PowerBook 5300c
The 5300c was the second best of the 5300 Series PowerBooks. Its main improvement over the 5300cs is the inclusion of an Active Matrix display.
Specifications
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 1995 |
| Discontinuation Date | September 1996 |
| Processor | PowerPC 603e @100MHz |
| Bus Speed | 33.3MHz |
| RAM | PowerBook 190/5300 Proprietary - 8 or 16MB Standard - 64MB Maximum |
| Hard Disk | 2.5" IDE - 500 or 750MB Standard |
| Display | 10.4" Active Matrix Color LCD @640x480 |
| GPU | Chips & Technologies 65225 (Apple ECSC) - 1MB VRAM |
| Main Battery | NiMH |
| PRAM Battery | 3V Lithium (rechargeable) |
| Power Supply | Barrel Jack - 24V 1.87A - Apple M3037 |
| Disk Drives | PowerBook 190/5300 Modular Bay with the following available modules: - 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive - ZIP Drive - Others? |
| PC Cards | 2x PCMCIA Slots |
| Networking | None |
| Other I/O | - 1x Serial - 1x ADB - 1x Mini-15 Video Out - 1x HDI-30 SCSI - 1x Line Out - 1x Mic In - Infrared |
| Pointing Device | Trackpad |
| Minimum Mac OS | System Software 7.5.2 |
| Maximum Mac OS | Mac OS 9.1 |
Upgrades
SSD Upgrade
See our page on IDE SSDs for more info.
Resources
 Service Manual |
Capacitor Reference | 3D Print Templates |
|---|
Common Faults & Maintenance
Brittle Plastics & Hinge Failure
Like just about every 90s laptop, the PowerBook 5300c's plastics are now fragile and brittle. The first place where this will become a problem on one is with the display hinges. The screwposts on both the base side and the LCD side are both known to crack and break. When this happens, further damage to the plastic housing parts will be caused if the hinge continues to be used after the plastic breaks. You're also just about guaranteed to break your LCD cable if you do this.
So, what's the fix?
3D print templates have been made that replace the LCD-side hinge mounts. You can find downloads for these on the resources page. If you dont want to replace the original mounts with 3D printed ones, you can also reinforce the originals with epoxy.
Main Battery Leaks
The main NiMH battery in the 5300c is well known for leaking, usually severely. Even when compared to other NiMH batteries, these seem to be especially leak-prone. If you have one, do not leave it in the system to start corroding things.
The CMOS battery in the 5300c is a rechargeable Lithium pack that isn't known for leaking.
Capacitor Failure
The 5300c has a good amount of electrolytic capacitors in it - on the logic board, inverter board, and the LCD (on some models). These capacitors can leak, although it's currently not extremely common. They do fail though, and there have been many known cases of bad logic board caps keeping them from starting. Capacitor Reference info is available on the resources page.
Broken Power Jacks
The 5300c's power jack is a tiny, fragile barrel jack. These are known to break off of the board very easily, even back in the day. There's a chance that you may have to resolder yours when you get one.
Misc. less common issues
LCD Vinegar Syndrome
See article: Vinegar Syndrome
Stiff Keyboards/"Binding Key Syndrome"
The keys on the 5300c's keyboard can go stiff with age, causing what I call "binding key syndrome", where the keys will bind when trying to press them down from the edges. If your keyboard has this issue, it may be possible to use a small amount of lithium grease to improve it.
Gallery
No images are currently available. If you own a 5300c, help the site out by sending some in!
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 08/14/2024
Update Reason: page rewritten
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