Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD) | ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2005 | October 2005 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 15.2″ | 17″ |
| Resolution | 1440 × 960 | 1680 × 1050 (better) |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | 15.2-inch TFT widescreen, 1440 × 960; panel technology and refresh unpublished. | 17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology, absolute brightness and refresh rate unpublished on maker sheet |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 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch Late 2005) | PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Late 2005) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR) | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR) |
| Memory | 512 MB or 2 GB | 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB |
| Storage | 80 GB to 120 GB | 100 GB to 120 GB |
| CPU | 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 with 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz system bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted. | 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 | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128 MB DDR and dual-link DVI standard | ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with AGP 4× support, 128 MB DDR video memory and dual-link DVI |
| Memory type | 512 MB PC2-4200 DDR2 running at 333 MHz; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 2 GB. | 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 | 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. | 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 5.5 hours | Up to 5.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | – | 58 Wh |
| Weight | – | 3.1 kg |
| Thickness | – | 26 mm |
| Width × depth | – | 392 × 259 mm |
| Battery life detail | 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. | 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 | Power adapter included; wattage not established for this exact generation in the read family sheet. | 65 W power adapter with cable management system |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure | Aluminium enclosure |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b | AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b |
| Bluetooth | 2.0 + EDR | 2.0 + EDR |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | 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. | 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-link DVI supports 30-inch Cinema HD display; DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters included. | 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 illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor | 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 | Two-finger scrolling/panning, tap, double-tap and drag support | Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap, drag and scrolling support |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Two built-in stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Internal omnidirectional microphone | Internal omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | 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. | 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 |
More comparisons
- Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.67/1.5GHz) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (Original 2001)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.5/1.33GHz) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch FW800) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.67GHz)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (12-inch, 1.5GHz) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (12-inch, 1.33GHz) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, 1.5GHz)
- Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.67/1.5GHz) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)

