The PowerBook 540c and the PowerBook Duo 280c ($5539 and $4299 in their test configurations, respectively) are the latest additions to Apple's portable line of computers. Both are based on 33-/66-MHz 68LC040 processors from Motorola and provided similar overall performance in our application benchmarks. They ran about five times faster than our baseline system, a Mac Classic II. (For a complete review, see ``Apple Redefines the Notebook,'' August BYTE.)
Our test PowerBook 540c came configured with two NiMH batteries and ran for 5 hours, 55 minutes in our tests. The PowerBook Duo 280c ran for 3 hours, 50 minutes on its single NiMH battery pack.
The PowerBook 540c also has a unique trackpad pointing device located below the keyboard, along with the trackpad button. You simply drag your index finger across the trackpad to move
the cursor across the display.
The PowerBook 280c's docking stations include an internal 1.44-MB floppy drive, slots for two NuBus cards, and support for an internal SCSI hard drive and built-in video. The PowerBook Duo 280c's MiniDock allows you to connect a variety of options, including an external video display, up to three Apple Desktop Bus input devices, up to six SCSI devices, LocalTalk cables, a printer, an external modem, and an external microphone, headphones, or speakers.
Photograph: The PowerBook Duo 280c (left) and 540c.
Photograph: The PowerBook Duo 280c's MiniDock.
Powerbook Update
