Macopinion

The Compleat Buyer’s And User’s Guide To Antique And Collectable Macintosh Notebooks 2007 Edition

Part 1: Mac Portable to PowerBook Duo 2300

Back in the spring I posted my 2007 "Compleat Guides" to Low End and High End Apple notebooks. Determining the cutoff threshold between high end and low end is always shooting at a moving target, and especially with the proliferation of iBook and more recently MacBook models, the ranks of mid to even high performance sub -$1,000 low-end machines have swollen substantially, with the early to middle aluminum PowerBooks and refurbished MacBooks currently spanning the threshold.

With the base, 2.0.GHz MacBook selling for $1,099, and handily outperforming all Power PC Mac portables save you can buy a brand new, very powerful 'Book, for not that much above our arbitrary $1,000 "low end" mark, and then there are a bunch of Apple Certified Refurbished MacBooks selling for well-under $1,000. This is one of the biggest changes since the original Compleat Guides were first published in 1999, at which time the cheapest new PowerBook you could buy was the 233 MHz WallStreet LE for $2,195.

I thought about dropping the borderline between low end and high end to $800 for these editions, but I've decided to stick with a threshold of $1,000 for continuity, and because it is a nice, round number. Instead, I introduced a third category in 2002: " Antique And Collectable Macintosh Laptops." These are Apple portables that are no longer up to snuff as work machines, and with the release of OS 10.5 Leopard their ranks are about to swell substantially

For serious work I would no longer recommend any of the pre-G3 Macintosh portables unless your computing needs are _really_ rudimentary, or you are a collector, and the WallStreet and early clamshell iBooks are not really up to more than the most basic wordprocessing/email/surfing tasks nowadays either, and the Lombard is marginal as well uinless it has Daystar's 433 NHz G4 processor upgrade installed. Which makes the PowerBook G3 2000 Pismo, a 466 MHz FireWire or 500 MHz dual-USB iBook probably the minimum practical Mac portable for doing any sort of production work on or using as an only computer - the Pismo preferably with a 550 MHz G4 processor upgrade and the RAM maxed out at 1 GB. Thus, the latter machines are now the basement of "low-end", with a caveat that none of them will be officially supported by Leopard, which requires a minimum 867 MHz G4 processor.

The Lombard and early clamshells now fall into the "Antique And Collectable Macintosh Laptops" category - Apple portables that are no longer really up to snuff as front-line work machines (although if a WallStreet or Lombard or clamshell still will do the job you need it to do, more power to you, so to speak).

However, the older 'Books are still interesting machines, an important part of Macintosh history, and some of the rarer models especially should increase in value with time.

Here Goes:

___

Antique And Collectable Macintosh Laptops Part 1: Mac Portable to PowerBook Duo 2300

Mac Portable
Mac Portable Backlit
PowerBook 100
PowerBook 100 Series
PowerBook Duos
PowerBook Duo 280
PowerBook 500 Series
PowerBook 190 Series
PowerBook 5300 Series
The PowerPC Duo 2300c

68000 Pased Portables

Mac Portable

The ancestor of the PowerBook, the 16 lb Mac Portable, introduced in 1989, was a less than stellar market success, doubtless because it was absurdly expensive at $6,500 ($7,300 with the optional hard drive), and weighed nearly as much as the CPU/monitor unit of the original compact desktop Macs.

Internally, the Mac Portable had a 16 MHz Motorola 68000 processor chip and a whopping 1 MB of RAM, expandable to 9 MB but unfortunately it in an oddball RAM module format.

The Mac Portable monitor screen was a very decent active matrix, 640 X 400, LCD, and there was also a video output port for running an external monitor. The battery it was a lead-acid unit, with a yet-to-be-matched five-to-10 hour charge life.

Also included were an ADB port for keyboard and mouse, DIN-8 serial ports for printer an modem connections, and a DB-25 SCSI connector.

Macintosh Portable
(September 1989 - February 1991)
Active-matrix 9.8" black and white display (640x400)
Lead-acid battery ( 5 - 10 hours use)
Video-out port (can drive an external monitor)
RAM 9 MBRAM: 1 MB, expandable to 9 MB using a special 30ns SRAM card (one slot) 40 MB 3.5" hard drive
CPU - 68HC000 /16 MHz
(HxWxD): 4.05" x 15.25" x 14.83"
Weight: 16 pounds

Mac Portable Backlit

In February. 1991, Apple added a backlight to the 9.8" 1-bit 640x400 pixel active matrix screen, increased the standard RAM to 2 MB or 4 MB, changed the RAM ceiling to 8 MB, and replaced the expensive SRAM chips with less-expensive pseudo-SRAM, although the pseudo-SRAM and backlighting reduced battery life.

