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In the second of our PowerBook Comparos, we stack the PowerBook 1400 up against the 3400. Why? Because, in the US at least (although not where I am in Australia), the 1400s and 3400s are within ballpark range of one another insofar as prices go. But there's a trade off you have to make here: should you go for the features and power of the 3400? Or should you take the less powerful, but G3-upgradeable 1400? Maybe this comparo might help make up your mind when you're shopping for that superseded-but-not-vintage PowerBook.

Models/prices/equipment
 

	CPU	MHz	L2 cache	Display	CD ROM	Video out	PC card slots	Modem	Ethernet	Battery	Bus speed
1400	603ev	117, 133, 166	none or 128K	11.4" passive or active matrix colour; 800x600	Opt/Std	Opt PDS card	2	Opt PC card	Opt PC card	1 NiMH	33MHz
3400	603ev	180, 200, 240	256K	12.1" active matrix TFT, 800x600	Opt/Std	Std	2	Opt/Std	Opt/Std 10baseT	1 LiION	Q

Let's start with the 1400. There are three basic models, with both active and passive matrix screens available. Most came with CD ROM drives, but basic 1400/117s often don't have a CD ROM. Bear in mind that replacements can cost $US150-200. That's a considerable extra-cost option. A modem and ethernet, typically what PowerBooks are used with, also cost a few bucks, but are not prohibitively expensive. A 28.8 or 33.6K PC card might also save some money as you're probably unlikely to reap the full benefits of a 56K card unless you're using one of your ISP's dedicated 56K lines. You might also save by getting a 10baseT rather than 100baseT ethernet card, the former being plenty fast enough. The advantage I find these cards give - as opposed to a 3400's built-in solution - is that you can keep them if you trade up or you can swap them between different machines. For example, I use an ethernet card on a 5300 at work and swap it over to a 190 when we want to print to the LaserWriter IIg at home. Households with more than one notebook (doesn't even have to be a Mac) can easily share modem and PC cards - although a Mac ethernet card needs Mac drivers (crucial)

PowerBook 3400 (left) and the PowerBook 1400. And no, the 1400 is not bigger than the 3400!

By contrast, the 3400 relies on a 10baseT ethernet card in the mini-PCI slot. This is removable, but I'm not aware of any other cards designed to fill this slot. All but the base 3400/180 come with the ethernet card - many 3400s, of course, might come with 100baseT PC cards. The 3400 also comes with a 33.6K internal modem which is fast enough - but of course you can again upgrade with a 56K PC card. I'd say stick with the 3400's 10baseT and 33.6 modem unless you really need the extra speed. Let's face it: the next PowerBook you buy will have these niceties in upgraded form anyway.

Both the 1400 and 3400 come with full-size keyboards, F keys, tappable trackpad and expansion bay. The consensus seems to be that the 1400's keyboard is superior, but I really have no preference having used both extensively. The 3400's is the same as the 'Kanga' G3, the 5300, 190 and 500 (although apart from the 190/5300, they all have a different mechanical mounting), so if you disliked that keyboard, you won't like the 3400's.

The 3400 also comes with 2MB VRAM on board - enough to drive a 21" monitor with millions of colours. The 1400 can only take 512K or 1MB video cards in the PDS (optional) and permit either 256 or thousands of colours on monitors up to 20". On the subject of memory, the 3400 beats the 1400 hands down, accepting a single 128MB card for a total of 16MB. On the other hand the 1400 is limited to 64MB. It does take 'stackable' memory (i.e. two memory cards piggybacked), but it does remain relatively impoverished in the RAM stakes. This is still more limiting when one has the fast G3 card in the 1400.

The 3400 also sports a slightly larger screen than the 1400 (essentially the same as the iBook's display). For all but high-end graphics and multimedia work, it's a damn good display which is usable for many hours at a time. On the other hand, you might find the passive displays on some of the 1400 displays a little tiring after a while.

