Collection › PowerBook G4 (Original – Titanium), 2001

D024 · Apple Heritage Museum · Lugano

PowerBook G4 (Original – Titanium), 2001

2001 · iPod era PowerBook G3/G4

Introduced

2001

Original price

$ 2599

Processor

PowerPC 7410 (G4) with AltiVec Velocity Engine

Original OS

Mac OS 9.1 (Mac OS 9.1/10.0.3 on later shipments)

Max OS

Latest release of Mac OS X

Colors

Titanium

1976

1984

1998

2001

2007

2020

2026

Pre-Mac

Mac era

iMac era

iPod era

iPhone era

Silicon

Processor

ProcessorPowerPC 7410 (G4) with AltiVec Velocity Engine

Speed400 MHz or 500 MHz

Cache64k L1, 1 MB backside (2:1) L2

System bus100 MHz

Memory & graphics

Standard RAM128 MB (400 MHz) / 256 MB (500 MHz) PC100 SDRAM

Max RAM1.0 GB

RAM typePC100 3.3V 144-pin SO-DIMM (10 ns)

Memory slots2

GPUATI Rage Mobility 128 (2X AGP)

VRAM8 MB SDRAM

Display15.2" active matrix TFT

Resolutions1152x768 (native); 896x600, 720x480, 640x480 (3:2); 1024x768, 800x600, 640x480 (4:3)

Display connectionVGA (Max 24-bit 1280x960 non-mirror), S-Video

Video outVGA, S-Video

Storage

Storage10 GB (400 MHz) / 20 GB (500 MHz) Ultra ATA/66 hard drive

InterfaceUltra ATA/66 (ATA-5)

BaysNone

Connectivity

USB2 - 12 Mbps

FireWireFireWire 400

EthernetGigabit Ethernet

Wi-FiOptional AirPort Card

BluetoothNone

Modem56k

InfraredIrDA port

Software

Original OSMac OS 9.1 (Mac OS 9.1/10.0.3 on later shipments)

Max OSLatest release of Mac OS X

KeyboardFull-size (12 function, 4 arrow, embedded keypad)

Included peripheralsPower Adapter

Power

Weight5.3 lbs.

Dimensions1" H x 13.4" W x 9.5" D

Battery50Wh Lithium Ion

Expansion slotsSingle Type I or II PC Card (CardBus compliant)

Identifiers

Model IDPowerBook3,2

Model N°M5884

Order N°M7952LL/A (400 MHz) / M7710LL/A (500 MHz)

Lifecycle

Introduced2001

Discontinued2001

History

Announced in January 2001, the PowerBook G4 represented a radical change in Apple's PowerBook line. Based on a new low-power G4 chip, the PPC 7410, the PowerBook G4 featured an elegant new Titanium enclosure, just 1" thick—0.7" thinner than its predecessor, the PowerBook (FireWire). The size reduction came with a trade-off, however: the PB G4 featured a fixed 6x slot-loading DVD-ROM drive rather than a removable bay, and a single battery bay (previous models allowed the drive bay to be used as a second battery bay). The most innovative feature of the PowerBook G4 was its widescreen 15.2" display, which had a native resolution of 1152x768. This made the PB G4 wider than its predecessor, but more than an inch shallower in depth. The PowerBook G4 was marketed in two configurations. The 400 MHz model, with 128 MB of RAM and a 10 GB hard drive, cost $2,599 USD (a $100 USD increase in the entry-level model price), while the 500 MHz model, with 256 MB of RAM and a 20 GB hard drive, cost $3,499 USD. By mid-2001, these prices were reduced to $2,199 USD and $2,999 USD, respectively.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G4 · Wikipedia

Trivia

• The PowerBook G4 from 2001 had a thickness of just 2.5 centimeters, making it a true masterpiece of miniaturization for its time, thanks to the revolutionary low-power G4 chip. • The 15.2-inch widescreen screen with 1152x768 resolution was an innovative feature that anticipated the trend toward panoramic displays, although it forced the laptop to be slightly wider than the previous model. • The titanium design represented an important stylistic leap in the PowerBook line, although it involved technological compromises such as the elimination of the removable housing for the DVD drive and the reduction of available battery compartments.

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