PowerBooks &iBooks

PowerBook 5300

Got a PowerBook? Join our PowerBooks Group.
Our Mac OS 9 Group is for anyoneusing Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.

The PowerBook 5300 was Apple's first PowerBook based on a PowerPC CPU.Due to problems with the original (flaming) LithIon battery (whichwas recalled before it reached the consumer market),plastic chipping from the case, and poor performance (among otherthings), we label it a Compromised Mac. (It was also the butt ofa lot of jokes.)

Still, despite limitations, the 5300 is a nice portable.Upgrading to Mac OS 8.1 or later makes it rock solid - and it's alot smaller than the PowerBook G3Series with its huge 14.1" screen.

The top-end $6,500 5300ce was the first PowerBook with an 800x 600 display. Earlier PowerBooks had been limited by 640 x 400and 640 x 480 displays.

By modern standards, its biggest drawback is probably the 64 MBmemory ceiling, which can be overcome using RAM Doubler or VirtualMemory.

PowerBook HardDrives: The Essential Upgrade notes that there may becompatibility issues with EIDE drives larger than 8.2 GB, althoughthis may be resolved by partitioning or using Mac OS 8.6 orlater.

Warning

According to the Road Warrior and Other World Computing, the drive controller in pre-G4PowerBooks is incompatible with ATA-6/Ultra ATA-100 hard drives.

Details

introduced 1995.08.25 at $6,500 (5300ce); discontinued1996.08.03
requires System 7.5.2 (with PowerBook 5300 Enabler) through9.1
CPU: 100 or 117 MHz PPC 603e
ROM: 4 MB
RAM: 8-32 MB standard, expandable to 64 MB
Level 2 cache: none
displays:
- 640 x 480 9.5" 85 ppi grayscale active matrix with 16 shades
- 640 x 480 10.4" 77 ppi color dual scan with 16-bit color
- 800 x 600 10.4" 96 ppi color active matrix with 16-bit color
video out: VID-14, requires cable (Apple P/N M3927LL/A), 512 KBVRAM (1 MB on some models, which provides 16-bit video), supports8-bit video at 640 x 480 and832 x 624, 4-bit video at 640 x 870 and 1024 x 768
hard drive: 500 MB, 750 MB, or 1.1GB EIDE
expansion bay: same as PowerBook 190
ADB: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
serial: 1 DIN-8 RS-422 port on back of computer
PC Card slots: 2
SCSI: HDI30 connector on back of computer
PC Card slots: 2 Type II (accepts one Type III card)
infrared: only supports Apple's IRtalk
size: 2.0-2.2 x 11.5 x 8.5"
weight: 5.9-6.2 pounds
Gestalt ID: 128
family number: M3135
power supply: M3747 or M3037

