1999: I received a nice note from Road Warrior reader and PowerBook 1400 user Albert Juwono of Indonesia this week.

“Hi again Charles,

“Hope you still remember me. I almost bought a [PowerBook] 5300 few months ago after read your excellent first Road Warrior edition, but then I got the 1400cs/117 machine on a very good deal, and it has been a most useful Mac for me. Prior getting this 1400 machine, I used a PowerBook mainly for transferring my MIDI sequences from my desktop Mac to big recording studios, but now, I surf the web, do word processing, email, etc., on my PowerBook.

“I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who can appreciate passive matrix ‘Books. I found the 1400cs’ screen very nice, and I think I’m going to hold on to my 1400 for maybe a couple of years more. I like the keyboard, its footprint, its solid construction, and I think it looks pretty cool too. Recently many online stores cut 1400 upgrade card to a fairly low price. I just ordered NewerTech NU Power1400 233 MHz/512K from OWC for US$299, and can’t wait to throw out the poky 117MHz 603e cache-less processor :). After I completed my order, I saw that UpgradeStuff (http://www.upgradestuff.com) is selling them for lower price US$279 and the 216 MHz version for US$216, oh well…

“Come to think of it, I’m really glad I bought a machine with upgradeable processor. (I also upgraded my desktop G3 to 366 MHz and right now I’m experimenting with 400 MHz setting and it seems stable. The upgrade is also from OWC and cost me US$299).

“One thing missing is the CD-ROM drive. I’ve looked almost every online store I know, but none of them carry 1400 series CD-ROM drive module. Anyway, I enjoy reading your columns, keep up the good work.

“Best Regards,
Albert Juwono”

Albert’s letter inspired me to dedicate this week’s The Road Warrior feature to the PowerBook 1400, which I think is one of the all time great Apple portables (although aren’t they all?).

The 1400 has what I consider an ideal laptop form factor, good looks, a decently large screen (passive or active matrix), a superb keyboard (some regard it as the best computer keyboard ever designed), solid construction, “piggy-backable” RAM, and is easy to work on. It’s only glaring deficiency is that it is slooooooow – even the 166 Mhz version, and video performance is slow too. However, the poky processor speed has a graceful workaround, in the form of Newer Technology and Vimage G3 processor upgrades.

PB 1400s are also tough! Jason Pierce, publisher of the MacTimes Network Website, has this to say about his 1400:

“The PowerBook 1400 is a good choice. They are inexpensive, and are G3 upgradeable. They also happen to be just about the best product Apple ever built. I have one myself, the other day I basically threw it. The PB flew about four feet before hitting the ground hard (it was an accident, I did not have my carrying case zipped!) and no damage at all!”

O’Grady’s PowerPage has several PowerBook 1400 survival stories on their “Extreme PowerBooks” page, including one about a 1400 that was battered by a Kansas tornado and still worked. (no longer online)

The PowerBook 1400 debuted in October 1996, at about the time Apple was really beginning to sink into the slough of despond. After the PowerBook 5300 public relations disaster, Apple desperately needed to get the 1400 right on the first try, and they largely succeeded. It had the long overdue CD-ROM support that the 5300 lacked and proved to be solid in the several areas where the 5300 had suffered deficiencies.

The 117 MHz 603e processor with no L2 cache recycled from the 5300ce was still too slow, but if the 1400/117 was not exactly a home-run, it at least amounted to a solid double, and it filled the need for Apple to get on base with a reliable, no-apologies entry in the laptop game until the speedy 3400 series rolled out half a year later. To continue the baseball metaphor, the 1400 was no spectacular swing-for-the-fences slugger, but rather more like a dependable, journeyman utility infielder with a modest batting average in the low .200s who could switch-hit and play several field positions competently.

Aside from the CD-ROM drive, there was little new or innovative features-wise in the PowerBook 1400 compared with the 5300. The 1400 had the same two PC Card slots; NiMH battery, 16-bit sound input and output; and an infrared LocalTalk transceiver. It’s real advantage was in attention to detail and refinement.

Oh, and a bigger 11.3″ 800 x 600-pixel LCD screen with 16-bit-color support in both passive and active matrix versions. The active one was, as one reviewer put it, “breathtaking,” while the less expensive passive option was widely acclaimed to be one of the best of that genre.

