PowerBook G4 Aluminum Series Repair

Released in 2003, the aluminum series of PowerBook G4 laptops featured an anodized aluminum body, silver keys, and new size options to match customer preference. On the initial launch, only the 12” and 17” models were available, but a refresh later in 2003 brought a model in the same 15” size of the previous titanium PowerBook G4. With this refresh, both the 15” and 17” model featured Apple’s new FireWire 800 connection, and all models were upgraded to USB 2.0.

The redesigned aluminum PowerBooks included Bluetooth 1.1 for the first time and integrated Wi-Fi on some models. Later revisions in 2004 and 2005 brought faster processors―up to 1.67 GHz in 2005—as well as better graphics and Bluetooth 2.0. All models featured an easily removable battery and upgradeable memory behind a door in the bottom case.

To identify a your laptop, look for the words “PowerBook G4“ written just below the screen. The older titanium series of PowerBooks has black keys while the aluminum series has silver keys. To find your exact model, remove the battery by following this guide and locate the serial number inside the battery compartment. Use those digits in Apple’s serial number lookup tool to get more specific information about your device.

PowerBook G4 on Wikipedia

PowerBook (all models) on Wikipedia

PowerBook G4 12” on Apple-History (see the timeline for other models)