Mac · The Beige Era · 1994
PowerBook 540c
The "Blackbird" 500 series introduced the trackpad — the touch pointer that replaced the trackball and that every laptop now has — plus expansion bays and colour.
PowerBook 540c: key facts
When was the PowerBook 540c released?
The PowerBook 540c was released in May 1994. Apple discontinued it in 1995.
How much did the PowerBook 540c cost?
The PowerBook 540c launched at $4,840 in 1994 — about $10,309 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the PowerBook 540c’s specs?
The PowerBook 540c used a Motorola 68LC040 running at 33 MHz, with 4 MB of memory and 320 MB of storage. It ran System 7.1.1.
Why does the PowerBook 540c matter?
First laptop with a trackpad and stereo sound.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68LC040 · 33 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 MB (up to 36 MB) |
| Storage | 320 MB |
| Display | 9.5" active-matrix colour, 640×480 |
| GPU | Built-in video |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, serial, PCMCIA |
| Weight | 3.4 kg |
| Dimensions | Clamshell laptop |
| Operating system | System 7.1.1 |
| Released | May 1994 |
| Discontinued | 1995 |
| Launch price | $4,840 |
How the PowerBook 540c compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 4,100× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 33 MHz, the clock is roughly 97× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage holds about 80 modern phone photos.
Launched at $4,840 in 1994 — about $10,309 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
Before this, laptops used trackballs, nubs or clip-on mice; the trackpad changed everything.
Related Mac models
Open the PowerBook 540c in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25