PowerBook 5300
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| PowerBook 5300 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer |
| Introduced | August 25, 1995 |
| Discontinued | August 3, 1996 |
| Price | US$2300 - 6800 |
| CPU | PowerPC 603e, 100 - 117 MHz |
| RAM | 8 MB, expandable to 64 MB, 70 ns unique DRAM card |
| OS | System 7.5.2 |
The PowerBook 5300 series was the first generation of PowerBook laptops manufactured by Apple Computer to use the PowerPC processor. They were released in August of 1995, and even though they had some desirable characteristics, they are commonly regarded as one of the worst Apple products of all time due to a series of severe problems with the first units produced.
The 5300 shared its compact and accessible case with the PowerBook 190. All models shared a high degree of expandability, with up to 64 MB of RAM, 2 PCMCIA slots, SCSI, ADB and IR ports, a module slot (with floppy drive, ZIP drive, MO drive or an internal power supply unit available for it) and an internal expansion slot, for which a module with an Ethernet port and a video card to drive a second monitor in dual screen mode was available.
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[edit] Specifications
There were four models in the 5300 series, ranging from the affordable 5300 to the high resolution TFT-equipped 5300ce:
| Model | Display | CPU clock | Standard RAM | Retail price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PowerBook 5300 | 640x480 pixel passive matrix greyscale LCD | 100 MHz | 8 MB | US$2300 |
| PowerBook 5300cs | 640x480 pixel passive matrix color LCD | 100 MHz | 8/16 MB | US$2900 |
| PowerBook 5300c | 640x480 pixel active matrix color LCD | 100 MHz | 8/16 MB | US$3900 |
| PowerBook 5300ce | 800x600 pixel active matrix color LCD | 117 MHz | 16 MB | US$6800 |
[edit] Problems
A problem was the PowerPC 603e CPU: Apple chose not to include a Level 2 cache on the 5300 series, making the machine slower than the raw CPU frequency would suggest [1]. Other state-of-the-art features (swappable modules, large RAM and TFT resolutions above 640x480 were luxury-priced rarities at the time) were overshadowed by a number of serious mishaps in the first units delivered. Many 5300s did not survive transport and were "dead on arrival"; a few units used at Apple actually burst into flames [2] due to problems with then-novel Lithium Ion batteries made by Sony (earning the 5300 the nicknames "FireBook", and "HindenBook", after the Hindenburg disaster). While no consumer models suffered this fate, Apple was forced to recall the entire product line and delay its availability while they downgraded to proven nickel metal hydride batteries; there were further problems with a number of components which Apple had to address with a repair program that continued for seven years, far beyond the original warranty time. Adding insult to injury was the fact that Apple had arranged product placement in both Mission: Impossible and Independence Day[3], two of the biggest blockbusters of 1996, when the product was not available in stores because of batteries that "fail catastrophically"[4].
Even though these emergency measures could fix most problems with the 5300 family (many issues are resolved with an operating system upgrade[1]), and many units were still in use well after the year 2000 due to their expandibility, the series never managed to get rid of its bad reputation. In October 1996 Apple introduced a successor in the form of the PowerBook 1400, even though the new PowerBook did not exceed the old one in most specifications (the biggest change was the addition of a CD-ROM drive, which had the disadvantage of making the 1400 significantly larger than the compact 5300). The PowerBook 3400 series introduced in the February of 1997 had a slot that could use modules built for the 5300, but apart from DMA and slightly faster processors it still had few new features. That makes the PowerBook 5300 an example for the damage introduction problems can do to the reputation of a remarkable product (and of the whole company), even long after they have been resolved.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b lowendmac.com: Road Apples: PowerBook 5300
- ^ pbzone.com: Flaming PowerBooks
- ^ informedusa.com: Apple Ties in with 20th Century Fox "Independence Day"
- ^ TidBits.com: Battery Problem Sidelines PowerBook 5300s
[edit] External links and references
- This article is based on a translation of an article from the German Wikipedia.
- Apple's datasheets: 5300, 5300cs, 5300c, 5300ce
- apple-history.com: 5300, 5300cs, 5300c, 5300ce,
- lowendmac.com: 5300 series specs