Macintosh Portable Backlit (February 1991- October 1991)
Active-matrix 9.8" black and white backlit display (640x400)
Lead-acid battery ( 5 - plus hours use)
Video-out port (can drive an external monitor)
RAM : 2 MB or 4 MB, expandable to 8 MB using pseudo-SRAM card (one slot)
40 MB 3.5" hard drive
CPU - 68HC000 /16 MHz
(HxWxD): 4.05" x 15.25" x 14.83"
Weight: 15.8 pounds

The Portable was replaced by the PowerBook models 100, 140, and 170 in October 1991.

PowerBook 100

The first real PowerBooks were the 100, 140, 170 trio introduced in October, 1991. The entry-level PowerBook 100 inherited the 16 MHz 68000 chip from the Mac Portable, along with the backlit portable's 2 MB of RAM (expandable to 8 MB), and was in some respects the prototype for Apple's later subcompacts like the Duo, the 2400c, and the dual-USB iBook.

Another parallel with the 2400c, which was designed and built by IBM Japan, was that Apple subcontracted the design and manufacture of the PowerBook 100 to Sony, while keeping PowerBook 140 and 170 production in-house.

Weighing 5.1 lbs. - just a few ounces more than the current 12.1 in. iBook, the PowerBook 100 had no internal floppy drive (an external unit was optional), and was housed in a lightweight plastic case rather than the polycarbonate cases of the 140 and 170. A lead-acid battery provided two to four hours of running time between charges.

The PowerBook 100 screen was a 9 in., black-and-white, passive matrix, 640 X 400 LCD. There was no video-out port and no audio or sound support. The PowerBook 100 pioneered SCSI Disk Mode, which allows a desktop Mac to connect to the PowerBook with a special cable and mount it as an external drive. The 140 and 170 lacked this feature. Another PowerBook 100 feature was a persistent RAM Disk.

Power Book 100 (October 1991 - August 1992)
Passive-matrix 9" black and white passive matrix display (640x400)
Lead-acid battery ( 2-4 hours use)
30mm trackball
20 MB or 40 MB hard drive standard
Supports SCSI Disk mode
RAM: 2 MB, expandable to 8 MB using a special 100ns pseudostatic RAM card 68HC000/16 MHz
(HxWxD): 1.8" x 11" x 8.5"
Weight: 5.1 pounds

68030 Based Mac Portables

PowerBook 100 Series

The 100 series PowerBooks' days as practical production platforms is long since past, but well-preserved examples are eminently collectable. Batteries may be tough to find, though.. A burgeoning issue with these models, however, is that some of them are beginning to enter the status of collectability, and a well-preserved example may command a higher price than $100 based on supply and demand in that context. Evaluation of collectible value is beyond the scope of this article.

All of the '030 'Books come with a trackball, which is fine if you like trackballs. You are also limited to MacOS 7.6.1 as the most up-to-date Operating System you can use with an '030. OS 7.6.1 is no slouch, and it actually incorporated some of OS 8's features, but I would miss OS 8.x/9.x for day to day computing. Depends on how important things like contextual menus are to you.

Power Book 140
Passive-matrix 10" B&W display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - two hours use)
30mm trackball
Maximum RAM 8 MB
68030/16 MHz
Weight: 6.8 pounds

PowerBook 145 (Replaced the 140 in late 1992)
Passive-matrix 10" B&W display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - two hours use)
30mm trackball
Up to 80 MB HD
Maximum RAM 8 MB
68030/25 MHz
Weight: 6.8 pounds

Power Book 145b (supplemented the 140 in late June 1993)
Passive-matrix 10" B&W display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - two hours use)
30mm trackball
Up to 80MB HD
Maximum RAM 8 MB
68030/25 MHz
Weight: 6.8 pounds

Power Book 150 (Replaced the 140/145 in late June 1993)

Passive-matrix 9.5" grayscale (4 grays) display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - 2.5 hours use)
IDE hard drive (oddball one at that -- needs a special HD formatting utility)
30mm trackball
only one serial port
no Ethernet
no expansion slots
no video-out jack
Maximum RAM 40 MB (uses 70ns Duo style DRAM)
68030/33 MHz
Weight: 5.5 pounds

Notes: The 150 was more notable for what it didn't have than what it offered - notably various ports. Had a decent RAM capacity, and was substantially lighter than the other 100 series 'Books.

