Apple PowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet, 1998) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)

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PowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet, 1998) compared with PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)

	ApplePowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet, 1998)	ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
Overview
Released
Released	May 1998	October 2005
Display
Screen size
Screen size	12.1″	17″
Resolution
Resolution	800 × 600 or 1024 × 768	1680 × 1050 (better)
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
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with 51 mm for the smaller versions.	17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology, absolute brightness and refresh rate unpublished on maker sheet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
Performance
Processor
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 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Late 2005)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1	1
Graphics
Graphics	–	ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory
Memory	32 MB or 64 MB	512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	2 GB to 8 GB	100 GB to 120 GB (better)
CPU
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.	1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, 512 KB on-chip L2 SRAM and 167 MHz system bus; exact silicon supplier/process omitted
GPU
GPU	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 AGP 4× support, 128 MB DDR video memory and dual-link DVI
Memory type
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.	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	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.	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 3.5 hours	Up to 5.5 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	49 Wh	58 Wh (better)
Weight
Weight	3.45 kg	3.1 kg (better)
Thickness
Thickness	51 mm	26 mm (better)
Width × depth
Width × depth	323 × 265 mm	392 × 259 mm
Battery life detail
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.	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	–	65 W power adapter with cable management system
Materials
Materials	–	Aluminium enclosure
Connections
Ports
Ports	Ethernet, headphone jack	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	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 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	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.	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	Full-size keyboard with an embedded numeric keypad and inverted-T arrow keys.	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	Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap and drag support.	Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap, drag and scrolling support
Speakers
Speakers	–	Two built-in stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	–	Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the box
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.	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