The 1400’s back door covering its array of ports slides into the case when open, obviating the hinge breakage problem endemic to the fold-down doors on the 100, 500, and 5300 series ‘Books. Ports included were HDI-30 SCSI, ADB, serial (printer/modem), microphone, and external speaker, but in a nod to economy, no video-out jack for an external monitor was included. An internal slot could accommodate video-out or Ethernet upgrade cards. Ethernet could also be supported with a PC Card, which was also the only choice for an internal modem. The 1400 is no lightweight – about seven pounds with the CD-ROM drive installed, witnessing its solid construction. A clear plastic cover allows you to dress up the 1400 by inserting an Apple BookCover insert of your choice or anything else that will slip in.

The initial price for the 1400/117/12 MB/750 MB hard drive/passive screen with no CD-ROM drive was $2,495, the same as a 333 MHz Lombard today, which shows you how far we’ve come in PowerBook development over the past 2-1/2 years. Add the CD-ROM, an active matrix screen, and 4 MB more RAM, and you were up to a price five bucks higher than a 400 MHz Lombard now sells for.

A slightly faster 133 MHz PB 1400 with a 128 KB Level 2 cache arrived in early 1997, followed by a 166 MHz model (also with 128 KB cache) about six months later, at which time the 117 MHz model was dropped. Also phased in during 1997 were larger hard drives ranging from 1.3 GB to 2 GB and 8x-speed CD-ROM drives, replacing the original 6x units.

Aside from those modest upgrades, the 1400 soldiered along pretty much unchanged for its entire 18 month model life – one of the longest runs of any PowerBook model. The 1400 has gone on to hold its value remarkably well in the leftover/refurbished/used market – much better than either the 3400 or even the low-end Series I WallStreets. Part of this value-retention has been attributable to the 1400’s solid and reliable – if unspectacular – design. The other reason is its upgradeability. 3400s and WallStreets have no practical upgrade path. The 1400 does, and thanks to Newer Technology and Vimage, the 1400 can be transformed from a sensible four-door sedan sort of laptop into a G3 powered road rocket.

A stock PB 1400/117 MacBenches (processor) at 114, and even the 166 MHz version scores a very modest 154. By comparison, a 1400 upgraded with a NUpower G3 250 card with 1 MB of L2 cache MacBenches at a whopping 875, beating the original (3400 form factor) PowerBook G3 (747) and virtually the same as the WallStreet 250 (881).

Several G3 processor upgrade options are available for the PowerBook 1400

• Vimage’s $289 Vpower PB 1400 G3/233, features a 233 MHz G3 with a 512 KB backside cache running at 117 MHz.
• http://www.vimagestore.com
• Newer Technology’s $465 Nupowr G3 1400 250/125 has a 250 MHz G3 with a 1 MB cache running at 125 MHz
• Newer Technology’s $349 Nupowr G3 1400 233 has a 233 MHz G3 with a 512 KB cache.
• http://www.newertech.com

Newer also offered a 216 MHz G3 card, which was discontinued some time ago, but may still be available with some outlets.

Those prices are still posted on Newer’s website, but a bulletin on the Newer homepage says that prices have been slashed on remaining stocks of NUpowr 1400 G3 Processor upgrades, as Albert Juwono’s letter notes, so check with your favorite reseller.

The PowerBook 1400 was designed for easy service access with its flip-up keyboard, and upgrade cards for this model offer straightforward installation. It takes only a few minutes to install the G3 upgrade.

Any of these cards will soup up a PB 1400 remarkably, and if you already have a 1400, they are a cost-effective means of extending its useful lifespan, but it should be noted that a processor upgrade does nothing to address other 1400 limitations, like a 64 MB maximum RAM capacity and relatively slow video performance.

As Newer Technology notes on their website:

“The PowerBook G3 has an incredible video subsection which makes for awesome video performance. The PowerBook G3 also features a nice performance oriented hard drive section and a very nice LCD screen. The final reason for considering a PowerBook G3 over a 1400 is the amount of RAM that can be installed. The PowerBook G3 can hold a maximum of 144 MB [512 KB is possible with WallStreet and Lombard] while the 1400 tops out at 64 MB. Our NUpowr upgrades are intended for people who have already made an investment in a PowerBook 1400.”

All PowerBooks since the 5300 series, including the 1400, use a 64-bit CPU (603e or G3), but the 1400 has only has a 32-bit cache and system memory bus, which represents a substantial performance bottleneck. Every time the processor in a 1400 needs data it must access the 32-bit bus twice in order to obtain 64-bits of data. However, a G3 upgrade card helps work around the bottleneck thanks to the G3 processor’s backside cache. This is especially so of the NUPower 250 MHz upgrade, with its 1 MB L2 cache.

The PowerBook Source’s MacInThoughts page has published benchmarks comparing performance of PB 1400 upgrades.

