PowerBook

PowerBook is a range of laptop computers manufactured by Apple.

This is the portable version of the Macintosh aimed at the professional market. Since 1999, Apple has sold a second range of cheaper laptops called the iBook. This range is aimed at the consumer and educational markets.

Before PowerBook

Prior to the launch of the PowerBook line, Apple had attempted to make a laptop on the Macintosh architecture. Its electronics were similar to those of the Macintosh SE, but with a CPU twice as fast, a superb active matrix, LCD liquid crystal display instead of a CRT, and a very heavy lead acid battery that offered up to 10 hours of autonomy. Despite being a pleasant computer to use, it was often described as "luggable" due to its size and weight. It didn't sell well and Apple thought it should do better next time.

The first PowerBooks

Macintosh Portable.

In October 1991, the first three PowerBooks were released: the low-end PowerBook 100, the mid-range PowerBook 140, and the high-end PowerBook 170. These computers caused a stir in the industry with their compact gray cases, an integrated trackball, and a clever keyboard layout that left room to rest your wrists. Laptop PCs back then tended to have the keyboard in front of the user, with no empty space behind it, so this was an amazing innovation. While the PowerBook 140 and 170 were original designs, the PowerBook 100 had an interesting pedigree: Apple had sent schematics for the portable Mac to Sony, which then figured out how it could make it small. This is the reason why the design of the PowerBook 100 is different from the rest of the series. The PowerBook 100 didn't sell well initially, so Apple lowered the price substantially, and those that were left in stock sold out quickly.

Powerbook Duo 230.

In 1992 Apple released a hybrid laptop/desktop computer portable/desktop, the PowerBook Duo. This was a very thin and light laptop with a minimum of features, which it could be inserted into a Docking Station (load-unload station or interconnection module) to provide the system with extra memory, hard disk space, connectors, and could be connected to a monitor. The model did not sell so well unsurprisingly, though several companies took note of its design.

The first series of PowerBooks were very successful, accounting for 40% of all laptop sales at the time, a fact that Apple largely ignored. Instead they moved the original team to work at Compaq, leaving behind the effort to introduce updated versions for a certain time. Over several years, notable enhancements were introduced to the new PowerBook and PowerBook Duo computers, including the color screens, but by mid-decade most other companies had copied most of the features of the PowerBook, and Apple could not regain its leadership.

The PowerBook 100 series have been updated many times. the 165c was the first PowerBook with a color display, followed more Go ahead for the 180c. The 180s that had a black and white screen of superb quality for the time were enormously popular.

Powerbook 150.

The last member of the 100 series was the PowerBook 150, in 1994. (The PowerBook 190, released in 1995, bears no resemblance to the rest of the PowerBook 100 series, and that's simply because it's a Motorola 68LC040-based version of the 5300, and the last PowerBook model to be made using a Motorola 68k family processor.)

Apple's PowerBook product line declined during this period. 1994 saw the introduction of the PowerBook 500 series, dubbed the Blackbird. These models of PowerBooks were fancier than the 100 series, and they were quite a bit faster. All 500 series featured massive active matrix LCD monitors [all models had the option of a color screen if desired], stereo speakers, and used a new technology called the trackpad instead of the trackball from the 100 series. The PowerBook 500 series continued the product line, leading it up to the disastrous PowerBook 5300.

The PowerPC era

Powerbook 1400cs 133.

The PowerBook 5300 had numerous problems. Although it had been announced well in advance, the first PowerPC-based PowerBook, the 5300 were the worst Apple product in the period 1995-1996 where the company was on the brink of extinction. The 5300 were not competitive with other laptop models at the time. Many models never worked, and some other 5300s used by Apple burst into flames due to problems with the then-new Sony-made lithium-ion batteries (earning the nickname "Hindenbook", after the Hindenburg disaster). Meanwhile, none of the consumer models suffered this fate, but Apple was forced to revamp the product line entirely and delay its availability until they proved that nickel metal hydride (Ni/MH) batteries were working properly. The placement of Apple's PowerBook 5300 product in the movie Mission: Impossible turned disaster around causing PowerBooks that used to pile up on store shelves to start selling out as soon as the movie opens in theaters.

Apple, already reeling from the 5300 disaster, ushered in 1996 and 1997 by introducing three new PowerBooks: the 1400, proposed to replace at 5300 as a general purpose PowerBook; the 2400, proposed as a slimline second notebook, to replace the PowerBook Duo; and the PowerBook 3400, a luxury model. The PowerBook 1400 and 3400 were in fact the first PowerBooks to include an internal CD drive, and were introduced at a time when portable computers rarely had a drive. This would eventually become the norm after industry adoption of PowerBooks. Later, the PowerBook 3400 was adapted to carry out the first PowerBook G3, called the Kanga, in the second half of 1997.

