PowerBook 3400
Billed as the fastest notebook in the world when it launched.
Overview
Apple promoted the PowerBook 3400 as the fastest laptop available, with a 603e processor at 180 or 200 MHz and a full-speed cache on the logic board. Later revisions reached 240 MHz and 266 MHz. It carried a 12.1-inch active-matrix display at 800 by 600 pixels, a CD-ROM in the module bay and PCI-based design.
The case was slimmer and lighter than earlier larger models, and it featured a new, more comfortable keyboard. It had built-in Ethernet and was available with up to 144 MB of RAM and larger hard drives.
The 3400 helped bridge the gap between the 603e laptops and the G3 PowerBooks that followed, and it kept Apple credible among performance-minded customers.
Why it mattered
Showed that a laptop could lead the speed charts, reviving confidence in the PowerBook line.
At a glance
- Announced
- February 17, 1997
- Released
- February 17, 1997
- Discontinued
- May 1, 1998
- Launch price
- Not available
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC 603e, 180 to 240 MHz
- Display
- 12.1"
- Storage
- 1.2 GB to 4 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- PowerPC 603e up to 240 MHz
- 12.1-inch active-matrix
- Built-in Ethernet and CD-ROM
- PCI-based design
- Faster than many desktops
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 12.1-inch
- Type
- Active-matrix color TFT
- Resolution
- 800 x 600
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC 603e, 180 to 240 MHz
Memory
- RAM
- 16 MB, expandable to 144 MB
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS 7.6
How it compares
More in the PowerBook family
PowerBook 100
A slim, light Mac that defined how laptops are laid out.
PowerBook 140
The mainstream PowerBook with a faster 68030 and a built-in floppy.
PowerBook 170
Top of the first PowerBook line with an active-matrix screen.
PowerBook Duo 230
An ultralight notebook that docked into a full desktop.
PowerBook 180
The fast 68030 PowerBook with the sharpest grayscale screen yet.
PowerBook 540c
A redesigned flagship with a trackpad and a color screen.
PowerBook 5300
The first PowerPC PowerBook, famous for lithium-ion woes.
PowerBook 1400
A rugged workhorse with a bay for a CD-ROM drive.