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PowerBook 3400c

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PowerBook 3400c
PowerBook 3400c (Neale Monks)
PowerBook 3400c (Neale Monks, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Specifications
ManufacturerApple Computer, Inc.
TypeNotebook computer
Released17 February 1997
DiscontinuedNovember 1997
Intro priceUS$4,499 to US$6,499
CPUPowerPC 603e at 180, 200 or 240 MHz; 256K L2 cache
Memory16 MB EDO DRAM on the logic board; one RAM card slot; 144 MB maximum
Storage2.5-inch ATA hard disk, 1.3-3 GB; floppy drive or CD-ROM drive in the expansion bay
Display12.1-inch active-matrix colour LCD, 800 × 600, thousands of colours
Sound—
ROM4 MB
PowerLithium-ion battery (NiMH optional); 45 W power adapter
Dimensions2.4 × 11.5 × 9.5 in
Weight7.2 lb (3.2 kg) with floppy drive; 7.4 lb (3.3 kg) with CD-ROM drive
OS / FirmwareMac OS 7.6 to Mac OS 9
PredecessorPowerBook 5300
CodenameHooper

The PowerBook 3400c is Apple's high-end notebook of 1997, introduced on 17 February in 180, 200 and 240 MHz models. It has a PowerPC 603e with 256K of level 2 cache, a PCI-based logic board, a 12.1-inch 800 × 600 active-matrix display, four speakers, an expansion bay for a floppy or CD-ROM drive, and a lithium-ion battery.[1][2] Its development code name was Hooper.[3] It was sold until November 1997, and Apple built the first PowerBook G3 on the same design.[4][1]

Models

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PowerBook 3400c configurations[1]
Model Introduced Processor Hard disk Expansion bay drive Networking
3400c/180 February 1997 180 MHz 603e 1 GB (Service Source); 1.3 GB (Apple specifications) Floppy; 6x CD-ROM optional Modem in some configurations
3400c/200 February 1997 200 MHz 603e 2 GB Floppy and 6x CD-ROM Ethernet/modem card
3400c/240 March 1997 240 MHz 603e 3 GB Floppy and 12x CD-ROM Ethernet/modem card

All three have 16 MB of RAM on the logic board.[1] Low End Mac gives launch prices of US$4,499 for the basic 3400c/180, US$4,999 for a 3400c/180 with Ethernet, modem and CD-ROM, and US$6,499 for the 3400c/240.[3]

Specifications

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Apple's specifications for the PowerBook 3400c[1]
Item Specification
Processor PowerPC 603e at 180, 200 or 240 MHz; 256K level 2 cache
RAM 16 MB EDO on the logic board, expandable to 144 MB
ROM 4 MB
Video RAM 2 MB (Low End Mac gives 1 MB[3])
Display 12.1-inch active-matrix SVGA colour, 800 × 600, thousands of colours
Storage 2.5-inch hard drive (1.3, 2.0 or 3 GB on the 3400c); removable 1.44 MB floppy drive and 6x or 12x CD-ROM drive in the expansion bay
Ports HDI-30 SCSI with SCSI disk mode; two PC Card slots, the lower with zoom video; ADB; serial (GeoPort); sound in and out; infrared (230 kbit/s IRTalk, 1 Mbit/s IrDA); video for Apple, VGA and SVGA monitors up to 1024 × 768; security connector
Sound 16-bit stereo; four built-in speakers, two in the display and two above the keyboard
Keyboard 76 keys (US), 77 keys (ISO), 12 function keys
Main battery Lithium-ion, 2-4 hours; NiMH battery optional
Backup battery 60 mAh rechargeable NiMH, keeping the clock and, for a few minutes, the contents of RAM while the main battery is changed in sleep
Power adapter 100-240 V AC, 50-60 Hz
Size 2.4 in high (printed as 65.6 mm), 11.5 in (293 mm) wide, 9.5 in (239.5 mm) deep
Weight 7.2 lb (3.2 kg) with floppy drive; 7.4 lb (3.3 kg) with CD-ROM drive
PowerBook 3400c logic board connectors (Service Source)
The 3400c logic board and its connectors (Service Source, PDF p. 21)

Hardware

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The 3400c was Apple's first PowerBook built around PCI.[3] Its developer note describes a 64-bit processor bus, an internal PCI slot for the Ethernet or Ethernet and modem card, DMA for sound, disk and SCSI, and an expansion bay that accepts PCI-based modules as well as the 3.5-inch modules made for the PowerBook 5300 and PowerBook 190.[5][4] Main power comes from a separate power supply board that plugs into the logic board, as on the 5300.[1]

The main battery is lithium-ion; a NiMH battery was offered as an option. A 3400c battery fits a 5300 or 190 but is neither recognised nor charged there, and a PowerBook G3 battery may need a software update to work in a 3400c.[1] The backup battery is a 60 mAh NiMH pack stuck with reusable adhesive to the underside of the brightness and speaker grill above the keyboard.[1] MacDat lists the 3400c among laptops whose NiMH backup packs leak, and one owner reports a 3400's power distribution board ruined by electrolyte that wicked along the battery wire.[6][7]

