Editing PowerBook G4 (section)

{{Short description|Series of notebook computers created by Apple Computer}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = PowerBook G4
| developer = [[Apple Computer]]
| type = [[Laptop]]
| photo = PowerBook redjar.jpg
| caption = An aluminum PowerBook G4 with a 15.2-inch screen
| release date = January 9, 2001
| discontinued = May 16, 2006
| processor = [[PowerPC G4]], 400&nbsp;MHz–1.67&nbsp;GHz
| predecessor = [[PowerBook G3]]<br/>[[PowerBook 2400c]]
| successor = [[MacBook Pro (Intel-based)]]
}}
The '''PowerBook G4''' is a series of [[notebook computers]] manufactured, marketed, and sold by [[Apple Computer]] between 2001 and 2006 as part of its [[PowerBook]] line of notebooks. The PowerBook G4 runs on the [[Reduced instruction set computing|RISC]]-based [[PowerPC G4]] [[central processing unit|processor]], designed by the AIM ([[Apple Inc.|Apple]]/[[IBM]]/[[Motorola]]) development alliance and initially produced by [[Motorola]]. It was built later by [[Freescale]], after Motorola spun off its [[semiconductor]] business under that name in 2004. The PowerBook G4 has had two different designs: one with a [[titanium]] body with a translucent black keyboard and a 15-inch screen; and another in an [[aluminum]] body with an aluminum-colored keyboard, in 12-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch sizes.

Between 2001 and 2003, Apple produced the titanium PowerBook G4; between 2003 and 2006, the aluminum models were produced. Both models were hailed for their modern design, long battery life, and processing power. When the aluminum PowerBook G4s were first released in January 2003, 12-inch and 17-inch models were introduced first, while the 15-inch model retained the titanium body until September 2003, when a new aluminum 15-inch PowerBook was released. The aluminum 15-inch model also includes a [[FireWire 800]] port, which had been included with the 17-inch model since its debut nine months earlier.

The PowerBook G4 is the last revision of the PowerBook series, and was succeeded by the Intel-powered [[MacBook Pro]] line in the first half of 2006. The last version of macOS that most PowerBook G4 computers can run is [[Mac OS X Leopard]], which was released in 2007.<ref name="applepr">{{Cite press release |title=Apple Previews Mac OS X Snow Leopard to Developers |date=June 9, 2008 |publisher=Apple Inc. |url=https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/06/09snowleopard.html |access-date=June 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225222101/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/06/09Apple-Previews-Mac-OS-X-Snow-Leopard-to-Developers.html |archive-date=February 25, 2012 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> When [[Mac transition to Intel processors|Apple switched to Intel x86 processors in 2006]], some design features of the PowerBook G4's form and aluminum chassis were retained for the MacBook Pro.