PowerBook 3400c - Home
The PowerBook 3400c was the fastest laptop, PC or otherwise, on the market at launch in February of 1997. It was based on the design of the earlier PowerBook 5300 Series laptops, but with a deeper base in order to make room for an internal CD-ROM drive. It also had an upgraded stereo sound system with 4 total speakers, two above the keyboard and two within the display unit.
Specifications
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 1997 |
| Discontinuation Date | November 1997 |
| Processor | PowerPC 603ev @180, 200, or 240MHz |
| Bus Speed | 40MHz |
| L2 Cache | 256KB |
| RAM | PowerBook 3400c Proprietary - 16MB Soldered - 144MB Maximum |
| Hard Disk | 2.5" IDE - Uses Proprietary Adapter Cable - 1.3, 2.0, or 3.0GB Standard |
| Display | 12.1" TFT/Active Matrix Color LCD @800x600 |
| GPU | Chips & Technologies 65550 - 1MB VRAM |
| Main Battery | - Lithium Ion (Sony, 17670 cells) - Compatible with PB190/5300 NiMH Batteries |
| PRAM Battery | 6-cell VARTA NiMH |
| Power Supply | 24V RCA-style jack - same as the Duo/1400/G3/iBook Clamshell chargers. Any with that plug will work. - Shipping charger is Apple P/N M4896 |
| Disk Drives | PowerBook 3400c Modular Bay (backwards compatible with 190/5300 modules) with the following available modules: - 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive - CD-ROM Drive - ZIP Drive - Others? |
| PC Cards | 2x PCMCIA Slots - Unofficially CardBus compatible |
| Networking | Modem standard, optional Modem/Ethernet combo available |
| Other I/O | - 1x Serial - 1x ADB - 1x VGA Out - 1x Line Out - 1x Mic In - Infrared |
| Pointing Device | Trackpad |
| Minimum Mac OS | Mac OS 7.6.1 |
| Maximum Mac OS | Mac OS 9.1 (officially) - Mac OS X 10.2.8 (unofficially) |
Resources
 Service Manual |
Capacitor Reference |
|---|
Upgrades
SSD Upgrade
See our page on IDE SSDs for more info.
From the options on that page, I'd recommend the IDE to SE adapter. I've used up to a 64GB card in mine with little to no issues.
CPU Upgrades
The CPU on the 3400c is soldered in place, so you cannot upgrade it without replacing the entire logic board.
Common Faults & Maintenance
The PowerBook 3400c can be a rather unreliable laptop, due mainly to functions of time.
PRAM Battery Leaks
The PowerBook 3400c uses a 6-cell Varta battery pack to back up the PRAM settings for the laptop. The problem with this battery is that it uses Nickel Metal-Hydride chemistry, which is prone to leakage over time. As expected, this has become an all too common problem for the 3400c. What makes this all worse is that the battery is placed directly over the logic board, making it the first part to get hit. This makes buying one untested a pretty big gamble, with the odds of getting a working system rather low. If you have a 3400, the time is now to get that battery out, as they will all end up leaking, it is only a matter of time.
Power/DC Board Failure
Much like the 5300 series, the PB 3400 uses a seperate Power board placed under the trackpad to regulate and control the power for the laptop. Without this board, the 3400 will not turn on, and it appears to be rather prone to failure. There doesn't seem to be one cause, sometimes a recap will get them working again, sometimes not. If you have a dead 3400 that has not had a battery leak, you should look to the power board first.
Brittle Plastics
Much like other 1990s laptops (including those not made by Apple!), the PowerBook 3400 suffers from brittle plastic. Take all precautions necessary to prevent plastic cracking. Handle the laptop carefully while in use, and package it extremely well if you need to ship it. The brittle nature of the plastic also leads to broken display hinges. To prevent them from damage, avoid opening and closing the display as much as possible, and reinforce the plastic that the hinges screw into with epoxy or superglue. One way of avoiding hinge use is to store the laptop open, so that you don't need to open/shut the hinge each time you take the laptop out for use.
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 04/19/2024
Update Reason: added newnav
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