PowerBook 100

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

PowerBook 100
PowerBook 145
PowerBook Duo
series

The PowerBook 100 is a portable

computer expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.[3] Priced at US$2,500 with external floppy drive,[4] the PowerBook 100 was the low-end model of the first three simultaneously released PowerBooks. Its CPU and overall speed closely resembled those of its predecessor, the Macintosh Portable. It had a Motorola 68000 processor at 16 MHz, 2-8 megabytes (MB) of RAM, a 9-inch (23 cm) monochrome backlit liquid-crystal display (LCD) with 640 × 400 pixel resolution, and the System 7.0.1 operating system. It did not have a built-in floppy disk drive and was noted for its unique compact design that placed a trackball
pointing device in front of the keyboard for ease of use.

Apple's then-chief executive officer (CEO)

PC World
named the PowerBook 100 the tenth-greatest PC of all time in 2006, and US magazine Mobile PC chose the PowerBook 100 as the greatest gadget of all time in 2005.

History

From 1990, John Sculley, then CEO of Apple, oversaw

product development personally to ensure that Apple released new computers to market more quickly. His new strategy was to increase market share by lowering prices and releasing more "hit" products. This strategy contributed to the commercial success of the low-end Macintosh Classic and Macintosh LC, desktop computers released by Apple in 1990. Sculley wanted to replicate the success of these products with Apple's new PowerBook line.[5]

Sculley began the project in 1990 and wanted the PowerBook to be released within one year. The project had three managers: John Medica, who managed engineering for the new laptop; Randy Battat, who was the vice president for product marketing; and Neil Selvin, who headed the marketing effort.[5] In 1991, the two leaders in the laptop computer industry were Toshiba and Compaq, both of which had introduced models weighing less than 8 lb (3.63 kg).[5] Medica, Battat, and Selvin deliberately designed the PowerBook to weigh less than its competitors.[5]

Sculley allocated a $1 million marketing budget to the PowerBook product line, in contrast to the $25 million used to market the Macintosh Classic.[5] Medica, Battat, and Selvin used most of the money to produce and air a television commercial that viewers would remember. Advertising agency Chiat/Day filmed retired Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sitting uncomfortably in a small airline coach seat yet typing comfortably on his PowerBook. The ad caption read: "At least his hands are comfortable."[5]

Apple unveiled the PowerBook 100 on October 21, 1991, at the Comdex computer expo in Las Vegas, alongside two other models: the PowerBook 140 and PowerBook 170.[3] Both the promotional campaign and the product itself were successful. Apple set a target of selling over 200,000 units of the PowerBook within the first year, with peak demand anticipated in the initial three months following its release.[6] By January 1992, Apple had already sold more than 100,000 PowerBooks, a milestone that was reached despite the product facing shortages in supply.[7] Apple soon solved the supply problems, and the proceeds from PowerBook sales reached $1 billion in the first year after launch. Apple surpassed Toshiba and Compaq as the market leader in worldwide share of portable computer shipments.[8] The PowerBook 100, 140, and 170 contributed greatly to Apple's financial success in 1992.[9] At the end of the financial year, Apple announced its highest figures yet, $7.1 billion in revenues and an increase in global market share from 8% to 8.5%, the highest it had been in four years.[9]

However, the initial popularity of the PowerBook 100 did not last. Sales decreased, and by December 1991 the 140 and 170 models had become more popular because customers were willing to pay more for a built-in floppy disk drive and second serial port, which the PowerBook 100 lacked.[10] In early 1992, the PowerBook 100 was offered at $2,300 without the external floppy drive.[4] By August 10, 1992, Apple quietly dropped the PowerBook 100 from its price list but continued to sell existing stock through its own dealers and alternative discount consumer-oriented stores such as Price Club. In these outlets, a configuration featuring 4 MB of RAM, a 40 MB hard drive, and a floppy drive was sold for less than $1,000, marking a substantial discount from the original list price of the equivalent 2 MB/20 MB configuration.[10]

