Background and Identification
The PowerBook G3 Laptop Series includes a range of laptops produced by Apple between 1997 and 2000. After the PowerBook G3 Series came the PowerBook G4 Titanium laptops.
The original PowerBook G3 (the Kanga) came with some options. It sported either a 233, 250, or 292 MHz processor. The laptop came with either a 12”, 13.3”, or 14” screen. The laptop started around $2,300 but a fully upgraded model would cost about $7,000. The second generation of the PowerBook G3 included a notable upgrade: a lighter and rounder encasing. The next PowerBook G3 model, the Lombard, had an even lighter and more portable structure. This third-generation model also had faster processing speeds, a longer battery life, and an improved keyboard. The last PowerBook G3 was the PowerBook G3 Pismo/Pismo PowerBook, which sported improvements in processing, graphics, screen quality, and more. The PowerBook G3 Pismo was named after Pismo Beach, California.
The PowerBook G3 has made a few notable pop culture appearances, including being shown in Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Night at the Museum, Mission: Impossible, and more.
PowerBook G3 Laptops are thick laptops (by today’s standards). They have a trackpad, keyboard, and fold-down display. The word “PowerBook G3” is located on the front of the device, just below the screen.
PowerBook G3 Laptops
- Kanga PowerBook G3 (November 1997)
- Mainstreet/Wallstreet PowerBook G3 (May 1998)
- PDQ PowerBook G3 (September 1998)
- 101/Lombard PowerBook G3 (May 1999)
- Pismo PowerBook G3 (February 2000)