Online Resources

Best classic MacOS deals. Best online prices for System 6, 7.1, 7.5.x, Mac OS 7.6,8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 9.0, 9.2.2, and other versions.
Low End Mac'sCompleat Guide to Mac OS 9, 2008 edition, Charles Moore,Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.12. Declared dead by Steve Jobs 6years ago, Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic softwarehasn't kept up with Web changes. What Macs support OS 9, where to buyit, and how to update to version 9.2.2.
WiFi cardsfor PowerBooks with PC Card slots, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum,2008.08.12. PC Card and CardBus 802.11b and 802.11g cards known to becompatible with Apple's PowerBooks.
Environmentallyresponsible retirement for old Macs, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in MacDevelopment, 2008.06.13. After you've scavenged what useful parts youcan from your old Mac, what's the most environmentally friendly way todispose of the rest?
What's thebest Mac OS for your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles Moore,'Book Value, 2008.08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for yourPowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
WiFi PC Cards forPowerBooks running Mac OS 9, MetaPhyzx, Mac Daniel, 2009.03.10.PCMCIA cards and drivers reported to be compatible with the Classic MacOS.
Mac 'Book powermanagement adventures, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.05.19. Ifyour 'Book won't power up, shuts down while your working, or has otherpower issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear thingsup.
Why youshould partition your Mac's hard drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings,2008.12.11. "At the very least, it makes sense to have a secondpartition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you haveproblems with your work partition, you can boot from the 'emergency'partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics."
Every workingcomputer is useful to someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac,2008.11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, itcould be all the computer someone needs.
Mac notebook share up 60% in US,Apple refurbs a great deal, RIP PowerBook G4, and more, The 'BookReview, 2008.09.19. Also speculation on next generation MacBooks,refreshing a WallStreet, running a PowerBook 5300 from flash memory, 3Gmodem sale booming, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
Portable Mac as primary vs.secondary computer, looking at ThinkPad design, and more, CharlesMoore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.17. Also learning from the MacPortable, upgrading a PowerBook 5300, another free app to assuremaintenance routines are run, and more.
CreatingClassic Mac boot floppies in OS X, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat,2008.08.07. Yes, it is possible to create a boot floppy for the ClassicMac OS using an OS X Mac that doesn't have Classic. Here's how.
The compressed airkeyboard repair, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings,2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn't working as well as it once did,blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
Praise for Opera, low cost iBookmobo replacement, IrDA and IRtalk, WaMCom recommended, and more,Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.18. Also the use of'compleat', booting from CD, new Toshiba 1.8" drives too thick for MBA,and PowerPC support and Snow Leopard.
OS X for PCs, Mac mini with HDTV,802.11n options, upgrading from Mac OS 9, and more, Dan Knight, LowEnd Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.22. Also reviving a dead PowerBook 5300,Lucida Grande, external FireWire SuperDrive advice, OS X and theDeskWriter, and royalties.
EmpowerBook, TamaraKeel, Digital Fossils, 2008.04.22. The goal: distraction-free writingon the go. But which PowerBook or iBook is best for the job?
Wireless FAQ for OlderApple PowerBook Computers. Resources to help you to install andmaintain 802.11b/g wireless PC Cards on older PowerBook computers.
TheComplete and Utter Guide to PC Cards and Expansion Bays on thePowerBook, Insanely Great. All about the PCMCIA, PC Card, orCardBus slots used in various PowerBooks.
Solving Macstartup problems, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.12. When yourold Mac won't boot, the most likely culprits are a dead PRAM battery ora failed (or failing) hard drive.
Better and safer surfing withInternet Explorer and the Classic Mac OS, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel,2007.11.06. Tips on which browsers work best with different Mac OSversions plus extra software to clean cookies and caches, detectviruses, handle downloads, etc.
My PowerBook pilgrimage, 1996 topresent, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.09.24.Starting with a grayscale PowerBook 5300 bought end-of-life in late1996, the author has used six different 'Book models over the past 11years
Mac System 7.5.5 can do anythingMac OS 7.6.1 can, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations,2007.06.04. Yes, it is possible to run Internet Explorer 5.1.7 andSoundJam with System 7.5.5. You just need to have all the updates -and make one modification for SoundJam.
Silence is golden: Runningyour existing notebook using flash memory, Dan Knight, Low EndMac Reviews, 2007.05.23. With a new adapter from Addonics, you canreplace your laptop's IDE hard drive inexpensively and bootsilently from a Compact Flash card.
Appearance Manager allowsInternet Explorer 5.1.7 to work with Mac OS 7.6.1, MaxWallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.23. Want a fairly modern browser withan old, fast operating system? Mac OS 7.6.1 plus the AppearanceManager and Internet Explorer may be just what you want.
Format any drive for older Macswith patched Apple tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations,2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Applebranded hard drives - until you apply the patches linked to thisarticle.
First Blu-ray drive for Apple's'Books, replace notebook hard drive with Compact Flash, andmore, The 'Book Review, 2007.04.13. Also 160 GB 7200 rpm harddrives, upgrading from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook, Waterfield'sflexible new Sling bag, bargain 'Books from $170 to $1,699, andmore.
PC Card WiFi for OS X PowerBooks,installing Classic for OS X, Gmail problem with Shiira, andmore, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.01.15. Alow-cost WiFi PC Card for PowerBooks running OS X, tips oninstalling Classic under Tiger, Gmail broken with Shiira 1.2.2browser, and stimulating a flashd rive on pre-USB PowerBooks.
