Apple PowerBook G4 12-inch (Early 2003) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

PowerBook G4 12-inch (Early 2003) compared with PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
ApplePowerBook G4 12-inch (Early 2003)ApplePowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
Overview
Released2003October 2005
Display
Screen size12.1″15.2″
Resolution1024 × 7681440 × 960 (better)
TouchscreenNoNo
Display type12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display. Exact panel technology, brightness and refresh unpublished.15.2-inch TFT widescreen, 1440 × 960; panel technology and refresh unpublished.
Performance
ProcessorPowerPC G4 867 MHz (PowerBook 12-inch Early 2003)PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch Late 2005)
CPU cores11
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go (32 MB DDR)ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory256 MB or 640 MB512 MB or 2 GB (better)
Storage40 GB80 GB to 120 GB (better)
CPU867 MHz PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, 256 KB L2 cache and 133 MHz system bus. Exact supplier/SKU not inferred.1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 with 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz system bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted.
GPUNVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go, AGP 4 × and 32 MB DDR video memory.ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128 MB DDR and dual-link DVI standard
Memory type256 MB PC2100 DDR266 stock: 128 MB onboard plus 128 MB SO-DIMM. Maker-supported maximum 640 MB retained; third-party 1152 MB maximum in EveryMac is not a maker configuration.512 MB PC2-4200 DDR2 running at 333 MHz; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 2 GB.
Storage type40 GB 4200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive. Combo reads DVD 8 ×, writes CD-R 24 × and CD-RW 10 ×; optional SuperDrive writes DVD-R 1 ×, CD-R 8 × and CD-RW 4 ×. No unlisted drive capacity combinations.80 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 standard with Sudden Motion Sensor. Build-to-order: 100 GB 5400 or 7200 rpm, or 120 GB 5400 rpm. 8× SuperDrive with 2.4× double-layer DVD+R support; optional Combo drive. Speed/optical alternatives retained here rather than duplicate capacity rows.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 5 hoursUp to 5.5 hours
Battery capacity47 Wh–
Weight2.1 kg–
Thickness30 mm–
Width × depth277 × 219 mm–
Battery life detail47 Wh, up to five hours maker claim. Published 2.1 kg includes battery and optical drive and varies by configuration/manufacturing process; closed metric dimensions 27.7 × 21.9 × 3.0 cm.Up to 5.5 hours, dependent on configuration and use. Retained maker family sheet publishes 15-inch reference weight 5.6 pounds, footprint 13.7 × 9.5 inches and thickness 1.1 inches; no calculated metric main values. Its detailed 58 Wh battery section is explicitly 17-inch and is not borrowed.
Charger–Power adapter included; wattage not established for this exact generation in the read family sheet.
MaterialsAluminium alloy enclosureAluminium enclosure
Connections
Ports2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-FiOptional AirPort Extreme 802.11b/gAirPort Extreme 802.11g/b
Bluetooth1.12.0 + EDR
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailTwo 12 Mbps USB 1.1 ports, one FireWire 400, 10/100 Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, audio line in and headphone output. Mini-VGA supports included VGA and S-video/composite adapters. No PC Card slot.Two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, DVI, S-video and Type I/II PC Card slot. Combined analogue/optical digital input and output.
External displaysDual display or mirroring; external display up to 1600 × 1200 at millions of colours.Dual-link DVI supports 30-inch Cinema HD display; DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters included.
KeyboardFull-size keyboard, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, embedded numeric keypad.Full-size illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor
Trackpad–Two-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support
SpeakersStereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speakerStereo speakers
MicrophonesInternal omnidirectional microphoneInternal omnidirectional microphone
In the boxApple Video Adapter, VGA adapter, modem cable, 45 W power adapter, plug and cord. January 7 maker launch promised later-January availability; full production review on February 3 confirms subsequent availability but exact first sale month is unestablished, so year retained.Apple UK confirms immediate availability on 19 October 2005. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and iLife ’05 supplied. The retained sheet’s configuration table covers all sizes but its detailed specification section describes the 17-inch; only the 15-inch table and explicit build-to-order fields are used here.

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