PowerBook 5300
Encyclopedia
The PowerBook 5300 series was the first generation of PowerBook
laptop
s manufactured by Apple Computer
to use the PowerPC
processor. Released in August 1995, these PowerBooks were notable for being the first to feature hot-swappable
expansion modules for a variety of different units such as ZIP drive
s; PC card
slots as standard; and an infrared
communication port. In common with most preceding Macintosh portables, SCSI
, Serial
, and ADB
ports were available as standard. An internal expansion slot was also available for installing a variety of modules including Ethernet
and video card
s to drive a second monitor in mirroring or dual-screen
modes.
Although a significant advance over preceding portable Macs, the PowerBook 5300 suffered from a number of design decisions and manufacturing problems that have led to it being cited as among the worst Apple products of all time. Amongst other issues, it was one of the first laptops to suffer negative publicity from battery fires, and featured a hot-swappable drive bay with insufficient space for an internal CD-ROM drive.
used an identical casing and shared many features and internal components, but used the older and slower Motorola 68LC040 processor instead, which could be upgraded to a full PPC processor.
, while some users were simply unimpressed with the specifications of the machine and its lackluster performance. Some systems, after heavy use, would develop hinge problems; cracking of the hinge covers, as well as internal ribbon cables wearing/tearing and causing the display to show vertical lines and occasionally blackout completely. This problem existed on earlier Powerbook models as well, most notably the Powerbook 500 series (including 520, 540c and the black-cased, higher-spec Japan-only 550c)
that would have been used with the PowerBook 5300 series, but finished versions of this device were never released. Instead, it was planned that the 5300 series would use 3.5 inch magneto-optical drive
modules initially, with the option of releasing a stretched version a year or two later that had space for a full-sized CD-ROM drive.
manufactured lithium ion batteries
had overheated while recharging. Apple recalled the 5300s sold (around a hundred machines) and replaced the batteries on these and all subsequent 5300s with nickel metal hydride
batteries that provided only about 70% the endurance. At the time, the media viewed the problems with the PowerBook 5300 series as yet another example of Apple's decline.
expansion modules. On the other hand, the 3400 series were substantially different machines on the inside, featuring things like DMA
and PCI
architecture. The first series of PowerBook G3 portables released in November 1997 were internally even more advanced, being built around the PowerPC G3
processor, though they still retained the basic PowerBook 5300 form factor. Apple did not introduce portables with an entirely new form factor until March 1998 with the release of the "Wallstreet" G3 PowerBooks.
PowerBook
The PowerBook was a line of Macintosh laptop computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1991 to 2006. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and redesigns, often being the first to incorporate features that would later become...
laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
s manufactured by Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
to use the PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
processor. Released in August 1995, these PowerBooks were notable for being the first to feature hot-swappable
Hot swapping
Hot swapping and hot plugging are terms used to describe the functions of replacing computer system components without shutting down the system...
expansion modules for a variety of different units such as ZIP drive
Zip drive
The Zip drive is a medium-capacity removable disk storage system that was introduced by Iomega in late 1994. Originally, Zip disks launched with capacities of 100 MB, but later versions increased this to first 250 MB and then 750 MB....
s; PC card
PC card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...
slots as standard; and an infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
communication port. In common with most preceding Macintosh portables, SCSI
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
, Serial
Serial port
In computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...
, and ADB
Apple Desktop Bus
Apple Desktop Bus is an obsolete bit-serial computer bus connecting low-speed devices to computers. Used primarily on the Macintosh platform, ADB equipment is still available but not supported by most Apple hardware manufactured since 1999....
ports were available as standard. An internal expansion slot was also available for installing a variety of modules including Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
and video card
Video card
A video card, Graphics Card, or Graphics adapter is an expansion card which generates output images to a display. Most video cards offer various functions such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D graphics, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors...
s to drive a second monitor in mirroring or dual-screen
Multi monitor
Multi-Monitor, also called Multi-Display and Multi-Head, is the use of multiple physical display devices, such as monitors, televisions, and projectors, in order to increase the area available for computer programs running on a single computer system...
modes.
Although a significant advance over preceding portable Macs, the PowerBook 5300 suffered from a number of design decisions and manufacturing problems that have led to it being cited as among the worst Apple products of all time. Amongst other issues, it was one of the first laptops to suffer negative publicity from battery fires, and featured a hot-swappable drive bay with insufficient space for an internal CD-ROM drive.
