You can never have too many pixels. As the 15″ PowerBook moved to a 1440 x 960 display – the same resolution as all previous 17″ PowerBooks – the 17-incher received a high resolution 1680 x 1050 screen.

Standard is a dual-layer 8x SuperDrive, although those who choose to can special order the 17″ ‘Book with a Combo drive. The standard 120 GB hard drive spins at 5400 rpm, and a 100 GB 7200 rpm drive is a build-to-order option. The Late 2005 model runs at the same 1.67 GHz speed as its predecessor, although its use of DDR2 memory will probably improve performance.

Bluetooth 2.0 (up to 3x faster than the old standard) and AirPort Extreme are standard features.

Battery life is rated at 5.5 hours, an improvement of one hour over earlier models, and the price is US$200 less than the January 2005 model.

Closed Lid Mode: G4 PowerBooks support “lid closed” (or clamshell) mode, which leaves the built-in display off and dedicates all video RAM to an external display. To used closed lid mode, your ‘Book must be plugged into the AC adapter and connected to an external display and a USB or Bluetooth mouse and keyboard (you might also want to consider external speakers). Power up your ‘Book until the desktop appears on the external display and then close the lid. Your ‘Book will go to sleep, but you can wake it by moving the mouse or using the keyboard. The built-in display will remain off, and the external monitor will become your only display. Since all video RAM is now dedicated to the external monitor, you may have more colors available at higher resolutions. The PowerBook is designed to run safely in closed lid mode, but if yours runs hot (perhaps due to overclocking or high ambient temperatures), you may want to open the lid when in closed lid mode: The screen will remain off and the computer will more readily vent heat from the CPU.

To resume use of the internal display, you need to disconnect the external display, put the computer to sleep, and then open the lid. This will wake up your ‘Book and restore use of the built-in display.

• Got a G4 PowerBook or iBook? Join our G4 ‘Books Group or PowerBooks and iBooks Forum.
• Got a PowerBook G4? Join the Titanium G4 email list.
• Our Mac OS 9 Group is for those using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
• Our Tiger Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.4.
• Our Leopard Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6.

Details

• introduced 2005.10.19 at US$2,499
• model number: M9970
• requires Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard
• CPU: 1.67 GHz G4 (7457B)
• Bus: 167 MHz
• Performance:
  • Geekbench 2 (Tiger): 899
• ROM: 4 MB, NewWorld ROM in RAM architecture
• RAM: 512 MB, expandable to 2 GB using 533 MHz PC2-4200 DDR2 RAM
• Level 2 cache: 512 KB at CPU speed
• Video: ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 AGP 4x
• VRAM: 128 MB
• Video out: S-video and DVI (VGA with included Apple VGA Display Adapter)
• display: 17″ 24-bit 1680 x 1050 117 ppi color active matrix
  • Supports 1440 x 852, 1280 x 1024, 1280 x 800, 1152 x 720, 1024 x 768, 1024 x 640, 800 x 500, 720 x 480, and 640 x 480 at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1280 x 1024, 1024 x 768, 800 x 600, and 640 x 480 at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 x 480 at 3:2 aspect ratio.
  • Supports up to 2560 x 1600 on external display. Allows mirroring to external display or extended desktop mode
• Hard drive: 120 GB 5400 rpm ATA/100
• optical drive: 8x dual-layer SuperDrive
  • SuperDrive writes DVD-R and DVD+R at up to 8x, DVD-RW and DVD+RW at 4x, reads DVDs at 8x, writes CD-R at 24x, writes CD-RW at 10x, reads CDs at 24x
• floppy drive: external USB only
• expansions bays: none
• USB: 2 USB 2.0 ports
• FireWire: 1 FW 400 port, 1 FW 800 port
• IR port: none
• Ethernet: 10/100/gigabit
• Modem: v.92 56k
• WiFi: 802.11g AirPort Extreme built in
• Bluetooth: BT 2.0 built in
• PC Cards: 1 slot, supports Type II cards only
• size: 10.2″ x 15.4″ x 1.0″ (259 x 392 x 26 mm)
• Weight: 6.9 pounds (3.1 kg)
• Part no.: M9970LL/A

