PowerBook 3400c

Infobox Computer
name=PowerBook 3400c series
developer=Apple Computer
type=Laptop
photo=
OS=System 7.6
caption=Apple PowerBook 3400c/200
first_release_date = 17 February, 1997
discontinuation_date = November 1997
processor = PowerPC 603e, 180 - 240 MHz

The PowerBook 3400c was a laptop computer in the PowerBook line manufactured by Apple Computer from February to November 1997. It was, briefly, the fastest laptop in the world. [macopinion.com: [http://web.archive.org/web/20060515164220/http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/99/10/28/index.html PowerBook 3400c -- A Potentially Great 'Book With Unfortunate Timing (latest Archive.org copy)] ] Using the PowerPC 603e processor running at speeds of up to 240 MHz, this PowerBook was the first to feature a PCI architecture, [Macintosh PowerBook User's Manual, p 175. Apple Computer, 1997.] EDO memory, [Macintosh PowerBook 3400 Technical Information, p 1. Apple Computer, 1997.] and a 64-bit wide, 40 MHz internal bus. [Apple Computer: [http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112393 Macintosh PowerBook 3400c/180: Technical Specification] ] It was also the first PowerBook to feature a PC card slot capable of being used as a zoomed video port. [Macintosh PowerBook User's Manual, p 55. Apple Computer, 1997.] Like all Apple laptops since the PowerBook 500 series, it featured a built-in trackpad as the pointing device.

pecifications

The PowerBook 3400c series was issued in three different models, distinguished primarily by their processor speed. The base model ran at 180 MHz, and the two higher end models ran at 200 MHz and 240 MHz. Thus, the different models were referred to as the 3400c/180, 3400c/200, and 3400c/240. The 3400c/180 model was usually sold with only a built-in modem and a floppy drive; all 3400c/200 and 3400c/240 machines came with a built-in modem/Ethernet combination port and hot-swappable 1.4 MB floppy disk and CD drives. The only other difference between them was the size of the hard drive, ranging from 1.3 to 3.0 GB depending on the model. [Macintosh PowerBook 3400 Technical Information, p 1. Apple Computer, 1997.]

Names

Prior to the PowerBook 3400c series, the names of PowerBooks reflected (among other things) the type of screen they had installed. For example, the PowerBook 1400cs had a passive matrix screen, and the 1400c an active matrix screen. Because all PowerBook 3400c computers came with the same 16-bit colour, active matrix screen, the "c" designation at the end of the PowerBook 3400c name was somewhat superfluous, and is often dropped, even by Apple itself, for example in the user's manual. [Macintosh PowerBook User's Manual, p 175. Apple Computer, 1997.] The internal code name used for the PowerBook 3400c during development was "Hooper".Paul Kunkel & Rick English, "Apple Design" pp 265-267, Graphis. ISBN 1-8880-0125-9.]

Industrial Design

In terms of industrial design the PowerBook 3400c owed a lot to the earlier PowerBook 5300 series. There were some key changes made though, including the larger LCD screen; a wider removable drive bay allowing the use of CD readers; and a curved display housing that allowed for the inclusion of a second set of loudspeakers.Paul Kunkel & Rick English, "Apple Design" pp 265-267, Graphis. ISBN 1-8880-0125-9.]

The first generation of G3 PowerBooks retained the same external appearance as the PowerBook 3400c.

CardBus compatibility

Like the PowerBook 5300 series, the 3400s came with a pair of PC card slots, but whereas those on the 5300s were strictly 16-bit device compatible, those on the 3400s were, in theory at least, compatible with 32-bit CardBus cards being based around the 32-bit Texas Instruments PCI1130 PC card controller. In reality, the PC card slots were designed to physically accept only 16-bit cards, though many users have managed to get a variety of CardBus cards to work with them [Rob Frohne: [http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Cardbus/Cardbus.html Cardbus for your Powerbook 3400c or Kanga G3!] ] [Dan Palka: [http://www.danpalka.com/hooper/firewire.html Adventures with the PowerBook 3400c/240 - FireWire] ] Using CardBus cards allows 3400 Series PowerBooks to be used with, for example, USB devices like printers and FireWire devices such as iPods.

Models

References

External links

* [http://www.lowendmac.com/pb2/3400.shtml Low End Mac: PowerBook 3400]
* [http://mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=2005 Classic Macs at MyMac.com: PowerBook 3400"]
* [http://www.info.apple.com/support/applespec.legacy/powerbook.html Apple Technical Specifications: PowerBook]
** [http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112393 3400/180 Specifications]
** [http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112394 3400/200 Specifications]
** [http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112395 3400/240 Specifications]
* [http://www.likelysoft.com/hacks/powerbook3400.html PowerBook 3400c Digital Picture Frame] Navbox with columns
name = Navbox with columns/doc
state = uncollapsed
title = Apple Model Navigation
colstyle = text-align:center;background:silver;
colwidth = 25%
col1header = Replaced
col2header = Current Model
col3header = Successor
col1 = PowerBook 5300
col2 = PowerBook 3400c
col3 = PowerBook G3
col1footer = Preceding Family Model
col2footer = February 17, 1997
col3footer = Following Family Model