powerbook 5300cs

[tappdarden]

Picked up never-used reconditioned PB 5300cs from @maceffects ebay store.  Lucky the plastic was still wrapped around the battery as the connectors was corroded. so the computer itself was protected from the  battery.

Plugged in and it fired right up. I noticed the screen has some wavy lines going up it. (I assume the screen needs recap?) but other than that its perfect. (aside from being passive-matrix...) looks like it never left that box till i pulled it out.

photo's

 

[maceffects]

Oh how cool!  I am so glad someone on here got it.  The PowerBook 5300c was my second laptop I ever had.  I really questioned selling this unit given that the chance of finding another is almost non-existent, but need to fund new (exciting) projects.  I have both Mac and Apple II projects coming up.  Oh, if you want more people looking at this you might want to mention in the title that it is sealed as a normal 5300cs isn't that exciting.  Another interested buyer asked me to open the box to see what might be going on with the battery and both him and me were happy to see that it was protected from the factory.  Passive-matrix isn't great but on your photos it actually looks amazing.  I suspect it was because it was never used.  I hope it gives you many years of service

 

[just.in.time]

5300 series is cool. I owned a 5300cs a long time ago and it always got the job done. Looks like you already have a game started  have fun loading it up. Makes a great 7.6.1 machine, and decent on 8.1 IIRC

 

[CC_333]

Are you sure that's passive matrix?  It looks almost as sharp and clear as active matrix!

Goes to show that perhaps they weren't so bad back when they were new.

c

 

[tappdarden]

Are you sure that's passive matrix?  It looks almost as sharp and clear as active matrix!

I think its ok in the mostly black and white of the OS. but The game I show is Castles which is playable but  you can see in the picture its not very clear. I mostly have a problem with the ghosting for things in motion. So pictures don't really show that.

I'm kinda curious how doom would look on it.

The PowerBook 5300c was my second laptop I ever had. 

My first computer that i ever purchased with my own money* was a black and white Powerbook 190 during a fire sale. Which  is basically the same model but with a '040 proc instead. The body is exactly the same. So this captures that same feeling i had back then.

i'm thinking about getting a display adaptor. they seem super cheap on ebay.

* with money i earned via newspaper route

 

[maceffects]

You know the issues you have with the display sounds like capacitor issues I’ve felt with on the PB 100 series passive matrix display.  Given the age it might just be getting old enough. Usually 1987-1993 were the capacitor issues. You never know though.  But at least it was stored in climate control it’s whole life. Have you seen the vinegar syndrome that happens to many laptops stored in high humidity and high heat areas?  Very sad. 

My 5300 was second hand at the time but it was only a few years old and I was stoked as it replaced my equally missed Duo 270c. Likewise, it took me a long time saving money as I was young like you. 

 

[tappdarden]

You know the issues you have with the display sounds like capacitor issues I’ve felt with on the PB 100 series passive matrix display.  Given the age it might just be getting old enough. Usually 1987-1993 were the capacitor issues. You never know though.

Yeah. i mean. how much of it is that i'm just used to modern displays? I don't REALLY remember how good or bad they looked when new.

But i do get that line that goes up the screen. So i wander if a recap would fix that.

 

[maceffects]

@tappdarden You may have a point.  I recently went from my newer iMac to a PowerBook 3400c and I kept thinking something was wrong with it as it wasn't bright, had backlit bleed, and crappy resolution.  I think we are just spoiled with modern tech :lol: In my mind I keep thinking things were only slower but everything else was the same which is not true.  I think the only think needing recapped if it is like the 100 series would be the LCD board there. 

 

[Byrd]

@tappdarden You may have a point.  I recently went from my newer iMac to a PowerBook 3400c and I kept thinking something was wrong with it as it wasn't bright, had backlit bleed, and crappy resolution.  I think we are just spoiled with modern tech :lol: In my mind I keep thinking things were only slower but everything else was the same which is not true.  I think the only think needing recapped if it is like the 100 series would be the LCD board there. 

Next in line of repairs, I've got three PB100 displays to recap - not looking forward to it as the chance of killing it is higher.  Re: 3400c display, I've had several of these and display quality varies wildly - the "best" one I have far exceed my TAMs (same) LCD, others have been really shoddy.