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Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) vs Apple Macintosh PowerBook 1400c/117

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacBook Air 13″ (M5)AppleMacintosh PowerBook 1400c/117
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2026November 1996
Display
Screen size13.6″11.3″
Resolution2560 × 1664800 × 600
PanelIPS LCD–
Refresh rate60 Hz–
Brightness500 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina display; LED-backlit with IPS technology11.3-inch CCFL-backlit active-matrix TFT colour LCD with 800 × 600 resolution. Apple lists 16-bit colour in its service sheet.
Pixel density224 ppi–
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); 1 billion colours–
Display featuresTrue Tone–
Performance
ProcessorApple M5PowerPC 603e 117 MHz (PowerBook 1400)
CPU cores101
Graphics8-core GPU or 10-core GPU–
Memory16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB16 MB
Storage512 GB to 4 TB1 GB
CPU10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores117 MHz PowerPC 603e on a 33.3 MHz bus; 32 KB L1 cache and no L2 cache in the original service configuration.
GPUNeural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decode–
AI engine16-core Neural Engine–
Memory typeUnified memory16 MB RAM in Apple's original 1996 developer-note configuration, expandable to 64 MB. Apple's later service sheet lists a 32 MB minimum, conflicting with the original developer note.
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s–
Storage typeSSD, configurable up to 4 TB1 GB internal 2.5-inch IDE hard drive in Apple's original developer note. The expansion bay took a 1.4 MB floppy module or a 6× CD-ROM module, both supplied with this configuration.
CoolingFanless–
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 5 hours
Battery capacity53.8 Wh30 Wh
Weight1.23 kg–
Thickness11.3 mm–
Width × depth304.1 × 215 mm–
Battery life detailUp to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer battery30 Wh removable nickel-metal hydride battery; Apple claimed up to five hours. Its service sheet lists 6.6 lb weight with a note that installed modules affect it.
ChargerSold separately in the UK (30 W, 35 W dual-port or 70 W Apple USB-C adapters offered); needs at least 30 W over USB PD–
Fast chargingWith a 70 W or higher USB PD power source–
Materials100% recycled aluminium enclosure; 55% recycled content overall–
ColoursSky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight–
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, headphone jack–
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7–
Bluetooth6–
Webcam12MP Center Stage–
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detail2 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40 Gb/s); MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance headphone supportADB, HDI-30 SCSI, RS-422 serial/LocalTalk, audio input and output, infrared, and two Type II PC Card slots (or one Type III). Ethernet required an optional expansion or PC Card; external video required an optional mini-15 card.
External displaysUp to two at 6K 60 Hz or 4K 144 Hz, or one at up to 8K 60 Hz, 5K 120 Hz or 4K 240 Hz, alongside the built-in display–
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys–
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadBuilt-in trackpad with tap, double-tap and drag support.
SpeakersFour-speaker sound system; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos–
MicrophonesThree-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes–
BiometricsTouch ID–
In the box13-inch MacBook Air, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m); power adapter sold separatelySystem 7.5.3, battery, floppy module and 6× CD-ROM module. Apple lists an October 1996 introduction; contemporary launch coverage says machines were expected in mid-November.

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