Can you tell which is the PowerBook 3400 and which is the PowerBook G3?
Back in 1997 the PowerBook 3400c with it’s 240 MHz PowerPC 603e processor was the fastest portable computer available from any manufacturer. The first laptop to surpass its speed was Apple’s first PowerBook based upon the G3 processor. The 250 MHz G3 PowerBook literally smoked it’s predecessor in speed tests, nearly tripling it’s scores. But if you were looking to see who was carrying one of these remarkable portable computers you would have to look very, very closely, because they are virtually identical in appearance to their predecessor, the 3400. That’s why Apple’s first PowerBook G3 (internally referred to by the codename of “Kanga”) is often referred to as a “PowerBook 3500.”
Since the Kanga G3 PowerBook shared the same form factor as the 3400c their removable expansion bay modules (floppy drive, optical drive, etc.) are interchangeable. Weighing it at 7.7 pounds, the Kanga G3 has onboard ethernet, modem, and 2 PC card slots plus IrDA, as well as the same impressive 4 speaker sound system as the 3400c. All of these features helped command a premium price for Apple’s first G3 based PowerBook that was advertised as up to twice as fast as notebook computers powered by the competing Pentium II chips.
The Kanga I’ve recently added to my collection features 160MB of RAM, a 5 GB hard drive, and runs great. Back in November of 1997 when it was introduced a fully equipped Kanga ran north of $6K. It was only available for six months, as the PowerBook G3 Series (aka “Wallstreet”) model was introduced in May of 1998. Kanga was the last Apple portable to sport a six-colored Apple logo.
UPDATE: My dear friend Jay kindly corrected me on this statement that I quoted from LowEndMac’s Compleat Guide to the PowerBook Kanga. The last PowerBook to feature the six-color Apple logo was in fact the PowerBook G3 Series (revision 2), codenamed “PDQ” that was released in September of 1998. You can see a picture of it here.
LowEndMac’s Compleat Guide to the PowerBook Kanga
PowerBook 3400 and Kanga G3 Repair Manual
