[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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Ways to improve web conference image and sound quality. [forums.macresource.com]

That's a PB 150....first one to use IDE.

I have a mac portable. The mechanical keyboard is orgasmic.

Gawd, that’s pug-ugly. Jobs would never have let something like that see the light of day.

Also, wrong side.

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Back when Trump was a Democrat.

This was proof that Apple could innovate without Jobs.

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sekker
This was proof that Apple could innovate without Jobs.

Innovation was never the problem, selling was and Jobs knew how to sell.

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RgrF

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sekker
This was proof that Apple could innovate without Jobs.

Innovation was never the problem, selling was and Jobs knew how to sell.

Well, the PB line sold itself. At one point, owned a HUGE fraction of the market.

Still, I don't think the iPod and iPhone would have ever materialized under anyone except Jobs.

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Carnos Jax
Still, I don't think the iPod and iPhone would have ever materialized under anyone except Jobs.

No idea, but there were plenty of good engineers at Apple that might have made their own Next Thing.

However, the post-Jobs era seems to prove your point - what's truly new? Airpods. Anything else is iterative like the Watch...

Unfortunately it’s just not having good engineers, it really takes some visionary leader ship. Not that Tim Cook is anything to complain about, he is better than any of his contemporaries, and was the best man to lead a post Jobs Apple. I think of people like Steve Jobs an Elon Musk as rare once in a lifetime leaders.

And to put all this in perspective, the vast majority of companies don’t ever produce a revolutionary product in their lifetime. The lucky ones at best I have one revolutionary product in their portfolio. What Apple did under Steve’s leadership was some kind of wild anomaly. Elon musk seems to be repeating that now.

Quote
Carnos Jax
Unfortunately it’s just not having good engineers, it really takes some visionary leader ship. Not that Tim Cook is anything to complain about, he is better than any of his contemporaries, and was the best man to lead a post Jobs Apple. I think of people like Steve Jobs an Elon Musk as rare once in a lifetime leaders.

And to put all this in perspective, the vast majority of companies don’t ever produce a revolutionary product in their lifetime. The lucky ones at best I have one revolutionary product in their portfolio. What Apple did under Steve’s leadership was some kind of wild anomaly. Elon musk seems to be repeating that now.

Musk is not just once in a generation, he's a once-a-century personality.

As important as Jobs was, the potential long-term impact of the combination of Tesla/SpaceX is pretty amazing. Let's hope Musk gets the chance to see them through.

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sekker

Musk is not just once in a generation, he's a once-a-century personality.

As important as Jobs was, the potential long-term impact of the combination of Tesla/SpaceX is pretty amazing. Let's hope Musk gets the chance to see them through.

People always leave out his Boring Company. Understandable though, and probably because it's boring…

I blame Obama and the rest of the radical left for this socialist piece of equipment.