Power Book 160 (Built from Sept 1992 to August 1993)
Passive-matrix 10" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - 2.5 hours use)
30mm trackball
video-out port (can drive a color external monitor)
up to 120 MB HD
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 14 MB
68030/25 MHz
Weight: 6.8 pounds

Notes: A full set of ports and a better monitor. The 14MB RAM limit is restrictive.

Power Book 165
Passive-matrix 10" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - 2.5 hours use)
30mm trackball
video-out port (can drive a color external monitor)
up to 120 MB HD
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 14 MB
68030/33 MHz
Weight: 6.8 pounds

Notes: Identical to the 160, except for the 33 Mhz '030, making it a shade faster.

Power Book 165c (first color PowerBook -- Feb 1993)
Passive-matrix 9 color (256 colors) display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( about 1 hour use)
30mm trackball
video-out port (can drive a color external monitor)
up to 120 MB HD
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 14 MB
68030/33 MHz with Floating Point Unit
Weight: 7 pounds

Notes: The 165c's obvious distinction is color, but that wass a mixed blessing in this case. The little, 9 inch display is murky and small, and its necessary dual backlights just murder battery life. You will be lucky to get one hour out of a battery in good condition. The FPU speeds math and graphics calculations up. Still only 14 MB RAM, and a little heavier than the 140-165.

PowerBook 170
Active-matrix B&W display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - 2 hours use)
30mm trackball
internal modem available, but now essentially useless
no video-out port
up to 80 MB HD
Maximum RAM 8 MB
68030/25 MHz
Weight: 6.8 pounds

White PowerBook 170

This beauty is the rarest of the rare, built in very limited numbers in 1994 as the 10th Anniversary Macintosh. It anticipated the dual USB iBook in having white case plastics.

Engineering-wise, the white 170 was a plain PowerBook 170, one of the most popular and best-loved 100 series 'Books, with a 9" active matrix black and white display and a 25 MHz 68030 processor.

PowerBook 180
Active-matrix 10" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x400)
NiCad battery ( 90 minutes - 2.5 hours use)
30mm trackball
built-in microphone
optional fax/modem
video-out port (can drive a color external monitor)
up to 160 MB HD
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 14 MB
68030/33 MHz with Floating Point Unit
Weight: 6.8 pounds

Notes: The nicest of the non-color original 100 series 'Books (the 190 is a separate issue). Comments mainly as for 165 above. The active matrix screen makes some advanced graphics work practical. Still that 14 MB RAM limitation.

PowerBook 180c (June 1993)
Active-matrix 10" color (256 colors) display (640x480 -- first PB with full screen resolution)
NiCad battery ( about 1 hour use)
30mm trackball
built-in microphone
optional fax/modem
video-out port (can drive a color external monitor)
up to 160 MB HD
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 14 Mhz
68030/33 MHz with Floating Point Unit
Weight: 7.1 pounds

Notes: The 180c was Apple's first "real" color PowerBook, and it was very expensive. Those dual backlights still drain the battery unmercifully fast. Still only 14 MB RAM, and heavier than the 140-165.

PowerBook Duos

The '030 based Duos are no longer powerful enough to be used as workhorse computers, although they still have possible limited utility as word-processing and email platforms.

The Duo was Apple's first subnotebook, intended to be a small and light but powerful machine for road work that could become the CPU for a desktop form factor unit at the office or at home when inserted in a docking station (Duo dock) which supports two NuBus expansion slots. Thus the Duos have no internal floppy drive and minimal standard ports.

The Duo 230 is virtually identical to the later 280 ('040) and 2300 (603e PowerPC) Duos in the looks department.

Power Book Duo 210 and 230 (October 1992)
Passive-matrix 9" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x400)
Type I NiMH battery ( about 2 hours use)
20mm trackball
optional external floppy drive
optional dock supports video-out, NuBus expansion, and FPU
optional Mini-dock (standard ports only)
up to 160 MB HD
Maximum RAM 24 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68030/33 MHz (230) or 25Mhz (210)
Weight: 4.2 pounds

Notes: Speed is comparable to a PB 145/165, but the Duo supports more RAM. Note that the keyboard is not full-sized and the trackball is tiny. There are three generations of Duo batteries, and the later Type II and Type III units will work in the 210 and 230. Fair price depends on what peripherals come with a Duo.