PERFORMANCE:

This is a no-brainer - the 3400 wins hands down. Even the 1400/166 is not terribly close to the base 3400/180. This is mainly due to (i) the 3400's faster system/memory bus (ii) the wider bus (64 bit v. 32 bit) and (iii) the 256K L2 cache (versus 128K on the 1400).

The 3400/200 and 3400/240 are faster still. Admittedly, a 200 or so MHz 603ev is no speed demon by today's standards, but it's more than adequate for most tasks. Moreover, the 3400 was the first PowerBook ever which supported SCSI Manager 4.3, a total rewrite of the SCSI management software. If you're planning on burning CDs, this's the one to get.

On a 1400/117, apps like MS Office 98 and Netscape will be relatively slow, though useable. The 133 and 166 versions are better bets here, although they still won't exactly fly. Graphics are okay (say, building web pages, adding gifs and jpegs), but you won't be laying out magazines in Quark and Photoshop, although Quark 4.0 will run okay. For these heavier duty tasks, the 3400 is a better choice, particularly for running large Powerpoint presentations.

Both PowerBooks support 16-bit audio data in and out @ 44khz (CD quality) and can make decent sound machines for compiling MP3s or whatever. But this is not new since PowerBooks since the 500 series have supported 16 bit audio. Where the 3400 shines as an all-in-one presentation machine is with its 4 speaker system. The 1400 has a single two-into-one (not mono) stereo speaker which is not adequate for hi-fidelity sound.

If you need to run Windows in emulation occasionally, a 3400 is preferable. VirtualPC or SoftWindows run well as long as they're given at least 64MB. While these apps will run on a 1400, they are too slow to be used except occasionally. So if you need to run Wintel-only apps from time to time, a 3400/180 at the very least is a more effective solution.

EXPANSION AND UPGRADES

Expansion first. Both the 3400 and 1400 expansion bays accept 2nd batteries, internal ATAPI Zip drives, power supplies, hard drives, CD ROMs and floppy drives. The 1400/133 and 166 come standard with a CD ROM while it was an option on the 1400/117. Only the very basic 3400/180 comes without a CD ROM and there weren't a lot of these. The form factor of the 1400 and 3400 are different though, so you can't share devices. The 1400's casing is unique, while the 3400 can share modules with the 190, 5300 and Kanga G3 (except 5.25" modules like CD ROMs with the 190/5300). Hard drives and Zips and so on will all work without issue. However, households or workplaces using both 1400s and 3400s can share information via ethernet, LocalTalk or (wirelessly) using the PowerBooks' built-in infrared IRTalk - but they do have to be within 6 feet of one another.

The 1400's hard drive is replaceable with another IDE drive up to 8.2GB capacity, provided the owner had upgraded from the original OS 7.5.3 in the 117s and 133s. I'm not aware of any limits on the 3400's EIDE controller, but AFAIK the 3400 will accept larger hard drives (I've heard of one owner installing a 25GB IBM Travelstar successfully). The 3400's base 7.6 OS will recognise partitions larger than 4GB without issue.

The 1400 comes with HDDs rangng from 750MB to 2GB in capacity, while the base 3400 has a 1.3GB HDD, topping out with a 3GB HDD on the 3400/240. But given the enormous growth in the size of applications, the Mac OS and supporting files, you might want to grab a 6 or 8GB HDD if you plan to use big apps and files. An HDD this size can also be a useful backup for your desktop Mac's hard drive. Naturally enough, these PowerBooks - like nearly all the PowerBook range - support SCSI Disk Mode. For any transfers between your 'Book and your desktop Mac, this'll be a lot faster and more convenient than file sharing via Ethernet or LocalTalk.

Operating System upgrades

The 1400 runs 7.5.3 to OS 9.0 but will not work with 7.5.5. OS 7.6(.1), 8.0, 8.1, 8.5(.1), and 8.6 work just fine. Newer software is increasingly demanding OS 8.0 or 8.1 as a minimum install. For the 1400, 8.1 is a good compromise between speed and flexibility. Importantly, 8.1 gives you access to HFS+ volumes, an increasingly critical part of Mac networks and removable media.

