Apple PowerBook 540c

Apple PowerBook 540c was introduced in 16 May 1994 as the flagship colour version of the Blackbird PowerBook 500 series. It used a Motorola 68LC040 at 33 MHz with 4MB standard; expandable to 36MB. Active-matrix colour display supported thousands of colours.

Its active-matrix colour screen, 33MHz processor, trackpad and Ethernet made it one of the most advanced 68K notebooks produced.

Notable Features

• Active-matrix colour display supported thousands of colours.
• 33MHz 68LC040 was the fastest standard processor in the family.
• Processor daughtercard could be replaced with a PowerPC upgrade.

Historical Significance

• Its active-matrix colour screen, 33MHz processor, trackpad and Ethernet made it one of the most advanced 68K notebooks produced.
• Its place in the range reflects Apple's progression from the original compact Macintosh toward broader professional, educational and portable markets.

Collector’s Notes

• Display panels, batteries and rubberised case coating often deteriorate and require specialist care
• Original keyboards, mice, storage devices and model-specific accessories help document a complete period configuration.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Apple PowerBook 540c
Manufacturer	Apple
Launched	Monday, May 16, 1994
Country	United States
CPU	Motorola 68LC040 at 33 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	System 7.1.1 through Mac OS 8.1
I/O	SCSI, two serial, ADB, modem, Ethernet and audio
Keyboard	Integrated keyboard and trackpad
Storage	Internal 1.44MB floppy and IDE hard disk
Sound	16-bit stereo sound
Graphics	640 x 480 colour graphics with 16-bit colour support
Display	Built-in 9.5-inch 640 x 480 active-matrix colour LCD
ROM	2MB ROM
RAM	4MB standard; expandable to 36MB
CPU Speed	33 MHz