Power Book Duo 250 (October 1993)
Active-matrix 9" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x400)
Type II NiMH battery ( about 2.5 hours use)
20mm trackball
optional external floppy drive
optional dock supports video-out, NuBus expansion, and FPU
optional Mini-dock (standard ports only)
up to 240 MB HD
Maximum RAM 24 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68030/33 MHz
Weight: 4.2 pounds

Notes: The principal difference between the Duo 230 and 250 is the active-matrix screen on the latter. Up to $200 for one with a usable Dock.

Power Book Duo 270c
Active-matrix 8.4" color (256 colors) display (640x480)
Type II NiMH battery ( about 2 hours use)
20mm trackball
optional external floppy drive
won't fit in original Duo-Dock -- requires Duo-Dock II
optional Mini-dock (standard ports only)
video output (with docks)
up to 320 MB HD
Maximum RAM 32 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68030/33 MHz
Weight: 4.8 pounds

The 270c added a tiny, jewel-like active-matrix color display to the 250's feature set. It is also 1/4 inch thicker, half a pound heavier, and suffers the customary shorter battery life tariff for color.

And that's it for 68030 based Apple portables.

68040 PowerBooks

In May 1994, Apple introduced its first "Quadra" PowerBooks and Duos with Motorola's stripped-down 68LC040 processing chip (no Floating Point Unit). The obvious advantage of these machines is a substantial speed bump from the '030 machines, and the '040 supports up to OS8.1.

The popular 500 series 'Books (and the similarly powered PowerBook 190) plus the '040 Duo 280, are the basement minimum 'Books that could reasonably serve as a day in, day out computer these days, although IMHO they would be extremely marginal. A few 500s were upgraded to Power PC, which puts them in the same category as other very slow PPC 'Books like the 5300, the Duo 2300, and the 117 MHz 1400.

The '040 PowerBooks only support up to Mac OS 8.1.

Another issue with all of these older machines (as well as the PowerBook 5300s except for the 5300ce) is that they support only a display resolution of 640 x 480 or less, which is simply inadequate for Web surfing.

PowerBook Duo 280

PowerBook Duo 280 (May 1994)
Active-matrix 9" graycsale (16 grays) display (640x400)
Type III NiMH battery ( about 3 hours use)
20mm trackball
optional external floppy drive
requires Duo-Dock II
optional Mini-dock (standard ports only)
video output (with docks)
up to 320 MB HD
Maximum RAM 24 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68LC040/33 MHz
Weight: 4.2 pounds

PowerBook Duo 280c (May 1994)
Active-matrix 8.4" color (256 colors) display (640x480)
Type III NiMH battery ( about 3 hours use)
20mm trackball
optional external floppy drive
requires Duo-Dock II
optional Mini-dock (standard ports only)
video output (with docks)
up to 320 MB HD
Maximum RAM 24 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68LC040/33 MHz
Weight: 4.8 pounds

Notes: The Duo 280s were essentially just the 250/270 upgraded with the faster '040 chip.

PowerBook 500 Series

The PowerBook 500 "BlackBird" is one of the best-loved Apple portables of all time. It is remarkably powerful, rock-stable, rugged, very attractive in a swoopy sort of way, and it held its value well, although it's now almost fully depreciated. The PowerBook 500s were the first Mac laptop that could serve practically as one's "only" computer -- a true desktop substitute.

PowerBook 520
Passive-matrix dual-scan 9.5" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x480)
NiMH "Intelligent" battery ( about 2.5 hours use)
optional second battery
optional PC card support in expansion bay
optional internal modem
trackpad
full-size keyboard including function keys
single serial port
stereo speakers
video output
Ethernet
up to 320 MB HD
Maximum RAM 36 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68LC40/25 MHz
Upgradable to PowerPC
Weight: 7.1 pounds

PowerBook 520c
Passive-matrix dual-scan 9.5" color (256 colors) display (640x480)
NiMH "Intelligent" battery ( about 2.5 hours use)
optional second battery
optional PC card support in expansion bay
optional internal modem
trackpad
full-size keyboard that even including function keys
single serial port
stereo speakers
video output
Ethernet
up to 320 MB HD
Maximum RAM 36 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68LC40/25 MHz
Upgradable to PowerPC
Weight: 7.1 pounds

PowerBook 540
Active-matrix 9" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x480)
NiMH battery ( about 2.5 hours use)
optional second battery
optional PC card support in expansion bay
optional internal modem
trackpad
full-size keyboard including function keys
single serial port
stereo speakers
video output
Ethernet
up to 320 MB HD
Maximum RAM 36 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68LC40/33 MHz
Upgradable to PowerPC
Weight: 7.1 pounds

The PowerBook 540, with its 33 MHz 68LC040 chip and 9.5 in. active-matrix grayscale monitor was the rarest of the 540s. Most people who couldn't afford the top of the line 540c, with its 9.5 in. TFT color display, opted for the passive matrix color 520c or the entry-level passive matrix grayscale 520. Although the 520s were nominally a bit slower with their 25 MHz 68LC040 chips, the lower power demands of their passive matrix screens meant that there really wasn't much in the difference in terms of speed, and they were substantially cheaper than the 540 models.