Online Resources

• Low End Mac’s Compleat Guide to the 17″ PowerBook, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.06.10. The world’s first 17″ notebook had a spacious 1440 x 900 display, was just an inch thick, and ran at an impressive 1 GHz.
• Upgrade options for 15″ and 17″ aluminum PowerBooks, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.09.02. Memory, hard drive, optical drive, and flash card readers for 15-inch and 17-inch aluminum G4 PowerBooks.
• WiFi cards for PowerBooks with PC Card slots, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.08.12. PC Card and CardBus 802.11b and 802.11g cards known to be compatible with Apple’s PowerBooks.
• What’s the best Mac OS for your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
• What’s the Best Version of OS X for My Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 2008.02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
• WiFi CardBus adapters compatible with PowerBooks, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. CardBus hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
• WiFi PC Cards compatible with PowerBooks running OS X, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.11. PCMCIA/PC Card hardware and drivers compatible with PowerBooks running Mac OS X.
• A Used 17″ PowerBook as a Budget Notebook Alternative, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.12.02. Sure, you can buy a refurbished 13.3″ MacBook for under $900, but you could also have an expansive, feature laden 17″ PowerBook in the same price range.
• Handing Off My 17″ PowerBook G4, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.11.30. Over the weekend, Charles W Moore swapped his 17″ G4 PowerBook for a G4-upgraded Pismo – in many ways, a step forward.
• 5 best sub-$1,000 Mac notebooks for gamers, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 2009.09.25. Good Mac ‘Books for gaming start below $300 and cover the G3, G4, and Intel eras.
• The Future of Up-to-Date Browsers for PowerPC Macs, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.08.31. With Intel-only “Snow Leopard” shipping, software support for PPC Macs will continue its decline. Also, a look at SeaMonkey 2 and Camino 1.6.9.
• Gaming on an Aluminum PowerBook, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 2009.08.04. There are quite a few high-end games from the late PowerBook era that run quite well on the later, faster G4 PowerBooks.
• The Last PowerBooks Have Plenty of Life Left, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 2009.07.31. Introduced in 2005, these were the last PowerBooks before Apple went Intel, and they remain useful in the age of Leopard.
• Optimized Software Builds Bring Out the Best in Your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac’s Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Mac’s CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
• Low End Mac’s Safe Sleep FAQ, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.15. What is Safe Sleep mode? Which Macs support it? How can you enable or disable it? And more.
• The Safe Sleep Mailbag, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.06.15. Safe Sleep mode is enabled by default on modern MacBooks. How it works, and how to change how it works.
• Tips for Installing or Reinstalling Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Adam Rosen, Adam’s Apple, 2009.06.10. Mac OS X 10.4 uses less memory than Leopard, supports Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs, and, unlike Leopard, is supported on G3 Macs.
• MacBook White updated, DIY Mac tablet, danger of ‘Safe Sleep’, $350 80 GB SSD kit, and more, The ‘Book Review, 2009.05.29. Also Apple tablet ‘confirmed’, 3G and lower cost MacBook Air models rumored, 500 GB bus powered hard drive, Mini DisplayPort adapters, bargain ‘Books from $179 to $2,299, and more.
• Mac ‘Book Power Management Adventures, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.05.19. If your ‘Book won’t power up, shuts down while your working, or has other power issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear things up.
• Choosing My Next Low-end Desktop Mac, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2009.05.19. The recently deceased iBook G4 was going to take up desktop duty. Now the options are a G4 iMac, 17″ PowerBook, Power Mac G4, and Power Mac G5.
• Does Using Matched RAM Make Your Classic Mac OS Machine Faster or More Stable?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.28. Most Macs don’t need matched memory modules and seem to run just fine with mismatched brands and capacities, but matching modules may be a bit faster.
• Is Leopard Slower than Tiger on G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.17. Truth be told, when you have 1 GB of RAM, Leopard benchmarks an insigificant 4% slower than Tiger.
• Is It Worth Maxing the RAM in Old G3 and G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.04.15. Increasing memory can make your old Mac faster and make you more productive, but it probably won’t improve resale value by the amount you spend.
• Making the switch from a G4 PowerBook to a Unibody MacBook, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.03.17. The transition to an Intel-based Mac hasn’t been without its problems – slow dialup performance, incompatibility with Eudora, and no real gain in speed with standby apps.
• PowerPC Architecture Was Not a Failure, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.02.16. CNET’s Brooke Crothers calls PowerPC a failed architecture, but 12 years of PowerPC Macs, IBM’s blade servers, and three game consoles tell a different story.
• Camino pros and cons, notebook video reliability, overheating since 10.5.4, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.21. Also the joy of a ‘Big Al’ PowerBook, Unibody MacBook Pro a work of art, recycling an iMac for a cat, 64-bit PowerPC support, and password needed to install software.
• Do G4 Macs Have What It Takes to Remain Useful in a Multicore World?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2009.01.15. With dual-core Intel CPUs running beyond 2 GHz, is any G4 Mac a practical choice?
