PowerBook 540c
A redesigned flagship with a trackpad and a color screen.
Overview
The 500 series was a full redesign, and the 540c was the model that combined a color active-matrix screen with a 33 MHz 68LC040 processor. The standout change was the trackpad, the first on a Mac, which replaced the old trackball and spread to nearly every laptop that followed.
Other firsts included built-in stereo speakers, a communications expansion slot and a dual-battery arrangement for longer use. The compact case had a distinctive rounded shape, with a slot for a second power source.
After its arrival, PowerBooks became the sort of stylish, serious tools that professionals wanted, and the series carried the line until the PowerPC era began.
Why it mattered
Brought the trackpad to the Mac and gave the PowerBook line a fresh industrial design.
At a glance
- Announced
- May 16, 1994
- Released
- August 1, 1994
- Discontinued
- August 1, 1995
- Launch price
- Not available
- Chip / processor
- Motorola 68LC040, 33 MHz
- Display
- 9.5"
- Storage
- 240 MB, 320 MB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- First Apple trackpad
- Active-matrix color display
- Built-in stereo speakers
- Dual-battery design
- 33 MHz 68LC040
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 9.5-inch
- Type
- Active-matrix color LCD
- Resolution
- 640 x 480
Chip
- Chip
- Motorola 68LC040, 33 MHz
Memory
- RAM
- 4 MB, expandable to 36 MB
Software
- Launch OS
- System 7.1.1
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 5300
The first PowerPC PowerBook, famous for lithium-ion woes.
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.