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Apple PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.5/1.33GHz)

Apple · PowerBook

PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.5/1.33GHz)

Released April 2004

A 15-inch aluminium PowerBook with faster G4 processors, Radeon 9700 graphics and standard AirPort Extreme.

Model history · 6 models, 2001–2004
  1. 2001PowerBook G4 (Original 2001)Compare
  2. 2001PowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)Compare
  3. 2002PowerBook G4 (DVI)Compare
  4. 2002PowerBook G4 (1GHz/867MHz)Compare
  5. 2003PowerBook G4 (15-inch FW800)Compare
  6. 2004PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.5/1.33GHz)
Size
15.2″
Display
–
Processor
PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004) or PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)
Memory
256 MB – 2 GB
Weight
2.6 kg
Battery
4.5 h

What reviewers say

Reviews praise the keyboard, aluminium construction and quiet operation. Macworld finds only modest performance differences across the range. Notebookcheck finds useful viewing angles but a dim screen and a hot underside under load. Battery life and the size of the chassis remain travel compromises.

From macworld.com and notebookcheck.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Screen size
15.2″
Resolution
1280 × 854
Touchscreen
No
Display type
15.2-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology and refresh unpublished.

Performance

Processor
PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004) or PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)
CPU cores
1
Graphics
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR) or ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory
256 MB, 512 MB or 2 GB
Storage
60 GB to 80 GB
CPU
1.33 or 1.5 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 KB on-chip L2 and 167 MHz system bus. Exact silicon supplier omitted.
GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64 MB DDR; 128 MB build-to-order option restricted to 1.5 GHz configurations.
Memory type
PC2700 DDR333: 256 MB standard on 1.33 GHz, 512 MB on 1.5 GHz; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 2 GB.
Storage type
1.33 GHz base: 60 GB 4200 rpm, with 80 GB 5400 rpm build-to-order option. 1.5 GHz base: 80 GB 4200 rpm, with 80 GB 5400 rpm alternative. Combo drive or 4× DVD-R SuperDrive; drive-speed variants retained here rather than duplicate capacity rows.

Battery and size

Battery life (maker's claim)
Up to 4.5 hours
Battery capacity
50 Wh
Weight
2.6 kg
Battery life detail
50 Wh lithium-ion, up to 4.5 hours. Maker reference 2.6 kg includes battery and optical drive; varies by configuration/manufacturing. Published dimensions: height 2.8 cm, width 34.8 cm, depth 24.1 cm.
Charger
65 W power adapter
Materials
Aluminium enclosure

Connections

Ports
2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b
Bluetooth
1.1
Operating system
macOS
Port detail
Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, Type I/II PC Card slot, DVI, S-video, audio input and headphone output.
External displays
Dual display/mirroring; external resolution up to 2048 × 1536. DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters included; ADC adapter separate.
Keyboard
Full-size keyboard; ambient-sensor backlight standard on 1.5 GHz and optional on 1.33 GHz.
Trackpad
Tap, double-tap and drag support
Speakers
Stereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speaker
Microphones
Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the box
Apple UK confirms immediate availability on 19 April 2004; Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife ’04 supplied.

Configurations

ProcessorMemoryStorageGraphics
PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)256 MB60 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)2 GB60 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)256 MB80 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)2 GB80 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)512 MB80 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)512 MB80 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)2 GB80 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (64 MB DDR)
PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch 2004)2 GB80 GBATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)

Pros and cons

Pros

  • AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth included
  • FireWire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet
  • Optional 128 MB graphics on 1.5 GHz model

Cons

  • Reference weight 2.6 kg
  • Backlit keyboard optional on 1.33 GHz model
  • USB limited to 480 Mbps

Closest rivals

Model
SizeDisplayProcessorMemoryWeightBatteryReleased
ApplePowerBook G4 (15-inch, Double-Layer SD)
15.2″–PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch Late 2005)512 MB – 2 GB–5.5 hOct 2005
ApplePowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)
15.2″–PowerPC G4 550 MHz (PowerBook Gigabit Ethernet) or PowerPC G4 667 MHz (PowerBook Gigabit Ethernet)128 MB – 1 GB–5 hOct 2001
ApplePowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.67/1.5GHz)
15.2″–PowerPC G4 1.5 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch Early 2005) or PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 15-inch Early 2005)512 MB – 2 GB2.5 kg4.5 hFeb 2005

Previous model: PowerBook G4 (15-inch FW800). Newer model: PowerBook G4 (15-inch, 1.67/1.5GHz).

Sources

  1. support.apple.com/en-gb/112514
  2. apple.com/uk/newsroom/2004/04/19Apple-Introduces-New-PowerBook-G4-Line

Photo: Apple Support generic 15-inch aluminium PowerBook family asset; low-resolution front pose with later desktop artwork, not launch-specific.

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