Apple PowerBook 3400C (M4597LL/A) Mac Notebook

As a frequent user of both Macintosh and PC hardware, I had long been convinced that Apple's PowerBook 3400c was probably at or near the current "sweet spot" for value in a low-end laptop computer. It seemed to have what was still adequate performance, was capable of running still-current software and has an extensive feature set even by 2003 standards. Well, after thinking that for a long time, I finally put my money where my mouth (or keyboard) is, and purchased one.

It's better than I thought it was, and I expected it to be pretty good.

First, a little introduction. The PowerBook 3400c was introduced by Apple in February of 1997 as an ultra high-end laptop. The company had received a rather tepid reaction to its most recent laptop entries, the PowerBooks 5300 and 1400, and the 3400 was a reaction to that. It joined the company's notebook line as the top model, with a subnotebook (2400c) serving the mid-range and the old 1400 as the entry-level PowerBook.

For 1997, it was a monster. It came with hard drives of up to 3 GB, was capable of handling 144 MB of RAM and featured PowerPC 603ev processors at 180, 200 and 240 MHz. The 240 MHz version was faster than several of Apple's then-current desktop Macs. It came with an option for onboard Ethernet and a 28.8 modem, a 12.1-inch active-matrix screen supported by a PCI-based graphics chip, and featured an onboard sound system with four onboard speakers and a subwoofer located behind the LCD screen.

And it didn't come cheap. A maxed-out PowerBook 3400 in late 1997 would have set you back about $7,000. On the other hand, you would have owned the fastest laptop in the world at that time.

But this is 2003, not 1997, and we're talking about what it can do for you in 2003. You might be surprised.

My 3400 is the top-of-the-line 240 MHz version, with the RAM maxed out at 144 MB. Bear that in mind when reading this review; however, I found the performance to be strong enough that even the 180s and 200s should do very well with adequate RAM. Benchmarks show that the 180 gets about 75-80 percent of the CPU performance of the 240.

When I first started it up, I noticed it was somewhat slow to boot, which is apparently typical for the 3400. Once it did, I was in Mac OS 9.1 and started trying out different programs. Performance in MS Office 2001 was excellent, as was surfing the Internet under a 28.8 connection (best I can get here) and the iCab browser. (On a side note, if you can't use OS X and need a browser, try iCab. It's faster and just as functional as IE or Netscape, plus it's not made by Microsoft or AOL.) Once I was satisified with all that, I started getting bolder. We all know that Macs running the classic MacOS are lousy multitaskers, especially older ones. I decided to see what this one could handle.

I started playing an MP3 file on iTunes (WinAmp Mac worked fine too) while browsing with iCab and running Yahoo Messenger all at once. It didn't skip a beat, nor did iCab slow to a crawl. The system was completely responsive at all times. Several other combinations, involving MS Office programs, produced the same result. I made an MP3 skip by playing it in QuickTime while multitasking, but no one would ever use QuickTime for that anyway. The system was bulletproof, never skipped a beat and was surprisingly responsive.

Having tried all that out, I'd like to make a few comments on the 603ev processor used in the 3400. The 603 has a terrible reputation as an Achilles heel in Macintosh systems that use it. This isn't at all accurate, though. Apple gave the processor a bad rap by putting it in horribly engineered computers (called "Road Apples" today) that would have run lousy with a G4 installed. Anyone who has ever run into a Performa 52xx or 62xx knows what I mean. The PowerBooks 5300 and 1400 didn't help, either. All those machines used an antiquated NuBus-based subsystem designed for 680x0-processor Macs.

Once Apple got out of their cheapskate mode and put the 603 in machines with PCI-based architecture, all of a sudden it wasn't a dog anymore. The 3400, which was one of the last 603-based machines to come out, plainly shows this. Everything was designed to bring out the processor's power, and even after six years, the much-maligned CPU in this PowerBook can hold its own.

The sound system is interesting, to say the least. I believe the 3400 and its descendant, the original PowerBook G3 "Kanga", are the only laptops to ever come with a quadraphonic speaker system. That being said, the sound quality out of the speakers is just mediocre--adequate for casual listening at about FM-radio quality. Fortunately, you can hook up external speakers or headphones if you like; I recommend the Sennheiser HD-280 Pros that I previously reviewed.

You can hook up an external monitor, connect to a network via Ethernet, attach external SCSI devices through a port on the back of the computer, and use a floppy, CD-ROM or Zip 100 drive through the expansion bay. All are available from third-party vendors, if you buy one without a certain drive. These drives are "hot-swappable", meaning you can, for example, remove the floppy and plug in a CD-ROM module without crashing. Batteries for the 3400 are also easy to find; new Li-Ion batteries (about 3 hours of life) run about $30, but you can also use the older NiMH batteries designed for the 5300. Those last about 2 hours and sell for as little as $10 today.

There are two "cons" to the 3400, one of which is fixable if you have the need. The first is that the 603 processor is not upgradeable. Because of this, the much less capable PowerBook 1400 typically sells for more than a 3400 today, simply because a 1400 can be upgraded to a G3 processor. My advice would be to bypass the 1400s and pick the 3400 anyway, because the 1400 is still stuck with its outdated NuBus disk and video controllers. You're sticking a Ferrari engine in a Yugo body if you stick a G3 in a 1400, while if you buy a well-maintained 3400, you're buying a classic Ferrari. (There is one way to upgrade a 3400, which is to swap a Kanga motherboard into your case. But those are hard to find, and the Kanga board can't be upgraded past its G3-250 processor, either.)

The second "con" is that in its stock configuration, a 3400 cannot use USB and FireWire devices through PCMCIA expansion cards. Apple didn't provide support for the CardBus protocol those cards need. However, this PowerBook can support CardBus if you need it. A company called MCE Technologies makes the necessary modification, for 3400s as well as Kangas, for $99 and guarantees it will work. I haven't tried it myself, but I suspect this machine would handle USB very well.

Oh, by the way, it's a little heavy for a laptop at 7.1 pounds. It's well worth the extra weight, in my opinion. Apple has made many great computers and just as many bad ones. The 3400 was one of their finest hours.

If only I could put a G3 in there...

***Update***
One thing I forgot to mention that you might want to know about the 3400 concerns Mac OS X. The 3400, for all intents and purposes, cannot run OS X. It is possible to hack any version of X up to 10.1.5 onto a 3400 using the XPostFacto utility, but the performance is horrible. The 3400 just doesn't have enough RAM or CPU power to drive the Aqua interface. However, there are ways to "skin" OS 9 to the OS X look and feel, if you wish to do so. Visit http://www.lowendmac.com/archive/010420.html for information on that.

***Update Feb. 16, 2004***
I have discovered that the 3400c can actually run some USB and other CardBus PC cards without modification. I was able to successfully run a USB PC Card in the 3400's PCMCIA slot by installing a "hacked" version of Apple's USB Card Support 1.4.1 extension and trimming the sides of the PC card so it would fit in the older PCMCIA card cage. (MCE replaces the card cage so that Cardbus cards fit without modification, and installs the hacked software.) Visit http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Cardbus/Cardbus.html for more details on how to do what I did.