The PowerBook 540 was the last active-matrix grayscale PowerBook built, carrying on the tradition of the PowerBook 180. It was otherwise identical to the 540c.

PowerBook 540c
Active-matrix 9" color (256 colors) display (640x480)
NiMH battery ( about 2.5 hours use)
optional second battery
optional PC card support in expansion bay
optional internal modem
trackpad
full-size keyboard including function keys
single serial port
stereo speakers
video output
Ethernet
up to 320 MB HD
Maximum RAM 36 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68LC40/33 MHz
Upgradable to PowerPC
Weight: 7.1 pounds

Notes: These are still usable computers for light duties so long as you are content to use contemporary software. A lot of today's Mac software won't run on pre-PowerPC machines. Don't pay more than $150 unless you're buying an exceptional example for its colectable value. For more than that you should get PowerPC. While these machines could be upgraded to PowerPC 603e 183 Mhz with a daughtercard replacement, it probably makes more sense to find a deal on a 5300 or 1400 if you need a low-end PowerPC machine.

PowerBook 550c

Arguably the most desirable of the popular 500 series " Blackbirds," the PowerBook 550c really was black, instead of gray like its 520 and 540 series siblings. Sold only in Japan for three short months on the cusp of the transition from the 500 series to the Power PC PowerBook 5300, the 550c shared the 5300c's 10.4" TFT 640 X 480 screen, and had a full Motorola 68040 33 MHz processor with integral floating point unit subprocessor, rather than the other 500s' FPU-less 68LC040 chips.

The 550c came with a black Japanese keyboard, so if you find one of these and want to use it (unless you're Japanese), you will have to swap in one of the gray keyboards from the other 500 models.

However, don't throw that black keyboard away. This is a collectible PowerBook without a doubt, and probably second in rarity only to the white PowerBook 170.

PowerBook 550c (May 1995)
Active-matrix 10.4" color (256 colors) display (640x480)
NiMH battery ( about 2.5 hours use)
optional second battery
optional PC card support in expansion bay
optional internal modem
trackpad
full-size keyboard including function keys
single serial port
'040 PDS slot
stereo speakers
video output
Ethernet
512k VRAM
500 or 750 MB HD
Maximum RAM 36 MB (70-ns DRAM)
68O40/33 MHz (full '040 chip with FPU)
Upgradable to PowerPC
Weight: 7.1 pounds

PowerBook 190 Series

Power Book 190 (August 1995 - September 1996)
Passive-matrix 9.5" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x480)
NiMH battery ( roughly 2 hours use)
tappable trackpad
built-in microphone
2 PC card slots
optional infrared support and video-out
500 MB HD (removable in expansion bay)
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 40 MB
68LC040/33 MHz
Weight: 5.9 pounds

Essentially PowerBook 540 power in the smaller, lighter, PowerBook 5300 form factor. A nice machine, well-loved by users. Pay no more than $100.

Power Book 190cs

Identical to the 190 except for its 10.4" dual-scan passive-matrix 256 color display. (weight 6.4 pounds)

Overall '040 'Book summary recommendation: These 'Books are now fully depreciated, so a fair price will be determined by their condition and collectability value.

PowerPC 603e Mac Portables

PowerBook 5300 Series

The 5300 had a tough act to follow when it debuted in the fall of 1995, superseding the enormously popular and solid-performing 68LC040 PowerBook 500 series. As Apple's first PowerPC laptop, there were high expectations for the 5300, and a general consensus soon developed that it fell somewhat short of the mark. The PowerBook 5300ce also holds the dubious distinction of being the most expensive PowerBook ($6,500) and the sixth most expensive Macintosh ever built.

However, as one who used a 5300 as my primary workhorse for three essentially trouble-free years, I'm a 5300 fan. I like its styling and compact form factor, which resemble the new iBook except for thickness and color) and have a sincere affection for it.

