PowerBook 5300
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| PowerBook 5300 (Akbkuku, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0) | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Notebook computer |
| Released | 25 August 1995 |
| Discontinued | 3 August 1996 |
| CPU | PowerPC 603e at 100 MHz (117 MHz in the 5300ce) |
| Memory | 8, 16 or 32 MB on the logic board; one RAM card slot; 64 MB maximum |
| Storage | 2.5-inch IDE hard disk, 500 MB to 1.1 GB; 1.4 MB floppy drive in the expansion bay |
| Display | 9.5-inch greyscale (5300), 10.4-inch dual-scan colour (5300cs), 10.4-inch active-matrix colour (5300c, 5300ce) |
| Sound | — |
| ROM | 4 MB |
| Power | NiMH intelligent battery (lithium-ion before the September 1995 recall); 45 W power adapter |
| Dimensions | 2.0-2.2 × 11.5 × 8.5 in (5.1-5.6 × 29.2 × 21.6 cm) |
| Weight | 5.9-6.2 lb (2.7-2.8 kg) |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.5.2 to Mac OS 9 |
| Predecessor | PowerBook 540 |
| Successor | PowerBook 3400c |
| Codename | M2 |
The PowerBook 5300 is Apple's first PowerPC notebook, sold in four models, the 5300, 5300cs, 5300c and 5300ce, from 25 August 1995 to August 1996.[1][2][3] It has a PowerPC 603e at 100 or 117 MHz, two PC Card slots, an infrared port, a removable expansion bay for the floppy drive and other modules, and a trackpad.[4] The PowerBook 190 uses the same case and most of the same parts with a 68LC040 logic board.[4]
The 5300 shipped with lithium-ion batteries for its first few weeks. Apple recalled the machines on 14 September 1995 after two batteries failed while charging at its campus and at least one caught fire, and resumed shipping with nickel-metal-hydride batteries.[5] Later, Apple ran a Repair Extension Authorization program for cracked plastics, loose power connectors and other faults on the 5300 and 190.[6]
Models
[edit | edit source]| Model | Processor | RAM / hard disk as shipped | Display | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5300/100 | 100 MHz 603e | 8 MB / 500 MB | 9.5-inch FSTN greyscale, 16 levels, 640 × 480 | 5.9 lb (2.7 kg) |
| 5300cs/100 | 100 MHz 603e | 8 MB / 500 MB or 16 MB / 750 MB | 10.4-inch dual-scan colour (FSTN), 256 colours, 640 × 480 | 6.2 lb (2.8 kg) |
| 5300c/100 | 100 MHz 603e | 8 MB / 500 MB or 16 MB / 750 MB | 10.4-inch active-matrix colour, 640 × 480; thousands of colours with 1 MB VRAM | 6.2 lb (2.8 kg) |
| 5300ce/117 | 117 MHz 603e | 32 MB / 1.1 GB | 10.4-inch active-matrix colour, 800 × 600, thousands of colours | 6.2 lb (2.8 kg) |
Introductory prices ran from US$2,199 for the 5300 to US$6,499 for the 5300ce.[7] Low End Mac gives the 5300ce as US$6,500.[1]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | PowerPC 603e at 100 MHz (117 MHz in the 5300ce); 32-bit address and data buses. Needs System 7.5.2 or later with PowerBook Enabler 5300/2300/190 |
| RAM | 8 MB (5300), 8-16 MB (5300c, 5300cs), 32 MB (5300ce) on the logic board; up to 64 MB with a third-party RAM card |
| ROM | 2-4 MB, soldered (4 MB in the 5300)[2] |
| PRAM | 256 bytes |
| Video RAM | Logic board: 512K with passive displays, 512K or 1 MB with active-matrix displays. Video board: 512K, supports 1 MB |
| Floppy drive | 15 mm 1.4 MB Apple SuperDrive in the expansion bay |
| Hard drive | 2.5-inch IDE, 500 MB, 750 MB or 1.1 GB |
| Ports | HDI-30 SCSI; ADB (200 mA total); RS-422 serial (mini DIN-8); stereo line in; stereo headphone out; video out (DV-14) on the video board; infrared (LocalTalk); power adapter |
| PC Card | Two Type I or Type II cards, or one Type III |
| Keyboard | 76 keys (US), 77 keys (ISO), 12 function keys |
| Pointing device | Solid-state trackpad |
| Battery | One NiMH battery, 2.5-4 hours; recharge 2 hours shut down or asleep, 4 hours in use |
| Power adapter | 110-240 V AC, 50-60 Hz, 45 W |
| Size | 2.0 in (5.1 cm) high with monochrome displays, 2.2 in (5.6 cm) with colour; 11.5 in (29.2 cm) wide; 8.5 in (21.6 cm) deep |
| Clock | CMOS custom chip with long-life lithium battery |
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Hardware
