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PowerBook 5300
The first PowerPC PowerBook, famous for lithium-ion woes.
Overview
The PowerBook 5300 series moved the line from Motorola 68k chips to the PowerPC 603e, running at 100 MHz. It offered 8 MB of memory, a choice of passive or active-matrix screens and a module bay that could take a floppy drive, a battery or a CD-ROM.
The case was made from a lightweight composite, and a lithium-ion battery promised long runtimes. In practice some early units suffered battery overheating and cracked cases, and Apple replaced a number of units, which gave the model a tarnished image.
Its hardware platform nonetheless underpinned the quick follow-up models and was the stepping stone to the faster PowerBooks of 1996 and 1997.
Why it mattered
The first PowerPC-based PowerBook, bringing Apple notebooks into the RISC era.
At a glance
- Announced
- August 16, 1995
- Released
- August 16, 1995
- Discontinued
- September 1, 1996
- Launch price
- Not available
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC 603e, 100 MHz
- Display
- 10.4"
- Storage
- 500 MB to 1.1 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- PowerPC 603e at 100 MHz
- First PowerBook with lithium-ion battery
- Swappable module bay
- Active or passive screen options
- Early production issues
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 10.4-inch
- Type
- Color active-matrix or passive-matrix LCD
- Resolution
- 640 x 480
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC 603e, 100 MHz
Memory
- RAM
- 8 MB, expandable to 64 MB
Software
- Launch OS
- System 7.5
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 1400
A rugged workhorse with a bay for a CD-ROM drive.
PowerBook 3400
Billed as the fastest notebook in the world when it launched.