[www.cultofmac.com]

October 21, 1991: Apple launches its PowerBook 100 series. The lightweight laptops quickly become one of the most important tech gadgets of all time.

These devices almost single-handedly turned notebook computers into a mainstream technology. Apple’s subsequent success in this category — whether it’s the current MacBooks or even the rise of mobile devices like the iPhone — owes a huge debt to the PowerBook 100 series.

By modern standards, the PowerBook 100 series is the first true laptop Apple released. It wasn’t the company’s first portable computer, however. In September 1989, Apple launched the Macintosh Portable, a battery-powered Mac you could take on the move. The Macintosh Portable didn’t fare well, though — which shouldn’t seem too surprising, considering it cost $6,500.



By comparison, the October 1991 PowerBooks came in three configurations: the low-end PowerBook 100, the midlevel PowerBook 140 and the high-end PowerBook 170. These ranged in price from $2,300 up to $4,599.

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pRICE,

The PB100 was one of Apple's best Macs. Not just one of the best notebooks. BEst Macs overall. Capable. Ultra light. One of the best features was its built-in RAMDisk which didn't vanish upon turning off the machine. It was protected by the battery. Wish Apple had never dropped the feature. It was amazingly handy.

Robert

These were made by Sony. I had one, with a whopping 10 MB of RAM, a gift from a buddy in the group that validated RAM suppliers.

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Lost,

Yups. Got mine at Costco. I think it was about $1000 or s. Used it in college. I had the same processor as the old Mac SE but it ran twice the speed (16 MHz) instead of 8 MHz. I had an SE and the difference between the two was tangible. Loved that computer! Probably still have it somewhere in my parent's house.

Robert

There was a huge outcry among fellow employees that we were selling out. Common sentiment was that we could have built a better computer, but I don't think it could have been any better at the time.

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I always loved the design. Better looking by far than most laptops today.

I had one of those as well. It was my wife's (a very young wife) computer. It was a real trooper. Only issue we had with it was the trackball which required very frequent cleaning to work properly.

I had a PB 145B that I picked up in a Bud's store (the chain is long-since defunct; it was Walmart's version of Big Lots in the 90's, they were a clearance store for former WM merchandise, and also resold returns and display items from WM and Sam's stores). It had been a floor model in a Sam's Club, and showed up in a box literally on the floor of a small-town Bud's store for $350 in early 1994, when that amount wouldn't get you a quarter of any new PowerBook on the market. Snapped it up, and used it for years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2020 12:03PM by Will Collier.

Bought mine used for $700, added a fast modem ($300) & used it through grad school.

RAM disk was nice...more portable than the 140 or 170 other students bought.

Dialed in via Appletalk Remote Access for assignments & whatever files I needed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2020 02:45PM by Bill in NC.

....what about the PB.......& J......??

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