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PowerBook G4 (15-inch Aluminum)
The titanium PowerBook switched to a tougher aluminum shell.
Overview
Introduced in September 2003, the 15-inch PowerBook G4 followed the lines of the 12 and 17-inch aluminum models. The new body was sturdier than the titanium version and carried a 1280 by 854 display, a slot-loading optical drive and a choice between NVIDIA and ATI graphics.
It offered FireWire 800, USB 2.0, Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme built in, and later revisions added the scrolling trackpad and a motion sensor for hard-drive protection. The final 2005 model reached 1.67 GHz with a higher resolution screen.
With the switch to Intel chips in 2006 the machine was replaced by the MacBook Pro, which kept the same size and familiar styling.
Why it mattered
The workhorse pro laptop of the late PowerPC years, and the design ancestor of the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 16, 2003
- Released
- September 16, 2003
- Discontinued
- October 19, 2005
- Launch price
- Not available
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC G4 (7455), 1 GHz to 1.67 GHz
- Display
- 15.2"
- Storage
- 60 GB to 120 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Aluminum case
- G4 from 1 GHz to 1.67 GHz
- FireWire 800 and USB 2.0
- Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth
- Backlit keyboard
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 15.2-inch
- Type
- Active-matrix color TFT
- Resolution
- 1280 x 854
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC G4 (7455), 1 GHz to 1.67 GHz
Memory
- RAM
- 256 MB to 512 MB, expandable to 2 GB
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- AirPort Extreme (802.11g)
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS X 10.2.7
