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Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) vs Apple Macintosh PowerBook 520c

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMacBook Air 13″ (M5)AppleMacintosh PowerBook 520c
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2026May 1994
Display
Screen size13.6″9.5″
Resolution2560 × 1664640 × 480
PanelIPS LCD–
Refresh rate60 Hz–
Brightness500 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina display; LED-backlit with IPS technology9.5-inch backlit dual-scan passive-matrix colour LCD with 256 colours
Pixel density224 ppi–
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); 1 billion colours–
Display featuresTrue Tone–
Performance
ProcessorApple M5Motorola 68LC040 50 MHz (PowerBook 520)
CPU cores101
Graphics8-core GPU or 10-core GPU–
Memory16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB12 MB
Storage512 GB to 4 TB240 MB to 320 MB
CPU10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency coresMotorola 68LC040 with 50 MHz internal processor speed and 25 MHz bus interface; no floating-point unit
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 memory4 MB on the logic board, expandable to 36 MB; Apple's Japanese bundled configurations contain 12 MB
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s–
Storage typeSSD, configurable up to 4 TBInternal SCSI hard drive and 1.4 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy drive; Japanese configurations pair 12 MB RAM with 240 or 320 MB storage. English support also lists a 160 MB drive
CoolingFanless–
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 3 hours
Battery capacity53.8 Wh–
Weight1.23 kg2.9 kg
Thickness11.3 mm57 mm
Width × depth304.1 × 215 mm292 × 245 mm
Battery life detailUp to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer batteryNickel-metal hydride intelligent battery; Japanese specification claims three hours per battery, with one supplied and room for two. April 1995 Apple Facts instead gives 2–4 hours on one battery and 4–7 hours on two; 2.9 kg includes one battery
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, RS-422 serial/LocalTalk, AAUI Ethernet, HDI-30 SCSI, stereo audio input/output, external video and power input; optional internal modem and PCMCIA module supporting two Type II or one Type III 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 displayMirroring and extended desktop through an optional video adapter cable
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys–
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadBuilt-in solid-state trackpad
SpeakersFour-speaker sound system; Spatial Audio with Dolby AtmosTwo stereo speakers and a built-in microphone
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 separatelyJapanese 12 MB/240 MB bundle includes one intelligent battery, power adapter, KanjiTalk 7.5 media and PowerBook Mobility Bundle; the 12 MB/320 MB bundle adds Express Modem II

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