On September 17, 1992, Apple recalled 60,000 PowerBook 100s because of a potential safety problem.[11] It was discovered that an electrical short could lead to the melting of a small hole in the casing. This issue affected three out of the 60,000 notebooks manufactured between October 1991 and March 1992.[11] On the day of the recall, Apple shares closed at $47, down $1.25, but some analysts discounted the recall's importance.[11] In addition, the original power supplies had problems with insulation cracks that could cause a short in a fuse on the motherboard; and the computer was prone to cracks in the power adapter socket on the motherboard, which required a $400 replacement motherboard if the warranty had expired.[12]

Features

Most of the PowerBook 100's internal components were based on its predecessor, the

active matrix used on the Portable (and the 170).[13][15] The PowerBook 100 included the System 7.0.1 operating system as standard, with support for all versions up to System 7.5.5. Apple, however, released System 6.0.8L, which allowed the PowerBook 100 to run System 6.[2] It could also be used with some earlier System 6 versions, although Apple did not officially support this.[16]

The PowerBook 100 had one external serial port, designed for use with a printer or any compatible RS-422 device. It was the first Macintosh to omit an external modem port,[17] instead offering an optional built-in 2400 baud modem for communications. As a result, for the first time a user could not print directly and access AppleTalk or a faster external modem simultaneously,[18][19][20] and devices such as advanced MIDI interfaces could not be used because they required the dedicated use of both ports.[21] A third-party serial modem port could, however, be installed in the internal modem slot for consumers who needed traditional functions.[22]

When the computer was not in use, contents of the memory were preserved as long as the main lead-acid battery remained charged.

RAM disk to help increase battery life by accessing the hard disk less frequently, since the 100 was the only PowerBook that maintained the contents of RAM on shutdown in order to reduce startup time.[25]

The PowerBook 100 was the first PowerBook to incorporate SCSI Disk Mode, which allowed it to be used as an external hard disk on a desktop Macintosh. This provided a convenient method for software to be installed onto the PowerBook or transferred to the desktop, without the need for the 100's optional floppy disk drive. A specialized SCSI cable with a unique connector was required, however, to use any SCSI device on the PowerBook series. A second dedicated cable was required for SCSI Disk Mode.[15] This feature was unique to the 100 until Apple introduced new PowerBooks more than a year later.[26]

There are two versions of the PowerBook 100's

caps lock key on the PowerBook 100 did not have a locking position or a lighted indicator of its status, and to compensate, the System 7 operating system software includes an extension file that causes an icon of the international caps lock symbol (⇪) to appear in the upper right-hand corner of the menu bar[15]
when Caps Lock is active.

The internals of the PowerBook 100 were the basis of the Apple Wizzy Active Lifestyle Telephone prototype.[27]

Design

Both the PowerBook 140 and 170 were designed before the 100 by the Apple Industrial Design Group, from March 1990-February 1991.[28] The 100's styling was based on those computers and represents the first improvements to the PowerBook line as Apple benefited from the lessons learned in developing the more powerful models' enclosure. The 100 was designed between September and December 1990, and retained the same design elements, which were a variation on the Snow White design language Apple had been using since 1984. Specifically, 2 mm (0.079 in) raised ridges spaced 10 mm (0.39 in) apart intended to tie it into the existing product line.[28]

Apple approached Sony in late 1989 because it did not have enough engineers to handle the number of new products that were planned for delivery in 1991.[29] Using a basic blueprint from Apple, including a list of chips and other components, and the Portable's architecture, the 100 was miniaturized and manufactured by Sony in San Diego, California, and Japan.[30][31] Sony engineers had little experience building personal computers but nonetheless completed Apple's smallest and lightest machine in under 13 months,[29] cancelling other projects and giving the PowerBook 100 top priority. Sony president Norio Ohga gave project manager Kihey Yamamoto permission to recruit engineers from any Sony division.[29]

fashion statement with the overall design of the laptop, which they felt made it a more personal accessory, like a wallet or briefcase.[32] Brunner said: "It says something about the identity of the person who is carrying it".[32]