[edit | edit source]Boards
[edit | edit source]The 5300 has a logic board, a separate power supply board (MacDat calls it the DC/DC board) that lifts straight off it, a PC Card cage that stays attached to the logic board, a video board for the external monitor port, an infrared board and a backup battery in a pocket of the CPU stiffener.[4] Apple's exploded view lists the power supply board as 661-1056 and the backup battery as 922-1418.[4] The hard disk is an IDE drive, not SCSI; the HDI-30 port on the back is for external SCSI devices and SCSI disk mode.[4][8]
Apple's Service Source warns that the 190/5300 series "contain the highest voltage of any PowerBooks" and that the battery must be removed and the adapter unplugged before any take-apart.[4]
Expansion bay and PC Cards
[edit | edit source]The floppy drive is a module in the expansion bay on the right side. Apple notes that bay modules need about 7 lb of pull to remove and that the bay's tolerances are tight.[4] The developer note describes the bay as taking a floppy drive, another IDE device, or a power device such as an AC adapter.[8] The PC Card cage on the back takes two Type II cards or one Type III.[4]
Batteries
[edit | edit source]The 5300 was designed around a 16.8 V lithium-ion PowerBook Intelligent Battery.[8] After the recall the series used a NiMH pack; Apple's battery check gives about 14 V for a full NiMH battery and 7.8 V for a flat one.[4] Macworld put the NiMH pack at 26 Wh against 36 Wh for the lithium-ion pack, and reported Apple's estimate of about 20 per cent less running time.[5]
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The 1995 battery recall
[edit | edit source]Two lithium-ion batteries failed while charging in 5300s plugged into AC power on Apple's main campus. In one, a cell overheated and burst from gas pressure, and its electrolyte caught fire. Apple recalled the series on 14 September 1995. About 1,000 machines had shipped, of which about 100 were with customers. Apple fitted NiMH batteries and a software extension to handle them, resumed shipping within two weeks and cut prices by about $100 per model. Macworld reported that neither Apple nor Sony, the battery's maker, knew the exact cause.[5] The NiMH packs were already being made for the PowerBook 190.[5]
Apple's repair extension
[edit | edit source]Apple's REA program for the 5300 and 190 covered five problems: an AC power connector on the logic board that could work loose, freezes when a device in the expansion bay was used with some high-power PC Cards, cracking plastics, slow booting on AC power, and devices dropping off large LocalTalk networks.[6] Depending on serial number and earlier repairs, technicians replaced the display bezel and housing, the palm rest, the logic board, the centre clutch cover, the CPU stiffener and the bottom case, and fitted a shield to the power supply board. Repaired machines carry an "AA" REA label over the serial number, or an ink date stamp.[6] Apple's 2002 Service Source says the program ran until June 2002.[4] Details are on PowerBook 5300 and 190 Repair Extension Program.
Known problems
[edit | edit source]- Cracking plastics. Under the REA Apple replaced the display bezel and housing, palm rest, centre clutch cover and bottom case. The Service Source warns that overtightening the lower two bezel screws cracks the bezel, and that tilting the display back more than 170 degrees can damage the CPU stiffener.[4][6]
- A loose or broken power jack. The jack is held to the logic board by three solder joints; owners reflow them and add glue.[9][10]
- A machine that shows only the green sleep light and does nothing else. Owners call it the "green light of death"; the reset button on the back clears it on a healthy machine, and failing power board capacitors and the jack are the usual causes.[10]
- Display ribbon cables that fail at the hinge, giving vertical lines or no picture.[7][11]
- Ageing electrolytic capacitors on the DC/DC power board.[12]
Fault-finding is on PowerBook 5300 Troubleshooting.
