PowerBook 2400c

PowerBook 2400c. The PowerBook 2400c was a subnotebook personal computer designed, marketed, and manufactured by Apple Inc. as part of its PowerBook line. Released in May 1997, it was notable for being the last PowerBook developed in collaboration with the IBM subsidiary in Yamato, Japan, and was often referred to as the "Littlefoot." It filled a niche for a highly portable Macintosh system during a transitional period for the company under the returning leadership of Steve Jobs.

Overview

The PowerBook 2400c was introduced as a spiritual successor to the popular PowerBook Duo series, aiming to provide maximum portability within the PowerPC architecture. Its development was a unique joint effort between Apple Inc.'s engineering teams and the design division of IBM in Japan, leveraging expertise from the ThinkPad lineage. The machine was positioned as a premium business tool during a time when Apple Inc. was streamlining its product matrix, shortly before the introduction of the iMac and iBook. Its compact form factor was intended to compete with contemporary Windows-based subnotebooks from manufacturers like Toshiba and Sony.

Design and features

The design of the PowerBook 2400c emphasized a robust, minimalist magnesium alloy chassis, measuring just 1.7 inches thick and weighing approximately 4.4 pounds. It featured a full-travel keyboard that was highly regarded for its tactile feel, a rarity in the subnotebook category. The 10.4-inch display utilized active-matrix STN LCD technology, offering improved viewability over passive matrices. Unique connectivity options included a built-in Ethernet port via a AAUI connector, an SCSI port for peripheral expansion, and an IrDA infrared transceiver for wireless data transfer, aligning it with corporate IT environments of the era.

Technical specifications

At its core, the PowerBook 2400c was powered by a PowerPC 603e microprocessor, offered at speeds of 180 MHz or, in later configurations, 240 MHz. It shipped with 16 MB of RAM soldered to the logic board, expandable to 80 MB via a single SO-DIMM slot. Standard storage was a 1.3 GB hard disk drive. Graphics were handled by an ATI Rage II controller with 1 MB of dedicated VRAM, driving the internal display and supporting external monitors up to 1024x768 resolution. It ran System 7.5.3 at launch but was fully compatible with Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9.

Reception and legacy

Upon release, the PowerBook 2400c received praise from publications like Macworld and MacUser for its exceptional build quality, keyboard, and portability, though it was critiqued for its high price and modest performance relative to larger PowerBook models. Its limited market lifespan and niche positioning made it a collector's item. Historically, it is seen as the final PowerBook of the pre-Steve Jobs restructuring era and a direct precursor to the consumer-focused iBook. The engineering partnership with IBM's Yamato facility provided valuable insights that later influenced Apple Inc.'s internal design philosophies for portable computers.

Timeline and models

The PowerBook 2400c was announced in May 1997, with initial shipments beginning that summer. The original model (M/2453) featured a 180 MHz PowerPC 603e processor. In November 1997, a revised model (M/2454) was released, upgrading the processor to 240 MHz. Both models were officially discontinued in March 1998, making its production run less than a year. Its discontinuation marked the end of the subnotebook in the PowerBook line until the introduction of the MacBook Air nearly a decade later, solidifying its status as a unique and short-lived experiment in Apple Inc.'s portable computing history.

Category:Apple Inc. hardware Category:PowerBook Category:Subnotebooks Category:1997 introductions