• 2 compact portable USB 2.0 hubs, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.01.12. Compact hubs from Targus and Proporta make a great complement to your notebook computer. Each accepts a third-party AC adapter to provide bus power.
• Heat management for ‘Books and the last Mac to run OS 9.1, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2009.01.08. Tips on keeping a first-gen MacBook Air from throttling back with CoolBook, using G4FanControl with a G4 PowerBook, and the fastest Mac that can boot Mac OS 9.1.
• Adventures with an overheating PowerBook, the 10.5.6 update, and other things, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.06. After three years of reliable service, the PowerBook began to run so hot that the fan was almost always on. What was causing the problem, and what would fix it?
• Notebooks and blackouts, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.12.23. When the power goes out, a notebook computer with long-lasting batteries lets you keep working for hours and hours.
• The ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’ Guide to Installing Mac OS X Updates, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
• Why You Should Partition Your Mac’s Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. “At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the ’emergency’ partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.”
• New iPods vs. old iTunes, some netbooks more flexible than MacBooks, iCab 4 uses WebKit, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.10. Also Linux is more resource hungry and less responsive than OS X, the value of a 17″ PowerBook, and looking forward to the diNovo Mac Edition.
• Will Snow Leopard Support Some PowerPC Macs?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.11.26. It just doesn’t make sense that Apple would ship a new OS that won’t support Macs sold less than three years ago.
• Leopard runs very nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That’s simply not the case.
• The future of PowerPC Macs and software as ‘Snow Leopard’ approaches, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.11.13. Apple phased out Classic Mode and G3 support with ‘Leopard’ last year, and next year’s OS X 10.6 won’t support any PowerPC Macs. Will other developers abandon PowerPC as well?
• Dell’s quad core workstation notebook shows where Apple’s 17″ MacBook Pro falls short, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.09.30. Inch thin notebooks have their place, but some users need more power and expansion options that current MacBooks simply cannot accommodate.
• 9 browsers for G3 and older G4 Macs compared, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.26. The latest versions of Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Radon, Firefox, Demeter, Sunrise, and Camino that run on Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger”.
• Bring back the Macintosh Portable, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.09.09. Not to fault today’s MacBooks, but there’s something to be said for a no compromise, very expandable, portable Macintosh as well.
• Does running OS X system maintenance routines really do any good?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.26. Mac OS X is designed to run certain maintenance routines daily, weekly, and monthly – but can’t if your Mac is off or asleep.
• TruePower AC adapter for iBooks and PowerBooks is rugged, reliable, and affordable, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.08.14. Apple’s track record with AC adapters is spotty, but the TruePower adapter is tough enough to survive being run over by a truck.
• Tricking out your notebook for superior desktop duty, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.07.29. For desktop use, you don’t need to be limited by the built-in trackpad, keyboard, and display or a notebook’s compromised ergonomics.
• The Compressed Air Keyboard Repair, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn’t working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
• Buying glasses online, iCab on G3 iMacs, USB adapter for WallStreet, long term support, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.16. Also whether a 1.67 GHz PowerBook is a sensible choice, midrange or top-end the best value, Opera can change the way you work on the Web, and more.
• Leopard best OS for G4 PowerBooks, support expectations from Apple, back to Opera, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.09. Leopard features worth a little performance compromise, depreciation and the best value Macs, voice dication software for PowerPC Macs, and more.
• Laptop a better bet than desktop, MacBook vs. Pro, problems with 17″ MacBook Pro screen, and more, The ‘Book Review, 2008.06.26. Also making AppleCare worthwhile, Toshiba takes on Apple in the ‘thin laptop’ war, 200 GB 7200 rpm drive for $99.75, bargain ‘Books from $150 to $2,749, and more.
• Snow Leopard and the Death of PowerPC Support, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 2008.06.23. It looks like Mac OS X 10.6 will only support Intel Macs – and possibly only 64-bit ones at that. Should G4 and G5 owners start looking at Linux?
• WiMax likely, Apple not green enough, next MacBook in Q3, Cool Feet for notebooks, and more, The ‘Book Review, 2008.05.23. Also LED backlighting in all MacBooks in 2009, cooling down hot laptops, OLPC plans second generation laptop, universal Apple notebook battery charger, slim external third-party SuperDrive, bargain ‘Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
• SheepShaver brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn’t support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
• The Complete and Utter Guide to PC Cards and Expansion Bays on the PowerBook, Insanely Great. All about the PCMCIA, PC Card, or CardBus slots used in various PowerBooks.
• $18 USB WiFi adapter, AirPort flaw in last gen iBook, SuperDrive failure in MacBook, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.02.26. Also DVD-RAM for MacBooks, the quietest MacBook, aluminum PowerBooks and Mac OS 9, and expansion slots in affordable Macs.
• Power your recycled laptop with a rebuilt battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Old notebook computers usually mean old batteries that may be dead or on their last legs. You can buy a replacement battery, or you can have your old battery rebuilt.
