The PowerBook 500 series were laptop computers of many firsts. They were the first computers with a trackpad pointing device. The first laptops with 16-bit stereo sound. The first laptops with a multi-use expansion bay. The first laptops with built-in ethernet.

In the PowerBook 520c, all of these firsts accompanied a full desktop-replacement class computer with 9.5” 8-bit color LCD, 25 MHz Motorola 68LC040 processor, up to 36 MB RAM, an internal SCSI hard drive, 1.44 MB high density floppy disk drive, a modem and a full sized keyboard. It was even upgradable to the then-new PowerPC 603e processor through a CPU daughtercard swap.

This machine features 36 MB RAM and a 320 MB internal hard drive. Network connectivity is achieved by way of an Apple AAUI to RJ45 adaptor. It boots into the original System 7.1.1.