PowerBook 3400

General reactions

The PowerBook code-named "Hooper," aka PowerBook 3400, is a wonderful computer; this is finally the PowerBook which we can work on in comfort, because it marries perfectly the advantages of a desktop computer with the conveience of a PowerBook, while suffering from few of the design compromises normally associated with laptop computers. While there is nothing about its design that revolutionizes one's use of this PowerBook, it has a wonderfully large, bright, and sharp screen, it is incredibly fast (according to my tests, it is in the 8500/150 class except for video performance), and like the 1400 ("Epic") models, Apple has finally given a PowerBook a truly comfortable keyboard. However, since most of its rivals offer the same physical characteristics (PCMCIA, CD-ROM, lithium ion battery), what makes this PowerBook really unique and distinguishes it from previous models and one hopes, many high- end Wintel notebooks is the overall performance. Nevertheless, the PowerBook 3400 has a slower CD-ROM drive (6x instead of 8x, except for the not-yet-shipping 240 MHz model with its 12x drive) than comparable Wintels, a screen resolution of 800x600 resolution instead of 1024x768 by comparison with some very high-end Wintel counterparts, and is rather hefty (over 7 lbs). I've found it easier to carry than my PowerBook 540c, though, perhaps because the adapter is much lighter. The placement of the mike and sound out jacks on the left side of the computer is very convenient; I can't say as much about the ADB port at the back on the left side, since it could be inconvenient for right-handed users with mice, graphic tablets, numeric keypads, etc. Finally, the unit appears very well-made; it is a pleasure to touch and behold.

Strengths

• I used the PowerBook 3400 at least 7 hours per day for two months with no problems whatsoever and very few crashes. This is a testament to the robustness of the hardware and to the stability of System 7.6. I have tested PlainTalk 1.5, Text- to-speech, the QuickTime MPEG 1.0 software, and I have frequently used the unit with an external Jaz drive (driver v.5.0.1). SoftWindows 2 seems responsive. Everything has worked flawlessly with my many programs, 68k and PPC (Word 5.1a, EndNote Plus 2.2, Quicken 4r6, FileMaker Pro 3.0v4, Inspiration 4.1c, Internet Explorer 3.0, Eudora Pro 3.x, Fetch 3.0.2b2 and 3, RealAudio 3, Graphic Converter 2.6, PointCast 0.9.45 beta Š). Battery life even under relatively severe conditions (i.e. no RAM disk, with the PowerBook control panel set to "maximum conservation" with backlight dimming to off, maximum display brightness, ethernet connection, but no CD playing) is about 2 hours, which is adequate but not stellar.
• I would like to single out praise for the ingenious ethernet / modem card. I constantly go from a SLIP/PPP internet connection at home to a fast ethernet connection at work, and the automatic switching between modem and ethernet modes is incredibly convenient. It is also wonderful not to have to shutdown the computer in order to attach an AAUI device. (Any design which avoids the need to shutdown the computer to establish or change a connection with the outside world is an important improvement, in my opinion). I'm happy to report the modem works perfectly in France (and, I assume, all over Europe) despite the fact that it is not officially certified to work here. This is important to the many American PowerBook owners who travel abroad. This is a Rockwell 288 chip-based modemwhich offers very good reliability (twice I inadvertently picked up the phone handset while I was connected to the internet, and the line was not dropped) and good performance (although not stellar, but this is not surprising giving the high-noise environment inside the PowerBook 3400 in which it must operate). In addition, on occasion, while connected to an ethernet LAN, I have observed ftp downloads over the internet in excess of 100 kbytes per second.

Criticisms

• The sound quality from the 4 built-in speakers is very poor: it sounds tinny, with no bass whatsoever, if I play music (narrative on a typical multimedia CD comes through fine). Using headphones avoids this problem.
• The inability to drive two monitors in a non-mirror mode is definitely a drawback. If the PowerBook 3400 is truly to be considered as a viable mobile replacement for desktop PowerMacs, it really needs this capability. Many people who can afford to purchase a PowerBook 3400 own an external 17" monitor and will want the convenience and comfort of being able to have a desktop surface spanning two screens. To them, video mirroring is almost useless: while it is true that the PowerBook 3400 can drive an external monitor at a higher resolution of 1024x768 pixels, this benefit is negated by the reduction of the number of colors to 256, which is unacceptably low today. Thus, the PowerBook 3400 needs more VRAM, at least 2 megabytes, which is becoming standard on high- end Wintel laptops.
• The modem does not have flash EPROM, so it will not be upgradeable to the 56k technologies. I was not able to test the fax capabilities extensively, but I trust that they are adequate. It can be used either with the AppleFax or the (bundled) FaxSTF software. I only wish that Global Village had been contracted to provide a version of their superb GlobalFax software for the PowerBook 3400!
• The built-in ethernet/modem PCI card is included in 3 out of 4 PowerBook 3400 configurations, thus taking up the single PCI slot; those who wish to install third-party PCI boards will have to remove the modem. One wonders how many third-party boards will be developed given this situation.
• With no external volumes mounted and AppleTalk off (yet with numerous desktop files), I found that the wakeup time required to go from sleep to having complete control of the computer is annoyingly long, about 10 seconds in most cases, but sometimes it could take up to 15 seconds, especially if a CD was in the player (but not being played). Admittedly, this was observed with a pre-release unit; if wakeup time has not improved in shipping units, this is an area for serious improvement. I fondly remember the days when I owned a PowerBook 170 which would awaken almost instantaneously.
• Compared to the PowerBook 1400, the keyboard is recessed more, and thus perhaps a little less easy to type on, but in all fairness, it is a superb keyboard and a pleasure to type on. I also understand that internal components are less accessible than in the 1400, and I would prefer it if the trackpad button were not flush with the front of the case, in order to avoid accidental activation.

Conclusion

Perhaps what is most exciting about this PowerBook is that Apple has done almost everything right in designing it. It is the consummate PowerBook. The bad news is the price; I fear that very few academics will be able to afford this model. I quote University of Texas prices:

M4595LL/A	$5199	Macintosh PowerBook 3400c/200/ 16MB/2GB HD/6XCD-ROM/256K L2 cache
M4597LL/A	$4729	Macintosh PowerBook 3400c/180/16MB/1.3GB HD/6XCD-ROM/256K L2 cache
M4596LL/A	$4255	Macintosh PowerBook 3400c/180/16MB/1.3GB HD/6XCD-ROM/256K L2 cache

NB: The $5199 and $4729 configurations include the 33.6kbps modem / ethernet PCI card as well.

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Other Reviews and References

1. MacWeek review
2. MacUser review
3. MacWorld review
4. The PowerBook FAQ
5. O'Grady's PowerPage (highly recommended for the latest PowerBook news)
6. Apple's PowerBook page

©Marc Bizer 1997