Maintenance and repair
[edit | edit source]These pages cover the 5300 series and the PowerBook 190:
- PowerBook 5300 General Maintenance
- PowerBook 5300 Troubleshooting
- PowerBook 5300 Capacitor Replacement Guide
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- PowerBook 190 and 5300 Series Service Source
- PowerBook 5300 and 190 Repair Extension Program
- PowerBook 5300 Developer Note
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Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Low End Mac, "PowerBook 5300" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Introduced 25 August 1995, discontinued 3 August 1996; 5300ce US$6,500; family number M3135; power supply M3747 or M3037; Li-ion battery recalled; plastics that chip; the 5300 and 190 do not supply SCSI termination power. Secondary source.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Apple, "Macintosh PowerBook 5300/100: Technical Specifications" (retrieved 2026-10-02). 603e at 100 MHz; 8 MB on board, 8-64 MB; 45 W; battery type PB5300; introduced 8/25/1995; 5.9 lb; 2 × 11.5 × 8.5 in; ROM 4 MB; original system 7.5.2; Mac OS 7.5.2 to 9; internal hard disk 500 MB, IDE; Gestalt ID 128.
- ↑ Apple, "Macintosh PowerBook 5300cs/100: Technical Specifications" (retrieved 2026-10-02). 8 or 16 MB on board; introduced 8/25/1995, discontinued 8/3/1996; 6.2 lb; 2.2 × 11.5 × 8.5 in; internal hard disk 500-750 MB.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Apple Computer, PowerBook 190/5300 Series Service Source (186 pp., this copy last modified July 2002), hosted here as File:PowerBook 190 and 5300 Series Service Source.pdf (see PowerBook 190 and 5300 Series Service Source). PDF page numbers: Product Overview pp. 3-4; configurations pp. 5-7; Repair Extension Program note p. 11; Rear Panel p. 13; screw matrix p. 14; Power Information pp. 16-19; Specifications pp. 23-38; symptom charts pp. 41-69; Take Apart pp. 73-170; Additional Procedures pp. 174-184; Exploded View p. 186.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Cary Lu, "Apple Recalls PowerBook 5300 Series", Macworld, December 1995, pp. 36-37 (vintageapple.org PDF, pp. 38-39, retrieved 2026-10-02). Recall of 14 September 1995; about 1,000 shipped and about 100 with customers; two batteries failed while charging, one cell bursting and its electrolyte catching fire; NiMH batteries of 26 Wh against 36 Wh for the Li-ion pack; price cut of about $100 per model; NiMH packs already in production for the PowerBook 190.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Apple Computer, PowerBook 5300/190 Repair Extension Authorization (REA) program manual (November 1996), hosted here as File:PowerBook 5300 and 190 Repair Extension Authorization Program.pdf (see PowerBook 5300 and 190 Repair Extension Program). Symptoms covered (p. 1); qualifying units by REA label, ink date stamp and serial number (pp. 2-4); parts and tools (pp. 5-6); procedures (pp. 7-24); final steps (pp. 25-27).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wikipedia, "PowerBook 5300" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Code name M2; introductory prices; discontinuation on 3 August 1996; ribbon cable failures causing vertical lines or a dead display; successors. Used for history only.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Apple Computer, Developer Note: Macintosh PowerBook 5300 Computer (Developer Press, 1995), hosted here as File:PowerBook 5300 Developer Note (1995).pdf (see PowerBook 5300 Developer Note). Features, chapter 1: 603e at 100 or 117 MHz; 8, 16 or 32 MB of self-refreshing DRAM and up to 56 MB on a card; IDE hard disk of 500 MB to 1.1 GB; expansion bay for a floppy drive, another IDE device or a power device; one Type III or two Type II PC Cards; LocalTalk; infrared; a 16.8 V lithium-ion PowerBook Intelligent Battery; weight 6.5 lb; 11.3 × 8.5 in.
- ↑ TinkerDifferent forum thread "PowerBook 190 power jack reflow (5300 prob similar)", MacOfAllTrades, October 2023. A 190 that lost power when the cable moved; the jack held by three through-hole joints; reflowed, extra solder on top, hot glue. Community experience.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 TinkerDifferent forum thread "PowerBook 5300C repair help :)", iPhil64, rikerjoe, starlite, Yoda and others, February-March 2023. Loose DC jack; the "green light of death" and the reset button; DC power board capacitors; RAM card seating; battery connector corrosion. Community experience.
- ↑ TinkerDifferent forum thread "PB 5300 screen help", KingDingus and retr01, August 2022. Advice to check the display ribbon for pinching at the hinges. Community experience.
- ↑ MacDat Capacitor Reference Library, "PowerBook 5300 Capacitor Reference" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Logic board one 33 µF 25 V; DC/DC power board eleven 100 µF 35 V and one 33 µF 25 V; Casio and Sharp displays; inverter board 10 µF 50 V and 2.2 µF 50 V. "A recap may bring a dead 5300 back to life if corrosion and a broken power jack are ruled out." Secondary source.