PowerBook G3 (FireWire, Pismo)
The last G3 PowerBook added FireWire and a dedicated AirPort slot.
Overview
The Pismo, officially the PowerBook G3 with FireWire, was a refinement of the Lombard design. It added two FireWire ports and a new AirPort slot, making wireless networking much simpler to set up, and its system bus ran faster than before.
The 14.1-inch XGA display remained, along with two media bays. Memory could be raised to a gigabyte, and the machine ran the then-new Mac OS 9 well and later became a durable choice for installing early versions of Mac OS X.
Successor machines moved to the G4 processor, but many fans consider the Pismo the high point of the bronze-keyboard family.
Why it mattered
Added FireWire to the PowerBook range and rounded off the G3 laptop line.
At a glance
- Announced
- February 16, 2000
- Released
- February 16, 2000
- Discontinued
- January 9, 2001
- Launch price
- Not available
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC 750 (G3), 400 or 500 MHz
- Display
- 14.1"
- Storage
- 6 GB to 20 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- 400 or 500 MHz G3
- FireWire ports
- Built-in AirPort card slot
- Two media bays
- 14.1-inch XGA display
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 14.1-inch
- Type
- Active-matrix color TFT
- Resolution
- 1024 x 768
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC 750 (G3), 400 or 500 MHz
Memory
- RAM
- 128 MB, expandable to 1 GB
Ports
- Ports
- 2 FireWire, 2 USB, Ethernet, modem
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- Optional AirPort card (802.11b)
How it compares
More in the PowerBook G3 family
PowerBook G3 (1997)
The first PowerBook G3, nicknamed Kanga, brought a G3 chip on the go.
PowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet)
A black, bulging powerhouse with big screens and a bay for everything.
PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard, Lombard)
Slimmer, lighter and with USB, it traded black for a bronze keyboard.