Classic install with Tiger, OS 9browsers or plugins?, other 'fastest' Macs, and more, CharlesMoore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.01.03. Also a failed Tigerinstall via FireWire, simulating a flash drive on a 5300, Word 5.1documents in the modern world, PowerBook power supplies, Xubuntofor older Macs, and "Other Red".
Web leaving Mac OS 9 behind, Pismoand Tiger, USB for PowerBook 5300, and more, Charles Moore,Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.12.11. Also a Pismo with no video,USB vs. USB and FireWire external drive enclosures, freeWordPerfect download, and iListen in Canada.
Watch out! Getting notebookdesign wrong, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.12.07.Some notebooks have just the right mix of design, quality, andfeatures, but others fall seriously short of the ideal.
System 7 Today, advocates ofApple's 'orphan' Mac OS 7.6.1, Tommy Thomas, Welcome toMacintosh, 2006.10.26. Why Mac OS 7.6.1 is far better for 68040 andPowerPC Macs than System 7.5.x.
Reliability can't wait:Reflections of a MacBook guinea pig, Andrew J Fishkin, TheMobile Mac, 2006.09.15. Lesson learned from using a PowerBook 145B,PowerBook 5300c, Toshiba Portegé 4000, and MacBook: "let someoneelse buy the bleeding edge."
30 days of old school computing:Increasing battery life with a RAM disk, Ted Hodges, VintageMac Living, 2006.09.14. When using the hard drive, the old batteryran out of juice within 30 minutes, but running from a RAM disk itstill has a 50% charge after half an hour.
Mac OS 8 and 8.1: Maximum size,maximum convenience, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations,2006.09.11. Mac OS 8 and 8.1 add some useful new features andtools, and it can even be practical on 68030-based Macs.
Inside your notebook's battery:Ordinary AA Li-Ion cells, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.08.That expensive battery in your notebook computer probably holdsless than $30 worth of off-the-shelf AA Li-Ion batteries.
The PowerBook 5300 turns 11: Areminiscence, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings,2006.08.28. The first PowerPC PowerBook was a mixed bag with a newdesign, some very nice new features, some shortcomings, and a fewserious problems.
Customizing Mac OS 9,Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.08.01. Fiddling withthemes, picking a browser, and making the Classic Mac OS work justthe way you want it to.
Compact Flash with SCSI Macs, PB1400 CD-RW upgrade problems, and Web incompatibilities, DanKnight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2006.06.16. Suggested ways to useCompact Flash with vintage Macs and PowerBooks, problems gettingCD-RW to work with a PowerBook 1400, and more thoughts on websiteincompatibilities.
System 7.6.1 is perfect formany older Macs, John Martorana, That Old Mac Magic,2006.03.24. Want the best speed from your old Mac? System 7.6.1 cangive you that with a fairly small memory footprint - also helpfulon older Macs.
System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6: Thebeginning and end of an era, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations,2006.02.15. System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6 introduced many new featuresand greater modernity while staying within reach of most earlyMacintosh models.
Web browser tips for theclassic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence,2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla,Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic MacOS.
The best browsers for PowerPCMacs and the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, EmbracingObsolescence, 2005.12.16. Two browsers stand out from the pack: iCab 3 ismodern and remains under development, and WaMCom brings Mozilla toolder Macs.
Why you should use Mac OS 7.6 toget the most out of vintage Macs, Thomas Ahart, The ProductiveMac, 2005.12.12. Although you may be able to run OS 8 or 9 on yourold Mac, you'll generally find better performance using Mac OS7.6.
The PowerBook 190: Still a greatlittle laptop, Caleb Cupples, My Turn, 2005.12.01. ThePowerBook 190 is relatively small, relatively light, fast enough,and cheap enough to carry everywhere.
Flash memory improvesPowerBook, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2002.11.14. Using CompactFlash to boot, save files, run silently, extend battery life, andas virtual memory on a PowerBook.
The 10 worstMacs ever built, Remy Davison, Insanely Great Mac,2001.08.06
MacintoshPowerBook 5300 Series, Remy Davison, MacConsulting
SCSI and FireWire Disk Modes,Paulo Rodrigues, Tangerine Fusion, 2000.11.29. How to use SCSI DiskMode and FireWire Target Disk Mode for ultrafast filetransfers.
DV's PowerBook 5300 Info Page. Includes tips on repairing thepower connector on the PB 5300 and PB 190.
PowerBook 5300 exposed, Charles Moore, Road Warrior, MacOpinion, 2000.09.05. The PowerBook 5300 gets fixed under Apple'srepair extension.
PowerBook history, AdamRobert Guha, Apple Archive, 2000.05.12. A history of portable Macsfrom 1989 through 1996.
PowerBook 5300cInternet performance analysis, Steve Martin.
Replacement screen for a5300, Julie Fugett, Mac Daniel, 2000.03.27
Recovering a stolenPowerBook, The 'Book Page. One user'sexperience.
PowerBook 5300memory pricing, ramseeker
FlamingPowerBooks, The PowerBook Zone
PowerBooks emaillist
PowerBook5300 Revisited, Charles Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion,1998.12.04
Technical specifications for 5300/100,5300c/100,5300cs/100,and 5300ce/117,Apple Knowledge Base Archive

Cautions

From AppleKnoweldge Base Archive Article 19358: There is a known issuewith the password security feature on the PowerBook 5300 and 190series computers. This issue is resolved by installing the System7.5 Update 2.0 which includes the Password Security 1.0.3 controlpanel.
PowerBooks with EDI hard drives do not provide SCSI terminationpower, depending on external SCSI devices to provide it. For moredetails, see SCSI TerminationPower.

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Opinions expressed are those of their authors and may not reflect the opinion of Cobweb Publishing. Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all.
Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2013 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Low End Mac, LowEndMac, and lowendmac.com are trademarks of Cobweb Publishing Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPad, iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, Mac Pro, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
Please report errors to .
LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it, and we don't share the information we have with others. For more details, see our Terms of Use.