Reception

Crystal Waters of Home Office Computing praised the PowerBook 100's "unique, effective design" but was disappointed because the internal modem did not receive faxes, and the 100 had no monitor port.[33] The low-capacity 20 MB hard drive was also criticized. Once a user's core applications had been installed, little room was left for optional programs and documents.[33] Waters concluded: "Having used the 100 constantly in the past few weeks, I know I wouldn't feel cheated by buying it - if only it had a 40MB hard-disk drive option."[33]

PC Week benchmarked the PowerBook 100, measuring it against its predecessor, the Macintosh Portable. The PowerBook 100 took 5.3 seconds to open a Microsoft Word document and 2.5 seconds to save it, while the Portable took 5.4 and 2.6 seconds respectively.[34] PC Week tested the battery life, which delivered 3 hours 47 minutes of use.[34] Byte magazine's review concluded, "The PowerBook 100 is recommended for word processing and communications tasks; the higher-end products offer enough power for complex reports, large spreadsheets and professional graphics."[35] MacWEEK described it as "ideal for writers and others on a tight budget."[36]

The PowerBook 100 continues to receive recognition from the press.

Sony Walkman and Atari 2600.[39] The PowerBook 100 received multiple awards for its design, including the 1999 IDSA Silver Design of the Decade Award, Form magazine's 1993 Designer's Design Awards, the 1992 ISDA Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award, the 1992 Appliance Manufacturer Excellence in Design award, and the Industry Forum Design 10 Best - Hannover Fair award.[40]

Technical specifications

According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][41]

Model PowerBook 100[1]
Code name Elwood, Jake, O'Shanter & Bess, Asahi, Classic, Derringer, Rosebud,[42] and Sapporo[28]
Model M1506
Gestalt ID 24
Order number M0567 M1045
Processor Motorola 68000
Bus speed 16 
MHz
Read-only memory (ROM) 256 KB
Random access memory
(RAM)
MB, expandable to 8 MB using 100 ns SIMMs and optional custom RAM-slot expansion card
Display
9-inch (23 cm)
LCD
(backlit) display, 640 × 400 pixel resolution
Storage
20–40 MB SCSI hard disk drive internal 20–40 
floppy disk drive
Networking AppleTalk, optional modem
Port connections 1 ×
mini-DIN-8 RS-422 serial port (printer/modem, AppleTalk)
1 × HDI-20 (ext. floppy drive)
1 × HDI-30 connector SCSI
(ext. hard drive, scanner)
1 × 3.5 mm headphone jack socket
Operating system System 6.0.8L, 7.0.17.5.5
Expansion slots 1 × serial modem
Audio 8-bit
22 kHz
Battery
212–334 hour 7.2V sealed
lead acid rechargeable battery[34]
3.5-volt lithium backup batteries[15]
Physical
dimensions
8.5 in × 11 in × 1.8 in (22 × 28 × 4.6 cm)
5.1 lb (2.31 kg)

Timeline

Timeline of portable Macintoshes
Mac transition to Apple siliconiMac ProApple WatchiPadiPhoneMac ProPower Mac G5Power Mac G4Power Macintosh G3Power MacintoshCompact MacintoshMacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)iBook G4PowerBook G4PowerBook G4iBook (white)PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook 2400cPowerBook 3400cPowerBook 1400PowerBook 5300PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 190PowerBook G4PowerBook 150PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 165PowerBook 145BPowerBook 180cPowerBook 180PowerBook 165cPowerBook 160PowerBook 145PowerBook 170PowerBook 140MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)iBook G4MacBook Air (Apple silicon)iBook (white)MacBook Air (Intel-based)12-inch MacBookMacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)iBook ClamshellPowerBook DuoMacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)MacBook (2006–2012)PowerBook G4PowerBook 100Macintosh PortablePowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook Duo 2300cPowerBook Duo 280cPowerBook Duo 280Macintosh PortablePowerBook Duo 270cPowerBook Duo 250PowerBook Duo 230Macintosh Portable

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Apple products that were discontinued 7 years ago and no longer receive hardware support nor spare parts

References

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External links