Apple PowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet, 1998) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.5/1.33GHz)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet, 1998) | ApplePowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.5/1.33GHz) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | May 1998 | April 2004 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 12.1″ | 15.2″ |
| Resolution | 800 × 600 or 1024 × 768 | 1280 × 854 (better) |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | 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. | 15.2-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished. |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | 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) | PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004) or PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | – | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR) or ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR) |
| Memory | 32 MB or 64 MB | 256 MB, 512 MB or 2 GB (better) |
| Storage | 2 GB to 8 GB | 60 GB to 80 GB (better) |
| CPU | 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. | 1.33 or 1.5 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz system bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted. |
| GPU | ATI 3D RAGE LT graphics with 2 MB or 4 MB SGRAM video memory, depending on configuration; built-in 2D and 3D acceleration. | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64 MB DDR; 128 MB build-to-order option restricted to 1.5 GHz configurations. |
| Memory type | 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. | PC2700 DDR333: 256 MB standard on 1.33 GHz, 512 MB on 1.5 GHz; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 2 GB. |
| Storage type | 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. | 1.33 GHz base: 60 GB 4200 rpm, with 80 GB 5400 rpm build-to-order option. 1.5 GHz base: 80 GB 4200 rpm, with 80 GB 5400 rpm alternative. Combo drive or 4× DVD-R SuperDrive; drive-speed variants retained here rather than duplicate capacity rows. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 3.5 hours | Up to 4.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 49 Wh | 50 Wh (better) |
| Weight | 3.45 kg | 2.6 kg (better) |
| Thickness | 51 mm | – |
| Width × depth | 323 × 265 mm | – |
| Battery life detail | 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. | 50 Wh lithium-ion, up to 4.5 hours. Maker reference 2.6 kg includes battery and optical drive; varies by configuration/manufacturing. Published dimensions: height 2.8 cm, width 34.8 cm, depth 24.1 cm. |
| Charger | – | 65 W power adapter |
| Materials | – | Aluminium enclosure |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | Ethernet, headphone jack | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | – | AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b |
| Bluetooth | – | 1.1 |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | 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. | Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, Type I/II PC Card slot, DVI, S-video, audio input and headphone output. |
| External displays | 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. | Dual display/mirroring; external resolution up to 2048 × 1536. DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters included; ADC adapter separate. |
| Keyboard | Full-size keyboard with an embedded numeric keypad and inverted-T arrow keys. | Full-size keyboard; ambient-sensor backlight standard on 1.5 GHz and optional on 1.33 GHz. |
| Trackpad | Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap and drag support. | Tap, double-tap and drag support |
| Speakers | – | Stereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speaker |
| Microphones | – | Internal omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | 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. | Apple UK confirms immediate availability on 19 April 2004; Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife ’04 supplied. |
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