• Restore stability to a troubled Mac with a clean system install, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 2008.01.15. If your Mac is misbehaving, the best fix just might be a fresh reinstallation of Mac OS X – don’t forget to backup first.
• Weak AirPort Extreme, Open Firmware hack, deleting old Systems, and spacing problems in Pages, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.12.07. Fixing a weak signal in AirPort Extreme, thoughts on the Open Firmware Leopard install hack, when it’s safe to delete an old System, and line spacing issues in Pages.
• iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2007.12.07. Whether it’s an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it’s cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
• FastMac 8x SuperDrive and BurnAgain DVD: Fast and easy multisession disc burning, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.08. FastMac’s 8x SuperDrive upgrade is remarkably fast compared with older PowerBook burners, and BurnAgain DVD makes it easy to append files to a previously burned CD or DVD.
• Compact Flash faster than a hard drive, CF in a clamshell iBook, eSATA for PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.06.12. Faster boot times with a flash drive, replacing the hard drive in an iBook with Compact Flash, eBay feedback tips, eSATA CardBus options for PowerBooks, and the importance of G3 support in Mac OS X 10.5.
• Operation FlashBook: Running Tiger from flash on a PowerBook G4, John Muir, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.29. With the hard drive failing and Compact Flash prices falling, it was time to consider running the PowerBook G4 from flash. Looking back at 6 months, was it worth it?
• Silence is golden: Running your existing notebook using flash memory, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 2007.05.23. With a new adapter from Addonics, you can replace your laptop’s IDE hard drive inexpensively and boot silently from a Compact Flash card.
• 11 No Cost Tips for Optimizing Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Performance, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 2007.03.12. If your Mac is getting sluggish, here are 11 tips that can help restore its original performance.
• OS 10.4.8 making PowerBook run cooler?, Charles W. Moore, OS X Odyssey, Applelinks, 2006.10.24. “…I haven’t restarted, and the ‘Book is still running in the high 40°s – low 50°s most of the time. The fan has only activated sporadically while doing heavy multitasking.”
• Better laptop performance: What’s the best upgrade?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.10.09. Memory, CPU, bus speed, and hard drives all impact performance and battery life. Which upgrades will give you the most up time in the field?
• Region Free DVD Viewing Options for Intel and PowerPC Macs, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.09.12. Several hardware and software options that will let your view ‘wrong region’ DVDs on your PowerPC or Intel Mac.
• Inside your notebook’s battery: Ordinary AA Li-Ion cells, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.08. That expensive battery in your notebook computer probably holds less than $30 worth of off-the-shelf AA Li-Ion batteries.
• 7 tools for keeping your laptop (uh, notebook) cool, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.07.24. A quick look at the Podium CoolPad, ChillMat, ChillHubs, Laptop Desk, Xpad, iLap, and iBreeze – seven stands designed to keep you ‘Books running cooler.
• Macs take away Microsoft pain, Macs revive James Bond, iMac king of all media, iWoofer, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.06.16. Also Windows users guide to switching to the Mac, Bluetooth firmware update for PPC Macs, universal USB 2.0 drive adapter, waterproof case for video iPod, and more.
• Drive matters, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.06.14. There’s more to picking the right hard drive than size, spindle speed, buffer size, and price. But how can a 5400 rpm drive ever outperform a 7200 rpm drive?
• Upgraded PowerBook vs. new MacBook: Which makes more sense?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.06.12. Especially for serious gamers, the older PowerBooks with their graphics processors and dedicated memory run circles around the low-end Intel GMA 950 graphics of the MacBook.
• Power strategies for using your ‘Book in the field: Batteries and AC adapters, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.06.05. One or two extra batteries and at least one spare AC adapter can be essential when you’re traveling and need to get hours and hours of use from your ‘Book.
• End of G4 models points to unprecedented value for used G4 Macs, Leaman Crews, Plays Well with Others, 2006.06.02. The PowerPC G4 may no longer have a place in Apple’s product line, but that’s a far cry from saying G4-based Macs are obsolete. If anything, their value is going to increase.
• What’s the best ‘Book for my needs: MacBook, MacBook Pro, iBook, or PowerBook?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.05.25. You need to balance size, weight, price, power, and processor to find just the right ‘Book for your own needs.
• Picking the right laptop in 2006, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.05.23. You need to balance size, weight, price, power, and battery life to find just the right notebook computer for your own needs.
• The sun has set on the G4, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.05.23. After seven years with the G4, Apple has discontinued the last model to use it, but that doesn’t make these machines obsolete.
• The October 2005 PowerBook value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2005.10.18. One small tweak on the low-end and some big changes on the high-end, but how does value compare with discontinued models?
• Titanium G4 email list, The Macintosh Guy. Email list for PowerBook G4 users.
• PowerBook G4 (12-inch, 15-inch, 17-inch Double-Layer SD) – Technical Specifications, Apple

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