Specifications
There were four models in the 5300 series, ranging from the low-end greyscale 5300 to the deluxe high resolution TFT-equipped 5300ce:| Model | Display | CPU clock | Standard RAM | Retail price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PowerBook 5300 | 640x480 pixel passive matrix greyscale LCD Liquid crystal display A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly.... |
100 MHz | 8 MB | US$2300 |
| PowerBook 5300cs | 10.4" 640x480 pixel passive matrix color LCD | 100 MHz | 8/16 MB | US$2900 |
| PowerBook 5300c | 10.4" 640x480 pixel active matrix Active-matrix liquid crystal display An active matrix liquid crystal display is a type of flat panel display, currently the overwhelming choice of notebook computer manufacturers, due to low weight, very good image quality, wide color gamut and response time... color LCD |
100 MHz | 8/16 MB | US$3900 |
| PowerBook 5300ce | 10.4" 800x600 pixel active matrix color LCD | 117 MHz | 16 MB | US$6800 |
Design
The PowerBook 5300 was designed during 1993 and 1994 under the codename M2. Compared with the preceding PowerBook 500 series, the 5300 was explicitly designed to be as small as possible (which precluded the use of a CD-ROM drive) and featured a more compact but less curvy design. Pop-out feet were used instead of the rotating rocker-style feet typical of earlier PowerBooks, and a slightly darker shade of grey was used for the plastic casing. The PowerBook 190PowerBook 190
The PowerBook 190 and its companion PowerBook 190cs are laptop computers manufactured by Apple Computer as part of their PowerBook brand, introduced to the market in August 1995. The two models differ only in their screen: The 190 had a 9.5" greyscale display, while the 190cs featured a 10.4" color...
used an identical casing and shared many features and internal components, but used the older and slower Motorola 68LC040 processor instead, which could be upgraded to a full PPC processor.
Problems
For a variety of reasons, the PowerBook 5300 series has been viewed as a disappointment. Problems with cracked cases and overheating batteries prompted several recallsProduct recall
A product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. The recall is an effort to limit liability for corporate negligence and to improve or avoid damage to publicity...
, while some users were simply unimpressed with the specifications of the machine and its lackluster performance. Some systems, after heavy use, would develop hinge problems; cracking of the hinge covers, as well as internal ribbon cables wearing/tearing and causing the display to show vertical lines and occasionally blackout completely. This problem existed on earlier Powerbook models as well, most notably the Powerbook 500 series (including 520, 540c and the black-cased, higher-spec Japan-only 550c)
Lack of L2 cache
Although the PowerPC 603e processor built into the 5300 series was relatively fast for its time, because these machines lacked a Level 2 cache, real world performance was much less than the CPU frequency would suggest.Expansion bay options
The variety of expansion bay options available was wide, but because of the size and shape of the computer, fitting a CD-ROM drive into the available space wasn't possible. Apple had a prototype CD-ROM module compatible with non-standard 80 mm disksMini CD
Mini CDs, or “pocket CDs” are CDs with a smaller diameter and one third the capacity.-Formats:Amongst the various formats are the* Mini CD single, a small disc. The format is mainly used for audio CD singles in certain regions , much like the old vinyl single...
that would have been used with the PowerBook 5300 series, but finished versions of this device were never released. Instead, it was planned that the 5300 series would use 3.5 inch magneto-optical drive
Magneto-optical drive
A magneto-optical drive is a kind of optical disc drive capable of writing and rewriting data upon a magneto-optical disc. Both 130 mm and 90 mm form factors exist. The technology was introduced commercially in 1985...
modules initially, with the option of releasing a stretched version a year or two later that had space for a full-sized CD-ROM drive.
Batteries
Two early production PowerBook 5300s caught fire, one at an Apple employee's house and another at the factory; it turned out that the SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
manufactured lithium ion batteries
Lithium ion battery
A lithium-ion battery is a family of rechargeable battery types in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge, and back when charging. Chemistry, performance, cost, and safety characteristics vary across LIB types...
had overheated while recharging. Apple recalled the 5300s sold (around a hundred machines) and replaced the batteries on these and all subsequent 5300s with nickel metal hydride
NIMH
NIMH or NiMH may refer to:*Nickel-metal hydride battery, a type of rechargeable battery*National Institute of Mental Health, a part of the United States National Institutes of Health...
batteries that provided only about 70% the endurance. At the time, the media viewed the problems with the PowerBook 5300 series as yet another example of Apple's decline.
Legacy
Apple's next high-end series of portables, the PowerBook 3400 series introduced in February 1997, shared an almost identical form factor with the 5300, right down to being able to share many of the same hot-swappableHot swapping
Hot swapping and hot plugging are terms used to describe the functions of replacing computer system components without shutting down the system...
expansion modules. On the other hand, the 3400 series were substantially different machines on the inside, featuring things like DMA
Direct memory access
Direct memory access is a feature of modern computers that allows certain hardware subsystems within the computer to access system memory independently of the central processing unit ....
and PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect
Conventional PCI is a computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer...
architecture. The first series of PowerBook G3 portables released in November 1997 were internally even more advanced, being built around the PowerPC G3
PowerPC G3
The PowerPC 7xx is a family of third generation 32-bit PowerPC microprocessors designed and manufactured by IBM and Motorola . This family is called the PowerPC G3 by its well-known customer Apple Computer...
processor, though they still retained the basic PowerBook 5300 form factor. Apple did not introduce portables with an entirely new form factor until March 1998 with the release of the "Wallstreet" G3 PowerBooks.