PowerBook G4

Essentials

Family: PowerBook G3/G4

Codename: Mercury

Gestalt ID: 406

Minimum OS: 9.1

Maximum OS: 10.4.11

Introduced: January 2001

Terminated: October 2001

Processor

CPU: PowerPC 7410 "G4"

CPU Speed: 400/500 MHz

FPU: integrated

Bus Speed: 100 MHz

Data Bus Width: 64-bit

Address Bus Width: 32-bit

Level 1 Cache: 32 kB data, 32 kB instruction

Level 2 Cache: 1 MB backside, 2:1

ROM: 1 MB ROM + 3 MB toolbox ROM loaded into RAM

RAM Type: PC100 SO-DIMM

Minimum RAM Speed: 100 MHz

Onboard RAM: 0 MB

RAM slots: 2

Maximum RAM: 1 GB

Expansion Slots: 1 PC Card (Type I or II)

Video

Screen: 15.2" active matrix TFT

Monitor: 24 bit 1152x768

GPU: ATI RAGE 128 Mobility 2x AGP

VRAM: 8 MB

Video Out: VGA, S-Video

Storage

Hard Drive: 10/20 GB (30 GB BTO)

ATA Bus: ATA-66

Optical Drive: 6X DVD-ROM

Input/Output

USB: 2

Firewire: 1

Audio Out: 16 bit stereo mini

Speaker: stereo

Microphone: mono

Networking

Modem: 56 kbps

Ethernet: 10/100BaseT

Wi-Fi: optional 802.11b

Miscellaneous

Power: 50 Watts

Dimensions: 1" H x 13.4" W x 9.5" D

Weight: 5.3 lbs.

Announced in January 2001, the PowerBook G4 was a dramatic change to Apple's PowerBook line. Based on a new low-power G4 chip, the PPC 7410, the PowerBook G4 sported a stylish new Titanium enclosure, which was only 1" thick, .7" thinner than its predecessor, the PowerBook G3 (FireWire). The reduction in size came at a price, however: the PB G4 had a fixed, 6x slot-load DVD-ROM drive instead of a removable drive bay, and a single battery bay (previous models allowed the use of the drive bay as a second battery bay).

The most innovative feature of the PowerBook G4, was its wide-aspect 15.2" screen, which had a native resolution of 1152x768. This made the PB G4 wider than its predecessor, but it was over an inch less deep.

The PowerBook G4 shipped in two configurations. The 400 MHz model, with 128 MB of RAM and a 10 GB hard drive was $2,599 (a $100 increase in the low-end model price), and the 500 MHz model, with 256 MB of RAM and a 20 GB hard drive was $3,499. In mid-2001, These prices were reduced to $2,199 and $2,999, respectively.

Picture Credits:
John Greenleigh/Flipside Studios
Apple, Inc.