View source for PowerBook 3400c

{{short description|Laptop by Apple}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Primary sources|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = PowerBook 3400c series
| developer = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]
| type = [[Laptop]]
| photo = Powerbook3400.jpg
| OS = [[System 7|Mac OS 7.6]] - [[Mac OS 9|9.1]]
| caption = Apple PowerBook 3400c/200
| first_release_date = February 17, 1997
| discontinuation_date = November 7, 1997
| baseprice = {{USD|5000|1997}} - {{USD|5500|1997}}
| cpu = [[PowerPC 600#PowerPC 603e and 603ev|PowerPC 603ev]]
| CPUspeed = 180–240 MHz
| display = 12.1"
| predecessor = [[PowerBook 5300]]
| successor = [[PowerBook G3]]
}}

The '''PowerBook 3400c''' is a [[laptop]] computer in the [[PowerBook]] line manufactured by [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]] from February to November 1997. It was briefly the fastest laptop in the world.<ref>macopinion.com: [https://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)]</ref> Using the [[PowerPC 603e]] processor running at speeds of up to 240&nbsp;MHz, this PowerBook was the first to feature a [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] architecture,<ref name="Macintosh PowerBook User's Manual 1997">Macintosh PowerBook User's Manual, p 175. Apple Computer, 1997.</ref> [[dynamic random access memory|EDO]] memory,<ref name="Technical Information p 1">Macintosh PowerBook 3400 Technical Information, p 1. Apple Computer, 1997.</ref> and a 64-bit wide, 40&nbsp;MHz [[bus (computing)|internal bus]].<ref>Apple Computer: [https://support.apple.com/kb/SP174 Macintosh PowerBook 3400c/180: Technical Specifications]</ref> It was also the first PowerBook to feature a PC card slot capable of being used as a [[zoomed video port]].<ref>Macintosh PowerBook User's Manual, p 55. Apple Computer, 1997.</ref> Like all Apple laptops since the [[PowerBook 500]] series, it featured a built-in [[trackpad]] as the pointing device.

==Specifications==
The PowerBook 3400c series was issued in three different models, distinguished primarily by their processor speed. The base model ran at 180&nbsp;MHz, and the two higher end models ran at 200&nbsp;MHz and 240&nbsp;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 capacity of the hard drive, ranging from 1.3 to 3.0 [[gigabyte|GB]] depending on the model.<ref name="Technical Information p 1"/>

==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 color, 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 guide|user's manual]].<ref name="Macintosh PowerBook User's Manual 1997"/> The internal code name used for the PowerBook 3400c during development was "Hooper",<ref name=kunkel3400>Paul Kunkel & Rick English, ''Apple Design'' pp 265–267, Graphis. {{ISBN|1-888001-25-9}}.</ref> named so after the dog of one of the product design engineers.

==Industrial design==
In terms of [[industrial design]], the PowerBook 3400c owed much to the earlier [[PowerBook 5300]] series. There were some key changes made, however, 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]].<ref name=kunkel3400/>

The [[PowerBook G3|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, at least in theory, 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.<ref>Rob Frohne: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070213233955/http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Cardbus/Cardbus.html]</ref><ref>Dan Palka: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070318145813/http://www.danpalka.net/hooper/firewire.html - FireWire]</ref> Using CardBus cards allows 3400 Series PowerBooks to be used with, for example, USB devices like [[computer printer|printers]] and FireWire devices such as [[iPod]]s.

== Technical specifications ==
{{All are obsolete}}

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="font-size:small; text-align:center"
!colspan=4| Powerbook 3400c
|-
! Model
! style="background:#FF9999" | PowerBook 3400c/180
! style="background:#FF9999" | PowerBook 3400c/200
! style="background:#FF9999" | PowerBook 3400c/240
|-
! Processor
|colspan=1 | 180&nbsp;MHz PowerPC 603ev
|colspan=1 | 200&nbsp;MHz PowerPC 603ev
|colspan=1 | 240&nbsp;MHz PowerPC 603ev
|-
! [[CPU cache|Cache]]
|colspan=3 | 16 KB data, 16 KB instruction L1, 256 KB L2
|-
! System Bus
|colspan=3 | 40&nbsp;MHz
|-
! Memory
|colspan=3 | 16&nbsp;MB <span style="color:#969696">Expandable to 144&nbsp;MB</span>
|-
! Display
|colspan=3 | 800x600 12.1" Active Matrix 15-bit SVGA LCD
|-
! Graphics Memory
|colspan=3 | 2&nbsp;MB
|-
! Hard Drive
|colspan=1 | 1.3&nbsp;GB
|colspan=1 | 2.0&nbsp;GB
|colspan=1 | 3.0&nbsp;GB
|-
! rowspan=2 |Spinning Drives
(Hot Swappable)
|colspan=3 | 1.44&nbsp;MB Floppy Drive
|-
|colspan=1 | <span style="color:#969696">Optional 6x CD-ROM Drive</span>
|colspan=1 | 6x CD-ROM Drive
|colspan=1 | 12x CD-ROM Drive
|-
! rowspan=2 | Connectivity
|colspan=1 | <span style="color:#969696">Optional 10BASE-T Ethernet</span>
|colspan=2 | 10BASE-T Ethernet
|-
|colspan=1 | <span style="color:#969696">Optional 33.6k Modem</span>
|colspan=2 | 33.6k Modem
|-
! Peripherals
|colspan=3 | ADB, Serial, HDI-30 SCSI
|-
! Video Out
|colspan=3 | HDI-15
|-
! Original Operating System
|colspan=3 | Mac OS 7.6.1
|-
! Maximum Operating System 
|colspan=3 | Mac OS 9.1
|-
! Dimensions
|colspan=3 | 2.4" x 11.5" x 9.5"
|-
! Weight
|colspan=3 | 7.2&nbsp;lbs
|-
|}

== Timeline ==
{{Timeline of portable Macintoshes}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://lowendmac.com/1997/powerbook-3400c/ Low End Mac: PowerBook 3400c]
*[http://mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=2005  Classic Macs at MyMac.com: PowerBook 3400] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050517074619/http://mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=2005 |date=2005-05-17 }}
*Apple Technical Specifications: PowerBook
**[https://support.apple.com/kb/SP174 3400c/180]
**[https://support.apple.com/kb/SP175 3400c/200]
**[https://support.apple.com/kb/SP176 3400c/240]
*[http://www.likelysoft.com/hacks/powerbook3400.html PowerBook 3400c Digital Picture Frame]

{{Apple hardware before 1998}}

[[Category:PowerBook|3400c]]
[[Category:PowerPC Macintosh computers]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1997]]