Editing PowerPC G4 (section)

{{Short description|Apple-branded microprocessor}}
{{POWER, PowerPC, and Power ISA}}
'''PowerPC G4''' is a designation formerly used by [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] to describe a ''fourth generation'' of 32-bit [[PowerPC]] [[microprocessor]]s. Apple has applied this name to various (though closely related) processor models from [[Freescale Semiconductor|Freescale]], a former part of [[Motorola]]. Motorola and Freescale's internal name of this family of processors is '''PowerPC 74xx'''.

[[Macintosh]] computers such as the [[PowerBook G4]] and [[iBook|iBook G4]] laptops and the [[Power Mac G4]] and [[Power Mac G4 Cube]] desktops all took their name from the processor. PowerPC G4 microprocessors were also used in the [[eMac]], first-generation [[Xserve]]s, first-generation [[Mac Mini]]s, and the [[iMac G4]] before the introduction of the [[PowerPC 970]].

Apple completely phased out the G4 series for desktop models after it selected the 64-bit IBM-produced PowerPC 970 processor as the basis for its [[PowerPC G5]] series. The last desktop model that used the G4 was the Mac Mini. The last portable to use the G4 was the [[iBook]] G4, which was replaced by the Intel-based [[MacBook]]. The PowerBook G4 was replaced by the Intel-based [[MacBook Pro]].

The PowerPC G4 microprocessors were also popular in other computer systems, such as the [[AmigaOne]] series of computers and the [[Pegasos]] from [[Genesi]]. Besides desktop computers the PowerPC G4 was popular in embedded environments, like routers, telecom switches, imaging, media processing, avionics and military applications, where one can take full advantage of the [[AltiVec]] technology and its [[Symmetric multiprocessing|SMP]] capabilities.