MacInThoughts also notes that while the Nupowr 250 offers the best speed boost, battery charge life is cut to about 40-45%, while Vimage’s VpowerPB 233 goes 50-55% as long on a charge as with the original 603e/117 processor, and the NUpowr 216, which is only marginally slower than the VPowerPB 233, lasts 70-75% as long as the stock 1400 on a charge.

Appendix: PowerBook 1400 Series Specs

PowerBook 1400cs 117 (October 1996)

• Passive-matrix, dual-scan 11.3″ color display (800 x 600)
• NiMH battery (roughly 2 hours use)
• tappable trackpad
• built-in speaker and microphone
• 2 PC Card slots
• 6x CD-ROM drive (on all but a few early units)
• infrared support and video-out
• 16-bit stereo sound input/output
• 750 MB to 1.3 GB hard drive
• supports SCSI Disk Mode
• Maximum RAM 64 MB (12 MB soldered, 16 MB opt.)
• PowerPC 603e 117 MHz
• internal slot for 8-bit video or Ethernet card
• Weight: 7.1 pounds
• MacBench (Processor) Score: 114

PowerBook 1400c 117 (October 1996)

• Active-matrix 11.3″ color display (800 x 600)
• NiMH battery (roughly 2 hours use)
• tappable trackpad
• built-in speaker and microphone
• 2 PC Card slots
• 6x CD-ROM drive (on all but a few early units)
• infrared support and video-out
• 16-bit stereo sound input/output
• 750 MB to 1.3 GB hard drive
• supports SCSI Disk Mode
• Maximum RAM 64 MB (12 MB soldered, 16 MB opt.)
• PowerPC 603e 117 MHz
• internal slot for 8-bit video or Ethernet card
• Weight: 7.1 pounds
• MacBench (Processor) Score: 114

PowerBook 1400cs 133

• Passive-matrix, dual-scan 11.3″ color display (800 x 600)
• NiMH battery (roughly 2 hours use)
• tappable trackpad
• built-in speaker and microphone
• 2 PC Card slots
• 6x CD-ROM drive
• infrared support and video-out
• 16-bit stereo sound input/output
• 1 GB to 1.3 GB hard drive
• supports SCSI Disk Mode
• Maximum RAM 64 MB (12 MB soldered)
• PowerPC 603e 133 MHz
• 128 KB Level 2 cache
• internal slot for 8-bit video or Ethernet card
• Weight: 7.1 pounds
• MacBench (Processor) Score: 142

PowerBook 1400c 133

• Active-matrix 11.3″ color display (800 x 600)
• NiMH battery ( oughly 2 hours use)
• tappable trackpad
• built-in speaker and microphone
• 2 PC Card slots
• 8x CD-ROM drive
• infrared support and video-out
• 16-bit stereo sound input/output
• 1 GB to 1.3 GB hard drive
• supports SCSI Disk Mode
• Maximum RAM 64 MB (12 MB soldered)
• PowerPC 603e 133 MHz
• 128 KB Level 2 cache
• internal slot for 8-bit video or Ethernet card
• Weight: 7.1 pounds
• MacBench (Processor) Score: 142

PowerBook 1400cs 166 (July 1997)

• Passive-matrix, dual-scan 11.3″ color display (800×600)
• NiMH battery ( roughly 2 hours use)
• tappable trackpad
• built-in speaker and microphone
• 2 PC card slots
• 12x CD-ROM drive
• infrared support and video-out
• 16-bit stereo sound input/output
• 1 GB to 2 GB hard drive
• supports SCSI Disk Mode
• Maximum RAM 64 MB (16 MB soldered)
• PowerPC 603e 166 MHz
• 128 KB Level 2 cache
• internal slot for 8-bit video or Ethernet card
• Weight: 7.1 pounds
• MacBench (Processor) Score: 154

PowerBook 1400c 166 (July 1997)

• Active-matrix 11.3″ color display (800×600)
• NiMH battery (roughly 2 hours use)
• tappable trackpad
• built-in speaker and microphone
• 2 PC card slots
• 12x CD-ROM drive
• infrared support and video-out
• 16-bit stereo sound input/output
• 1 GB to 2 GB hard drive
• supports SCSI Disk Mode
• Maximum RAM 64 MB (16 MB soldered)
• PowerPC 603e 166 MHz
• 128 KB Level 2 cache
• internal slot for 8-bit video or Ethernet card
• Weight: 7.1 pounds
• MacBench (Processor) Score: 154

© 1999 Charles W. Moore. Originally published at <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/9318/1400.html>