Photo: Benoît Prieur / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
PowerBook G3 (1997)
The first PowerBook G3, nicknamed Kanga, brought a G3 chip on the go.
Overview
Codenamed Kanga, this was the first PowerBook to use the PowerPC G3 processor, running at 233 or 250 MHz with a fast backside cache. It kept the 3400 body style but delivered noticeably better performance, partly thanks to the efficient new chip and a quicker memory system.
The display was a 12.1-inch active-matrix panel, and the notebook still had a module bay for a CD-ROM or floppy drive. Buyers got a quick laptop at a time when the company was still reorganizing its product plans.
It was replaced in 1998 by the bronze-keyed Wallstreet, so its production run was short. Collectors remember it as the entry point to the G3 laptop era.
Why it mattered
The first G3-powered Apple laptop, starting the fast and popular PowerBook G3 family.
At a glance
- Announced
- November 1, 1997
- Released
- November 1, 1997
- Discontinued
- May 1, 1998
- Launch price
- Not available
- Chip / processor
- PowerPC 750 (G3), 233 or 250 MHz
- Display
- 12.1"
- Storage
- 2 GB to 4 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- First PowerBook with a G3 chip
- 233 or 250 MHz PowerPC 750
- 12.1-inch active-matrix screen
- Module bay for drives
- Short production run
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 12.1-inch
- Type
- Active-matrix color TFT
- Resolution
- 800 x 600
Chip
- Chip
- PowerPC 750 (G3), 233 or 250 MHz
Memory
- RAM
- 32 MB, expandable to 192 MB
How it compares
More in the PowerBook G3 family
PowerBook G3 Series (Wallstreet)
A black, bulging powerhouse with big screens and a bay for everything.
PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard, Lombard)
Slimmer, lighter and with USB, it traded black for a bronze keyboard.
PowerBook G3 (FireWire, Pismo)
The last G3 PowerBook added FireWire and a dedicated AirPort slot.