD-ROM with up to 12× CD reading | Removable internal 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB EIDE hard drive, depending on configuration. The two expansion bays accept battery, floppy, CD-ROM or DVD-ROM modules; removable media are separate from internal storage. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 3.5 hours | Up to 3.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 49 Wh | 49 Wh |
| Weight | 3.5 kg | 3.45 kg (better) |
| Thickness | – | 51 mm |
| Width × depth | – | 323 × 265 mm |
| Battery life detail | Removable 49 Wh lithium-ion battery; up to 3.5 hours with one or seven hours with two under maker normal-use conditions. Reference 3.5 kg includes modem, battery and CD-ROM; 12.1-inch reference is 3.3 kg. Maker sources give rounded dimensions and conflicting axis labels, so no unqualified dimensions adopted | Removable 49 Wh lithium-ion battery. Apple's service data sheet claims up to 3.5 hours on one battery or seven hours with two batteries. Maker reference weight of 3.45 kg includes one battery and a CD-ROM module. |
| Charger | 45 W AC adapter | – |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | Ethernet, headphone jack | Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | ADB, HDI-30 SCSI, RS-422 serial, 10BASE-T Ethernet, RJ-11 K56flex/V.90 modem, 4 Mbps infrared, VGA-style video, S-video and stereo audio input/output. Two Type I/II or one Type III PC Card slots with CardBus; lower slot supports Zoomed Video. No built-in USB or FireWire | Built-in 10BASE-T Ethernet, VGA external video, HDI-30 SCSI, ADB, GeoPort serial, audio input and headphone output, infrared and two Type II CardBus slots (or one Type III). The 13.3- and 14.1-inch versions also have S-video output; some configurations included a K56flex modem. |
| External displays | VGA-style and S-video output; DVD-Video requires the decoder PC Card supplied with DVD-ROM configurations or optional DVD-Video kit | VGA output on every configuration, up to 1280 × 960 pixels according to Apple's developer note; S-video output on 13.3- and 14.1-inch versions. |
| Keyboard | Full-size keyboard with 76 US or 77 ISO keys, twelve function keys, inverted-T arrows and embedded keypad | Full-size keyboard with an embedded numeric keypad and inverted-T arrow keys. |
| Trackpad | Solid-state trackpad supports tap, double-tap and drag | Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap and drag support. |
| Speakers | Two built-in stereo speakers | – |
| Microphones | Internal omnidirectional microphone | – |
| In the box | Mac OS 8.1, AC adapter and regional cables/adapters. AppleCare article 30895 retrospectively confirms September 1998 release; revised service manual introduces M7229 12.1-inch TFT on 1 October. October brochure lists both CD-ROM and DVD-ROM 300 MHz choices; optical-drive variants share the same CPU/RAM/disk configuration below | Mac OS 8.1 and a 45 W adapter. Apple Canada said the 12.1- and 13.3-inch versions began shipping on 7 May 1998; the 14.1-inch version was planned for early June. The listed CPU, screen, RAM and disk pairings are four regional launch configurations recorded at Apple's May 1998 Japan announcement. |
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