PowerBook Buyer's Guide

PowerBook 1400c

by Steve Hildreth

The 1400c is identical to the 1400cs with the exception of the active-matrix color screen. Active-matrix screens are always better than their passive-matrix counterparts, even the dual-scan variety. However, you'll pay the price in terms of battery drain and more money out of pocket. If your work demands a top-quality display for personal or professional reasons, then go for the 1400c. This is especially true if you work with graphics-intensive applications or photographs. If you can deal with a minor amount of ghosting and a screen that is less bright, then you'll likely be satisfied with the 1400cs and save a bundle of money to boot. While the 1400-series PowerBooks are certainly slower than the 3400c and 2400c, the 117, 133, or 166 MHz PowerPC 603e processors are no slouch and will get the job done on all but the most demanding applications. For the money, especially on the used market, these laptops are a great deal. Besides, with the available G3 upgrades, you can have a very fast laptop.

Rating

At the time: A

General

  • 117-MHz PowerPC 603e
  • 133 or 166 MHz PowerPC 603e with 128K level 2 cache
  • 16MB RAM standard, maximum 64MB via one RAM slot (can piggy-back two RAM cards)
  • 750MB (1400c/117), 1GB (1400c/133), or 2.0 GB (1400c/166) hard drive
  • Sleep-swappable 6x, 8x, or 12x CD-ROM drive module

Ports

  • 1 serial
  • ADB
  • audio in
  • audio out
  • video out (optional)
  • HDI-30 SCSI
  • IR
  • 1 expansion bay
  • 2 PC card slots

Display

  • Active-matrix 1000's of colors
  • 11.3"
  • 800x600 resolution

Weight

  • 6.9 pounds with CD-ROM drive installed
  • 6.6 pounds with floppy drive installed

Battery

  • 30 watt-hour nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH)

Sound

  • 16-bit, CD-quality stereo sound capable of driving headphones or external speakers
  • Built-in speaker and integrated microphone
  • Digital-to-analog conversion sampled at 44.1, 22.05, or 11.025 kHz
  • 16-bit audio line-in for recording

Size

  • Height: 2.0 in. (5.2 cm)
  • Width: 11.5 in. (29.2 cm)
  • Depth: 9.0 in. (22.5 cm)

Apple's Specifications:

PowerBook 1400c/166
     

Logic Board Ports Power
Processor: 603e, 166 MHz
PMMU: integrated
FPU: integrated
Data Path: 64-bit, 33.3 MHz
L1 Cache: 32K
L2 Cache: 128K
2nd Processor: none
Slots: 2 Type II PC Card (1 Type III)
ADB: 1
Video: opt. mini-15
Floppy: none
SCSI: HDI-30
Geoports: none
Ethernet: none
FireWire:
Mic Type: Line In
Other Ports: Printer, Speaker,
Max Watts: 45
Amps: 1.875
BTU per Hr: 153.9
Voltage: 100-220
Freq Range: 50-60 Hz
Battery Type: PB1400, NiMH
Soft Power: yes
Memory Video Memory
Logic Board: 16 MB
RAM Slots: 1, PB1400
Min - Max RAM: 16 MB - 64 MB
Min RAM Speed: 70 ns
RAM Sizes: 8-24MB
Install in Groups of: 1
Notes: Memory expansion slot allows "piggy-backing" of up to two memory cards.
Resolution Video Memory
built-in LCD screen
(built in)
512 x 384 n/a-bit
640 x 400 n/a-bit
640 x 480 n/a-bit
800 x 600 16-bit
832 x 624 n/a-bit
1024 x 768 n/a-bit
1152 x 870 n/a-bit
1280 x 1024 n/a-bit
Physical Software Storage
Introduced: 7/14/1997
Discontinued: n/a
Form Factor: PowerBook 1400
Gestalt ID: 310
Weight (lbs): 6.6
Dimensions (in): 2 H x 11.5 W x 9 D
Addressing Modes: 32-bit
Orig SSW: 7.6.1
Orig Enabler: none
ROM ID: $077D
ROM Ver: n/a
ROM Size: 4MB
AppleTalk Ver: n/a
Mac OS
Supported:
7.6.1
8.0
Floppy Size: 1.44MB
Floppy Inject: manual
Min. Int HD Size: 2GB
Int HD Interface: ATA
Orig CD Speed 8x
Int CD Support: yes

