iBook G3 700 Mhz Vs. pBook G4 500 Mhz

[steveolio]

how would my iBook G3 700 Mhz compare to a powerBook G4 500 Mhz?

 

[blackfox]

not sure in what ways you mean...but assuming you meant vs a Tibook g4 500, it would be approx.this:
1)CPU-the iBook would seem faster on all but the most altivec-enhanced programs(if that)...
2)RAM-the PB would have more space (1G vs 640) 640 is fine for most users though...
3) SYS BUS-a little fuzzy on this, but the PB is 100mhz(i think) the iBook is the same or possibly 133mhz...not huge difference
4)GPU-the graphics card in the PB is either a 8MB or 16MB ATI, the ibook possibly the 32MB card(not sure how old the 700 iBook is)
5)OPTICAL DR. -not sure they had introduced superdrives for the PB at its' release, probably dvd-rom or possibly combo...ibook would have a combo drive, somewhat faster...
6)HD PB would be smaller, but replaceable-otherwise same as iBook
7)SCREEN PB has larger screen, but before they upgraded resolution w/next rev. (550 and 667) not much if any better than iBook...matter of tastes...
8) AESTHETICS...assuming good condition, taste between sleek PB and more rugged(yet still attractive) iBook...subjective.
9) PORTS I/O about the same...
If you were talking about another machine , these can be general guides as what to compare...sorry it was not more definitive, too lazy to check stats...

 

[ibookin']

Originally posted by blackfox
not sure in what ways you mean...but assuming you meant vs a Tibook g4 500, it would be approx.this:
1)CPU-the iBook would seem faster on all but the most altivec-enhanced programs(if that)...

Yes, but on Altivec-enhanced applications the PowerBook will be faster. It breaks down to what you're going to do with the machine.

Originally posted by blackfox
3) SYS BUS-a little fuzzy on this, but the PB is 100mhz(i think) the iBook is the same or possibly 133mhz...not huge difference

They both have 100MHz busses.

Originally posted by blackfox
4)GPU-the graphics card in the PB is either a 8MB or 16MB ATI, the ibook possibly the 32MB card(not sure how old the 700 iBook is)

The PowerBook has an 8MB ATI Rage 128, whereas the iBook has a 16MB ATI Mobility Radeon. The major difference between these running OS X is that the Radeon will be able to use Quartz Extreme, which significantly improves UI performance.

Originally posted by blackfox
5)OPTICAL DR. -not sure they had introduced superdrives for the PB at its' release, probably dvd-rom or possibly combo...ibook would have a combo drive, somewhat faster...

The PowerBook has a DVD Drive, and the iBook can either have a Combo or a CD-ROM drive. The iBooks drive should be faster at reading DVDs than the PowerBooks.

Originally posted by blackfox
6)HD PB would be smaller, but replaceable-otherwise same as iBook

I believe they both came with 20GB hard drives originally. Note that it is much easier to upgrade the hard drive in the PowerBook than it is in the iBook.

Originally posted by blackfox
8) AESTHETICS...assuming good condition, taste between sleek PB and more rugged(yet still attractive) iBook...subjective.

I'd like to add here that both machines probably have faults in the aesthetic condition. The PowerBooks are prone to paint chipping, and the iBooks are prone to scratches. Take your pick...

Originally posted by blackfox
9) PORTS I/O about the same...

Other than the PCMCIA slot and audio-in on the PowerBook, yes they are the same (Modem, 10/100 Ethernet, Firewire 400, 2 USB 1.1, VGA, composite and S-Video). The PowerBook does not require adapters for the VGA, S-Video, and composite outputs, but the iBook does.

 

[adamjay]

Originally posted by ibookin'
I'd like to add here that both machines probably have faults in the aesthetic condition. The PowerBooks are prone to paint chipping, and the iBooks are prone to scratches. Take your pick...

both have screen issues too.. the backlight in the G3 700mhz iBook goes dim after a while... and the G4 PB's have extreme hinge failure (loss of tension and cracking) plus lines have been known to develop on the screen (the cheapest fix is a new $450 screen).

dunno what your budget is , but cdw.com has 800mhz G3 iBooks brand new for $700. CDrom/30gb, and they are brand new with 1 year warranty.