Apple PowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) vs Apple PowerBook G4 (Original 2001)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) | ApplePowerBook G4 (Original 2001) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2001 | January 2001 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 15.2″ | 15.2″ |
| Resolution | 1152 × 768 | 1152 × 768 |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | 15.2-inch TFT widescreen. Native 1152 × 768 resolution from exact-model EveryMac specification; panel technology, brightness and refresh unpublished. | 15.2-inch TFT widescreen active-matrix display. Exact panel technology, brightness and built-in refresh unpublished. |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC G4 550 MHz (PowerBook Gigabit Ethernet) or PowerPC G4 667 MHz (PowerBook Gigabit Ethernet) | PowerPC G4 400 MHz (PowerBook Original 2001) or PowerPC G4 500 MHz (PowerBook Original 2001) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon (16 MB DDR) | ATI Rage Mobility 128 (8 MB SDRAM) |
| Memory | 128 MB, 256 MB or 1 GB | 128 MB, 256 MB or 1 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB to 48 GB (better) | 10 GB to 30 GB |
| CPU | 550 or 667 MHz PowerPC G4, 256 KB on-chip L2. Maker launch release specifies 100 MHz system bus at 550 MHz and 133 MHz at 667 MHz; retained support table gives a generic 100 MHz figure, so the configuration-specific launch figures take precedence. Exact silicon supplier omitted. | 400 or 500 MHz PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine; 1 MB backside L2 cache on 200 or 250 MHz dedicated 64-bit cache bus, 100 MHz system bus, 64 KB L1 (32 KB data/32 KB instruction). Exact supplier/SKU omitted. |
| GPU | ATI Mobility Radeon, 16 MB DDR video memory and AGP 4 ×. | ATI Rage Mobility 128 with 8 MB SDRAM and AGP 2 ×. |
| Memory type | Two PC133 SO-DIMM slots, maximum 1 GB. Launch base memory 128 MB at 550 MHz and 256 MB at 667 MHz; limited launch promotion doubled these to 256 and 512 MB. Configurations retain base and maximum memory; temporary promotion described here. | 128 MB stock at 400 MHz or 256 MB at 500 MHz; two PC100 SO-DIMM slots support up to 1 GB. |
| Storage type | 20 GB at 550 MHz or 30 GB at 667 MHz; 48 GB build-to-order option. Launch slot-loading DVD-ROM or optional CD-RW. Combo DVD/CD-RW became standard on 17 December 2001, corroborated by fully read Bare Feats and EveryMac; later drive and memory changes are described without inventing a new model. | 400 MHz stock 10 GB, 500 MHz stock 20 GB Ultra ATA/66. Maker-listed 30 GB build-to-order option retained for both with published RAM maxima; no intermediate capacities invented. Slot-loading DVD-ROM reads DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-RAM and CD-ROM. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 5 hours | Up to 5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 50 Wh | 50 Wh |
| Weight | – | 2.4 kg |
| Thickness | – | 26 mm |
| Width × depth | – | 341 × 241 mm |
| Battery life detail | 50 Wh lithium-ion, up to five hours maker claim. Maker publishes 5.3 lb and closed dimensions 1 × 13.4 × 9.5 inches. Metric main fields omitted rather than calculated; exact-model EveryMac provides metric figures but has inconsistent inch/cm thickness entries. | 50 Wh lithium-ion; up to five hours maker claim. Published 2.4 kg includes battery and varies by configuration/manufacturing process. Metric dimensions 34.1 × 24.1 × 2.6 cm are from the exact Apple technical sheet preserved by SavageTaylor, not calculated from inches. |
| Materials | Titanium enclosure | Titanium enclosure |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | AirPort 802.11b; optional at 550 MHz, installed at 667 MHz | Optional AirPort 802.11b |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | Two USB ports, one FireWire 400, Gigabit Ethernet, modem, infrared, Type I/II PC Card slot, VGA and S-video output, stereo output. No audio input jack. | Two 12 Mbps USB ports, one 400 Mbps FireWire port, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.90 modem, 4 Mbps IrDA, one Type I/II PC Card/CardBus slot with ZoomVideo support, VGA, S-video and stereo output; no microphone input jack. |
| External displays | – | VGA 24-bit video output and S-video, with S-video-to-composite adapter. 8 MB video memory supports millions of colours on external monitors up to 21 inches (preserved exact maker sheet). |
| Keyboard | – | 77 US or 78 ISO keys; 12 function keys, four arrows and embedded numeric keypad. |
| Trackpad | – | Tap, double-tap and drag support |
| Speakers | – | Two built-in stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Internal microphone | Internal omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | Mac OS X 10.1 and Mac OS 9.2.1. Maker states immediate availability on 16 October 2001. | Power adapter, DVD software, iMovie 2 and iTunes. Maker promised January availability; LowEndMac reported actual retail collection on 31 January 2001. First sale day unestablished, so month retained. |
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