PowerBook 1400c/133
     

Logic Board Ports Power
Processor: 603e, 133 MHz
PMMU: integrated
FPU: integrated
Data Path: 64-bit, 33.3 MHz
L1 Cache: 32K
L2 Cache: 128K
2nd Processor: none
Slots: 2 Type II PC Card (1 Type III)
ADB: 1
Video: opt. mini-15
Floppy: none
SCSI: HDI-30
Geoports: none
Ethernet: none
FireWire:
Mic Type: Line in
Other Ports: Printer, Speaker,
Max Watts: 45
Amps: 1.875
BTU per Hr: 153.9
Voltage: 100-220
Freq Range: 50-60 Hz
Battery Type: PB1400, NiMH
Soft Power: yes
Memory Video Memory
Logic Board: 16 MB
RAM Slots: 1, PB1400
Min - Max RAM: 16 MB - 64 MB
Min RAM Speed: 70 ns
RAM Sizes: 8-24 MB
Install in Groups of: 1
Notes: Memory expansion slot allows "piggy-backing" of up to two memory cards.
Resolution Video Memory
built-in LCD screen
(built in)
512 x 384 n/a-bit
640 x 400 n/a-bit
640 x 480 n/a-bit
800 x 600 16-bit
832 x 624 n/a-bit
1024 x 768 n/a-bit
1152 x 870 n/a-bit
1280 x 1024 n/a-bit
Physical Software Storage
Introduced: 10/1/1996
Discontinued: n/a
Form Factor: PowerBook 1400
Gestalt ID: 310
Weight (lbs): 6.6
Dimensions (in): 2 H x 11.5 W x 9 D
Addressing Modes: 32-bit
Orig SSW: 7.5.3
Orig Enabler: PowerBook 1400 Enabler
ROM ID: $077D
ROM Ver: n/a
ROM Size: 4MB
AppleTalk Ver: n/a
Mac OS
Supported:
7.5.3
7.6
7.6.1
8.0
Floppy Size: 1.44MB
Floppy Inject: manual
Min. Int HD Size: 1, 1.3GB
Int HD Interface: ATA
Orig CD Speed 6x, 8x
Int CD Support: yes

PowerBook 1400c/117
     

Logic Board Ports Power
Processor: 603e, 117 MHz
PMMU: integrated
FPU: integrated
Data Path: 64-bit, 33.3 MHz
L1 Cache: 32K
L2 Cache: none
2nd Processor: none
Slots: 2 Type II PC Card (1 Type III)
ADB: 1
Video: opt. mini-15
Floppy: none
SCSI: HDI-30
Geoports: none
Ethernet: none
FireWire:
Mic Type: Line in
Other Ports: Printer, Speaker,
Max Watts: 45
Amps: 1.875
BTU per Hr: 153.9
Voltage: 100-220
Freq Range: 50-60 Hz
Battery Type: PB1400, NiMH
Soft Power: yes
Memory Video Memory
Logic Board: 16MB
RAM Slots: 1, PB1400
Min - Max RAM: 32 MB - 64 MB
Min RAM Speed: 70 ns
RAM Sizes: 8-24 MB
Install in Groups of: 1
Notes: Memory expansion slot allows "piggy-backing" of up to two memory cards.
Resolution Video Memory
built-in LCD screen
(built in)
512 x 384 n/a-bit
640 x 400 n/a-bit
640 x 480 n/a-bit
800 x 600 16-bit
832 x 624 n/a-bit
1024 x 768 n/a-bit
1152 x 870 n/a-bit
1280 x 1024 n/a-bit
Physical Software Storage
Introduced: 10/1/1996
Discontinued: 7/14/1997
Form Factor: PowerBook 1400
Gestalt ID: 310
Weight (lbs): 6.6
Dimensions (in): 2 H x 11.5 W x 9 D
Addressing Modes: 32-bit
Orig SSW: 7.5.3
Orig Enabler: PowerBook 1400 Enabler
ROM ID: $077D
ROM Ver: $32
ROM Size: 4MB
AppleTalk Ver: 58.1.6
Mac OS
Supported:
7.5.3
7.6
7.6.1
8.0
Floppy Size: 1.44MB
Floppy Inject: manual
Min. Int HD Size: 1GB
Int HD Interface: ATA
Orig CD Speed 6x
Int CD Support: yes



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