The 5300 is slow by PowerPC standards. Available with either a 100 Mhz or a 117 Mhz PowerPC 603e processor, neither of which had a level 2 cache, the 5300's 33Mhz internal bus and slow IDE hard drive gave it about the same speed as a 5200/75 desktop PowerMac.

On a more positive note, the 5300 was nearly one pound lighter and an inch less deep than its 500 series predecessor. Indeed, the 5300 looks like a sub-notebook when parked beside a G3 Series 'Book. This small footprint was accomplished partly by leaving out the 500's optional internal modem, built-in Ethernet, and stereo speakers, and its ability to carry two batteries. Instead, the 5300 had two PC card slots, and an IR port. The 5300's floppy drive lives in an expansion bay, and could be removed and replaced with a magneto-optical drive, a second hard drive, a zip drive or even a PC Card storage bin, which lightens the machine for carrying.

By this time, most PowerBook 5300s that are still operable have gone through Apple's rework program, and like the '040 'Books and the Duo 2300, they can serve as workhorse Macs for relatively undemanding tasks. The PowerBook 5300ce, which or originally sold for $6,500, has a nice, 800 x 600, 10.4 in. screen with a pixel density virtually identical to that of the new iBook's 1024 x 768 12.1 in. screen.

The PowerBook 5300 was available in four models:

Power Book 5300
Passive-matrix 9.5" grayscale (16 grays) display (640x480)
NiMH battery ( roughly 2 hours use)
trackpad
built-in microphone
2 PC card slots
infrared support and video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
500 or 750 MB HD (removable in expansion bay)
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 40 MB
PowerPC 603e 100 MHz
Weight: 5.9 pounds

Power Book 5300cs
Passive-matrix 10.4" dual scan color display (640x480)
NiMH battery ( roughly 2 hours use)
trackpad
built-in microphone
2 PC card slots
infrared support and video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
500 or 750 MB HD (removable in expansion bay)
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 40 MB
PowerPC 603e 100 MHz
Weight: 6.2 pounds

Power Book 5300c
Active-matrix 10.4" color display (640x480)
NiMH battery ( roughly 2 hours use)
trackpad
built-in microphone
2 PC card slots
infrared support and video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
500 or 750 MB HD (removable in expansion bay)
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM 40 MB
PowerPC 603e 100 MHz
Weight: 6.2 pounds

Power Book 5300ce
Active-matrix 10.4" color display (800x600)
NiMH battery ( roughly 2 hours use)
trackpad
built-in microphone
2 PC card slots
infrared support and video-out
16-bit stereo sound input/output
1 Gig or 1.1 Gig HD (removable in expansion bay)
supports SCSI Disk mode
Maximum RAM up to 64 MB (depends on availability of module sizes)
PowerPC 603e 117 MHz
Weight: 6.2 pounds

Notes: Advantages over the not-very-much-cheaper nowadays 500 series machines include the PowerPC processor, PC card support, bigger hard drives, the 5300's expansion bay, bigger color screens, IR support, and the fact that the 5300s are newer machines. The downside? The 500s have built-in Ethernet and possibly internal modems (albeit 19.2 BPS), and stereo speakers. My pick would be a 5300ce with at least a 1GB hard drive and 32 Mb or more of RAM. The 5300 will run OS 8.5 or 8.6, but I don't recommend it because of this Mac's RAM ceiling. I have found OS 8.1 the all-round best choice for use on the 5300.

Wegener Media will sell you a refurbished PowerBook 5300cs for $50.00:
http://www.wegenermedia.com/5300cs.htm

The PowerPC Duo 2300c

A good Duo 2300c offers poorer performance than even the sluggish PowerBook 5300, due to internal bus limitations inherited from the original '030 Duos, but it does offer a conveniently luggable and light form factor, and is very rugged.

PowerBook Duo 2300c
Active-matrix 9.5" color (256 colors) display (640x480)
Type III NiMH battery (about 3 hours use)
tappable trackpad
optional external floppy drive
requires Duo-Dock II (including FPU)
optional Mini-dock (standard ports only)
video output (with docks)
750 MB to 1.1 Gig HD
Maximum RAM 64 MB
PowerPC 603e 100 MHz
Weight: 4.8 pounds

Recommendation: Unfortunately, the Duo 2300c is even slower (by about 15%) than the PowerBook 5300, due to internal architecture limitations dating back to the original Duo 210. However, with its bigger display, bigger HD, and larger RAM capacity, the 2300c is definitely the most desirable of the Duos.

Tomorrow: Part 2 - PowerBook 1400 to Clamshell iBook SE

*** Charles W. Moore

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