Apple PowerBook 1xx computer family

n.a.

The machines were mostly used for individual, personal purposes.

Pb140, PB150: Information Technology History Exhibition

PB100, PB180: n.a.

Structure

Central unit

Word-organized machines: 16 bpW data bus, 32 bpW internal bus system

• control unit:
  • PB100: Motorola 68000, clock speed 16 MHz
  • PB140:Motorola 68030, clock speed 16 MHz
    • L1 cache: 0.5 KB ( cache )
  • PB180, PB150: Motorola 68030, clock speed 33 MHz
    • L1 cache: 0.5 KB (cache)
  • PB150: Motorola 68030, clock speed 33 MHz
• main store:
  • RAM (GO)
    • PB100: 2 MB on motherboard (max. 8 MB), cycle time 100 ns
    • PB140: 2 MB on motherboard (+2 MB optional, max 8 MB)
    • PB180: 4 MB on motherboard (max 14 MB), cycle time 85 ns
    • PB150: 4 MB on motherboard (+4 MB optional, max 40 MB), cycle time 70 ns
  • ROM:
    • PB100: 0.5 MB
    • PB140, PB180, PB150: 1 MB
  • VRAM: 1 Kbit, for video signal generation
• calculator: ALU built into a microprocessor
  • PB180: Motorola 68882 floating-point coprocessor

Periphery

• backup:
  • PB100: 20-40 MB hard drive
  • PB140:
    • 20MB hard drive
    • 720 kB floppy disk, 3.5″
  • PB180:
    • 80 MB (max.160 MB) hard disk
    • 1.44 MB floppy disk, 3.5″
  • PB150:
    • 120 MB (max 250 MB) hard drive
    • 1.44 MB floppy disk, 3.5″
• external devices:
  • 64-key keyboard
  • built-in scroller
  • LCD display
    • PB100: 9″ monochrome, passive matrix
    • PB140: 9.8″ monochrome, passive matrix
    • PB180: 9.8″ grayscale active matrix
    • PB150: 9.8″ grayscale passive matrix
• Connectors:
  • RS-422 ( mini DIN-8 ) serial port (printer, modem)
  • SCSI (HDI-30) connector (external hard drive, scanner)
  • PB100:
    • serial ADB socket (keyboard, mouse)
    • HDI-20 (external floppy disk)
    • Audio Out (headphones) mini, mono, 8 bit
  • PB140:
    • 2-line ADB socket (keyboard, mouse)
    • audio B/K mini jacks (DIN)
  • PB180:
    • serial ADB socket (keyboard, mouse)
    • audio B/K mini jacks (DIN), mono, 16 bit
  • PB150: audio Ki: mini, mono 8 bit

Battery power supply:

• PB10: Lead-sulfuric acid, operating time 2-4 hours
• PB140, PB180, PB150: NiCad, operating time 2-3 hours;

Weight: PB100: 2.3 kg; PB140, PB180: 3.1 kg; PB150: 2.6 kg

Operation

The Motorola 68000 microprocessors used 32-bit registers (8 data registers, 7 address registers) and 24-bit (16 MB) main memory addresses. There were two modes of operation: user and administrator; in the former, interrupt-handling instructions could not be used.

The main types of the 56-element instruction set are: data movers, fixed-point and decimal arithmetic and logical operations, step/shift and rotate, as well as bit manipulation and process control instructions, branches, system control operations, and an instruction supporting multiprocessor mode.

The instruction set was highly orthogonal: most instructions could use all 14 addressing modes (register indirect, PC-relative, absolute, register direct, direct, and implicit addressing, and combinations thereof), operating on the 5 main data types (bit, BCD digit, byte (8 bits), word (16 bits), doubleword (32 bits)). Instructions were defined by the instruction code and addressing mode, with a minimum instruction size of 16 bits (2 bytes), but their length could range from 1 to 5 words.

The math coprocessor can be integrated into the system as a peripheral controller, and the coprocessor interface can be emulated in software.

Screen resolution:

• PB100, PB140, : 640×400 pixels, 1 bit
• PB180: 640×400 pixels, 4 bits (16 grayscales)
• PB150: 640×400 pixels, 2 bits, (4 grayscales)

Program set

• Operating system: Macintosh System Software
  • PB10: 6.0.8L (Japanese version with reduced functionality); later Sys 7.0.1-7.5.5
  • Pb140: Sys 7.0.1-7.5.5
  • PB180, PB 150: Sys 7.1; Mac: 7.6.1
• compilers: na

The machines were widely used for word processing and file creation tasks. Users had to load the necessary application programs from a wide selection available via modem and hard drive connectors.

Historical curiosities

The PB100's appearance was significantly different from its predecessor, as Apple had asked Sony to rework the design sketches, miniaturizing the components, and this was used in later versions. The lightest portable computer of its time, it reached 200,000 units in the year of its introduction, but its success quickly waned, mainly due to an electrical short circuit. The PB140's parameters were essentially the same as those of the PB100, but it was not a market success due to its cheaper monitor and the lack of a floating-point calculator. However, the PB170, which also had a modem and hard drive connector, caught up, and within two years the Apple Powerbook 100 series became a global success.

The PB100 and PB150 models had the PB Serial Adapter add-on ($74), which provided a full-fledged modem connector.

The PB150 was able to be significantly cheaper than its predecessors by not having an ADB port or an external monitor connector (although the aforementioned PB adapter could replace this), and its display was also of the passive matrix type. However, it came with a Li-ion spare battery, which allowed the contents of the (destructive) DRAM memory to be preserved during battery replacement.

The top models of the machine family were the PB180 and PB180c, the latter of which had an 8.4″ color active matrix display capable of displaying 256 colors.

The premature death of the PB100 family of machines (they were finally removed from the market in 1996) was mainly hastened by the rapid development of microprocessors, as Apple also switched to the PB500 series.

Resources

General description, history and main technical data: PB100, PB140, PB150, PB180 (English)

Detailed technical parameters: PB100, PB140, PB180, PB150 (English)