Apple PowerBook G4 12-inch (Early 2003) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePowerBook G4 12-inch (Early 2003) | ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | 2003 | October 2005 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 12.1″ | 17″ |
| Resolution | 1024 × 768 | 1680 × 1050 (better) |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | 12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display. Exact panel technology, brightness and refresh unpublished. | 17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology, absolute brightness and refresh rate unpublished on maker sheet |
| Display features | – | Millions of colours at native resolution; maker UK launch claims up to 46% brighter than preceding 17-inch model |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC G4 867 MHz (PowerBook 12-inch Early 2003) | PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Late 2005) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go (32 MB DDR) | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR) |
| Memory | 256 MB or 640 MB | 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB (better) |
| Storage | 40 GB | 100 GB to 120 GB (better) |
| CPU | 867 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 Velocity Engine, 512 KB on-chip L2 SRAM and 167 MHz system bus; exact silicon supplier/process omitted |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go, AGP 4 × and 32 MB DDR video memory. | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with AGP 4× support, 128 MB DDR video memory and dual-link DVI |
| Memory type | 256 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 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 | 40 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. | 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) | Up to 5 hours | Up to 5.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 47 Wh | 58 Wh (better) |
| Weight | 2.1 kg (better) | 3.1 kg |
| Thickness | 30 mm | 26 mm (better) |
| Width × depth | 277 × 219 mm | 392 × 259 mm |
| Battery life detail | 47 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. | 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 | – | 65 W power adapter with cable management system |
| Materials | Aluminium alloy enclosure | Aluminium enclosure |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | Optional AirPort Extreme 802.11b/g | AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b |
| Bluetooth | 1.1 | 2.0 + EDR |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | Two 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 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 | Dual display or mirroring; external display up to 1600 × 1200 at millions of colours. | 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 | Full-size keyboard, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, embedded numeric keypad. | 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 | – | Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap, drag and scrolling support |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speaker | Two built-in stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Internal omnidirectional microphone | Internal omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | Apple 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. | 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 |
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