The 3400's should run 8.6 or higher provided they have at least 32MB RAM. But 64MB+ is optimum for the 3400. The faster 3400 also takes greater advantage of the larger amount of PPC native code in 8.5 and later. But the 3400 will still be more than satisfactory with 8.1.

Processor upgrades

The 1400 - with the 2400 - is the last PowerBook to have an 'official' 3rd party upgrade path available. No Apple upgrades were available, but a 117 could be turned into a 133 or 166 with a daughtercard swap. Newer Technology <http://www.newertech.com> have manufactured both 603e upgrades (180 and 200MHz) and G3s starting at 216MHz. Vimage also manufactured G3 cards, but at time of writing (November 1999), all 3 firms had ceased manufacture of 1400 cards and remaining stock was hard to come by. But if you plan on buying a 1400, at least your options will be numerous on the 2nd hand market. And you can always install a G3 card later if you want to hang onto your 1400. Be aware though that the 1400's NiMH battery will provide a G3 card with only around 1 hour's usable time and your 1400 will run hotter - but a lot faster - than before.

UPDATE 4/2001: Sonnet Technologies now offers G3 upgrades for the 1400 up to 400MHz/1MB L2 cache.

There is only one way to upgrade the 3400, and that's with a full logic board swap. Essentially you'd be putting the Kanga G3's board into the 3400, much like we used to put Quadra 700 boards into IIcis in the old days. You do get to keeo your RAM though and the G3 has 32MB on board while the 3400 has only 16MB. One firm was selling G3 ('3500') logic boards for around $US500 just recently. This is steep, but not as steep as an iBook or used Wallstreet. Plus you get to keep your great 3400 screen, peripherals and legacy connectivity. The G3 upgrade provides a 250MHz CPU with 512K of L2 cache. It also has the faster 50MHz system bus. You'll be able to run OS X on this (officially you can't on a 1400/G3 but there'll most likely be a workaround) and the Kanga logic board packs a lot of speed (it's only factionally slower than an iBook and much faster than a cacheless G3/233 Mainstreet. Plus you'll be able to expand it to 160MB RAM.

MINOR FEATURES

PB1400 doesn't have: feet (you'll have to use a book to prop it up); standard video out card; little green Caps Lock or floppy lights (très cool). It does have the unique 'book covers' - a piece of transluscent plastic on the lid of the PB. You can put a company logo or your 5 year old's latest Rembrandt on the cover if that's your inclination.

The 3400 does have 4 speakers (often mistaken for 'subwoofers') which makes for a reasonable sound system. But the 3400 lacks CardBus (32 bit) PC card slots (didn't arrive until Mainstreet/Wallstreet), so if you particularly need these, neither of these PBs is for you. Note that DMA (Direct Memory Access) HDDs used in the 3400's expansion bay will take advantage of DMA for faster transfers. DMA HDDs used in the 1400's unique expansion bay will work, but will not take advantage of DMA.

CONCLUSIONS

It's a tough choice, but with 1400/166 and 3400 prices very close (at least in the US market) at present, there might be only a hundred bucks or so between the 1400/166 and the 3400/180.

My choice? The 3400 in any configuration without a doubt. It's fast enough in standard form for most tasks. The G3 in the 1400 makes a 1400 without two batteries impractical. Moreover, while the 1400 was obviously marketed as a mid-range 'consumer portable' the 3400 comes with all the fruit (4 speakers, huge screen, fast PCI architecture, ethernet and modem on most models and real big monitor support). IMHO it's a no brainer: unless you're crunching the numbers for your state's annual budget or laying out MacWorld, the 3400 is a true bill of goods. Besides, you can always boast to your friends that, albeit briefly, the 3400/240 was the 'fastest laptop on the planet'.