PowerBook 3400c backup battery on speaker grill (Service Source)
The backup battery on the underside of the brightness and speaker grill (Service Source, PDF p. 100)

Known problems

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  • The display cable working loose. Apple's Service Source reports that on some machines the display cable worked loose from its logic board connector, leaving no picture or no backlight. Apple's fix was a new brightness and speaker grill, part 922-2488, which carries a foam gasket that holds the connector down.[1] The cable also wraps round the right display clutch on its way into the lid.[1]
  • Shutdowns on battery when the machine is jostled, from poor battery contact; Apple supplied a foam gasket kit (076-0706) for the battery bay.[1]
  • Leaking NiMH backup batteries, as above.[6]
  • Original IBM Travelstar drives that stick and make siren-like noises from the voice coil before freeing.[8]
  • Ageing electrolytic capacitors on the DC power board; see PowerBook 3400c Capacitor Replacement Guide.

Fault-finding is on PowerBook 3400c Troubleshooting.

Maintenance and repair

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Documentation

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PowerBook 3400c and G3 exploded view, bottom (Service Source)
Apple's exploded view of the bottom assembly with part numbers (Service Source, PDF p. 209)
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References

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  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Apple Computer, PowerBook 3400c/PowerBook G3 Service Source (210 pp., this copy last modified August 1999), hosted here as File:PowerBook 3400c and PowerBook G3 Service Source.pdf (see PowerBook 3400c and PowerBook G3 Service Source). PDF page numbers: Hot Issues pp. 3-9 (display cable p. 7, battery gasket pp. 8-9); product overview and configurations pp. 11-14; front, rear and logic board views pp. 19-21; video connector p. 22; battery information pp. 23-26; specifications pp. 31-43; symptom charts pp. 46-76; startup flowchart pp. 77-78; Take Apart pp. 80-194; Additional Procedures pp. 196-207; Exploded View pp. 209-210.
  2. ↑ Apple, "Macintosh PowerBook 3400c/180: Technical Specifications" (retrieved 2026-10-02). 603e at 180 MHz, 256K L2; 16 MB on board, 16-144 MB, EDO; battery type 32 Wh lithium-ion; introduced 2/17/1997; 7.2 lb; 2.4 × 11.5 × 9.5 in; ROM 4 MB; original system 7.6; Mac OS 7.6 to 9; 1.3 GB ATA hard disk; Gestalt ID 306. The 3400c/200 (SP175) and 3400c/240 (SP176) pages give 2 GB and 3 GB disks and 6x and 12x CD-ROM drives.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Low End Mac, "PowerBook 3400c" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Code name Hooper; introduced 17 February 1997 at US$4,499 (180 MHz, no Ethernet, modem or CD-ROM), US$4,999 (180 MHz with Ethernet, modem and 6x CD-ROM) and US$6,499 (240 MHz with 12x CD-ROM); 1 MB VRAM; power supply M4896 or M4895; Password Security and At Ease cautions; ATA-6 drive warning. Secondary source.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wikipedia, "PowerBook 3400c" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Sold from February to November 1997; the first PowerBook with PCI and EDO memory; code name Hooper; CardBus use of the PC Card slots. Used for history only.
  5. ↑ Apple Computer, Developer Note: Macintosh PowerBook 3400 Computer (launch draft, copyright 1996), hosted here as File:PowerBook 3400 Developer Note (launch draft, 1996).pdf (see PowerBook 3400 Developer Note). Features, chapter 1: 603ev at 180 or 200 MHz; 256 KB L2; 64-bit processor bus; RAM card to 128 MB for 144 MB; 1.3 or 2 GB IDE disk; 12.1-inch SVGA display; internal PCI expansion slot; expansion bay accepting 5300 and 190 modules; DMA; 45 W adapter; 6.7 lb with a PC Card holder in the bay, 7.1 lb with a floppy drive; 11.5 × 9.4 × 2.4 in.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 MacDat Knowledge Base, "Vintage Laptop CMOS Battery Leaks" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Apple models with leaking NiCd or NiMH backup packs: PowerBook 150, 2400c and 3400c. Secondary source.
  7. ↑ TinkerDifferent forum thread "CMOS Battery PSA - mid 90s-early 2000s laptops affected!", starlite, Stinkerton18 and others, October 2022 to August 2024. Varta NiMH backup packs leaking in PowerBook 150, 2400 and 3400 machines; a PowerBook 3400c/200 pack beginning to leak; a PB3400 power distribution board ruined by leakage that wicked along the battery wire. Community experience.
  8. ↑ TinkerDifferent forum thread "PowerBook 3400 siren song", Elemenoh, starlite and others, May-June 2024. A 3400 that chimed then made siren noises until its hard disk was disconnected; the IBM Travelstar drive was stuck and started after a knock; the DC board and logic board recapped (three capacitors) without effect. Community experience.


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