Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) vs Apple Macintosh PowerBook Duo 280

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MacBook Air 13″ (M5) compared with Macintosh PowerBook Duo 280

	AppleMacBook Air 13″ (M5)	AppleMacintosh PowerBook Duo 280
Overview
Released
Released	March 2026	1994
Display
Screen size
Screen size	13.6″	9″
Resolution
Resolution	2560 × 1664 (better)	640 × 400
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	–
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	60 Hz	–
Brightness
Brightness	500 nits	–
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	Liquid Retina display; LED-backlit with IPS technology	Backlit active-matrix TFT LCD with 16 grey levels; 640 × 400 pixels. The developer note specifies a CCFL backlight and 512 KB video memory
Pixel density
Pixel density	224 ppi	–
Colour range
Colour range	Wide colour (P3); 1 billion colours	–
Display features
Display features	True Tone	–
Performance
Processor
Processor	Apple M5	Motorola 68LC040 66 MHz (PowerBook 540c)
CPU cores
CPU cores	10	1
Graphics
Graphics	8-core GPU or 10-core GPU	–
Memory
Memory	16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB (better)	4 MB or 12 MB
Storage
Storage	512 GB to 4 TB (better)	240 MB
CPU
CPU	10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores	Motorola 68LC040 with integrated memory-management unit, 66 MHz internal clock and 33 MHz external bus. No FPU upgrade; the Duo Dock and Dock II floating-point coprocessors and Dock II external cache cannot be used by this processor
GPU
GPU	Neural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decode	–
AI engine
AI engine	16-core Neural Engine	–
Memory type
Memory type	Unified memory	4 MB on the logic board and one Duo memory-card slot; maximum 40 MB. An 8 MB expansion card gives the 12 MB configuration; higher capacities require third-party cards
Memory bandwidth
Memory bandwidth	153 GB/s	–
Storage type
Storage type	SSD, configurable up to 4 TB	Internal 240 MB SCSI hard drive. The developer note also lists 200 MB configurations, whereas Apple's support summary specifies a minimum of 240 MB and the October 1994 catalogue lists 240 MB. Optional external SuperDrive floppy needs docking accessories
Cooling
Cooling	Fanless	–
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 18 hours	Up to 4 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	53.8 Wh	–
Weight
Weight	1.23 kg (better)	1.9 kg
Thickness
Thickness	11.3 mm	–
Width × depth
Width × depth	304.1 × 215 mm	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 15 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer battery	High-capacity Type II nickel-metal hydride battery with a maker typical-life claim of 2–4 hours in Apple Facts and Apple Directions. The later support summary lists Type III; the developer note identifies Type III as a separately available replacement
Charger
Charger	Sold 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 charging
Fast charging	With a 70 W or higher USB PD power source	–
Materials
Materials	100% recycled aluminium enclosure; 55% recycled content overall	–
Colours
Colours	Sky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight	–
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, headphone jack	–
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	6	–
Webcam
Webcam	12MP Center Stage	–
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	2 × 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 support	Mini-DIN eight-pin serial/LocalTalk, 152-pin docking connector, power input and optional modem port. Most desktop expansion requires a Duo dock
External displays
External displays	Up 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	External display support through Duo Dock or Duo MiniDock; no built-in video connector
Keyboard
Keyboard	Backlit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys	Integral keyboard with trackball and palm rests
Trackpad
Trackpad	Force Touch trackpad	Built-in trackball
Speakers
Speakers	Four-speaker sound system; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos	8-bit monaural sound input and output with integral speaker, documented in the developer note
Microphones
Microphones	Three-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modes	Built-in microphone in Apple Facts and the developer note, despite the support summary's Mic Type none
Biometrics
Biometrics	Touch ID	–
In the box
In the box	13-inch MacBook Air, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m); power adapter sold separately	System 7.1.1 with PowerBook Duo Enabler 2.0; PowerBook Mobility Bundle preinstalled; power adapter included. Developer note lists the Express Modem with the 12 MB configuration; Apple support records introduction on 16 May 1994. Apple Directions July 1994 says the Duo 280 and 280c had begun shipping last month and were available immediately worldwide; issue dating does not establish a first-sale day. Headline retains confirmed retail-year precision. Apple Facts October 1994 lists this model as current