PowerBook G3

See PowerBook G3 for more information

The second line of PowerBook G3, completely redesigned from the Kanga, was released in 1998. This line is generally accepted as the laptop that put Apple Computer on the list of "must have" laptops. These new PowerBooks inherited the design line of the successful PowerBook 500, boasting spectacular curves and an eye-catching injected black plastic casing. It debuted around the same time as the legendary iMac, the "WallStreet/Mainstreet" which encompassed models with a wide variety of features, such as different processing speeds [233 to 300 MHz] and the choice of 12", 13" or 14". All of them included dual bays that allowed for floppy drives, CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drives, hard drives, and even additional batteries.

Apple later standardized on the 14" and introduced 2 new revisions, in 1999 and 2000 respectively: The "Lombard", also known as the bronze keyboard, a more powerful PowerBook thin, light and fast [266, 333, 400 MHz] with longer battery life and had both USB and SCSI onboard, and then the "Pismo", which replaced SCSI by 2 FireWire ports and updated the PowerBook line to have AGP graphics, as well as removing the "G3" of the name of the PowerBooks. The Pismo revision also brought the long-awaited AirPort wireless networking support that debuted in conjunction with AGP on Apple iBooks in July 1999.

PowerBook G4

PowerBookG4 15"(titanio).

See PowerBook G4 for more information

Steve Jobs turned his eyes to the redesign of the PowerBook series in 2000. Introduced in January 2001, the result was a completely redesigned laptop wrapped in a titanium skin with a 15.2" widescreen, specially indicated to be able to watch movies in full screen. Built on the power of the PowerPC G4 processor, it was seen as the world's first portable supercomputer. It was lighter than PC-based laptops, and due to PowerPC's low power consumption it had a longer battery life.

TiBooks, as they were known, became a luxury item. They were especially popular in the entertainment business, where they graced many a desk in Hollywood. They also made some inroads into the desktop computer market, thanks to their large screen. Many other laptop manufacturers followed suit and imitated its design, especially the widescreen one, and sometimes also the silver metal casing.

The Powerbook Titanium was released with 400 MHz, 500 MHz, 550 MHz, 667 MHz, 867 MHz, and 1 GHz configurations.

In 2003, Apple released the world's largest screen laptop, as well as the world's smallest fully featured laptop. Both sets are made of anodized aluminum (nicknamed AlBook) and come standard with a DVD burner (optional on the small model), AirPort Extreme wireless networking, Bluetooth, and 12.1″ LCD screens. 3. 4; and 17". He 17" includes an ambient light sensor built into the keyboard that illuminates the keys and adjusts the brightness of the screen according to the light level.

The 12" on the PowerBook is the same as the one used on the 12" iBook, while the 17" on the PowerBook is the same screen as the one used on the 17' iMac.

Later in 2003, 15" They were redesigned and now offer the same aluminum housing as its smaller and larger brothers, with the same features as the 17" (including backlit keyboard).

In April 2004, aluminum PowerBooks were improved. The SuperDrive was bumped up to 4x DVD recording speed, the fastest available processor was bumped to 1'5 Ghz, and graphics cards were replaced with the latest models, offering up to 128 MB of video memory. a third built-in speaker was added to the 12" to enhance the midrange enhancement. Additionally, AirPort Extreme cards were offered as standard for all PowerBooks rather than as optional equipment.

In January 2005, the specifications of the aluminum PowerBooks were revised yet again, accompanied by a price reduction. Processor speeds were increased to a maximum of 1'67 Ghz. on the top 15" and in the largest of 17", while the lowest model of 15" and the 12" They achieved a speed increase, placing them at 1'5 Ghz. Digital audio was added to the 17" model. RAM memory has been increased to 512 MB, and hard drive speed to 5400 RPM, with a maximum hard drive capacity of 100 GB (17"). Each model also featured an improved track pad, supporting scrolling (vertical or horizontal scrolling in the window, avoiding having to position the cursor on the scroll bars), a revised Bluetooth module with support for BT 2.0+EDR, and a new feature that allows the hard disk reading heads to be blocked when there is a sudden acceleration or deceleration, captured by internal sensors, thus preventing the appearance of corrupted data on the hard disk in the event of a fortuitous crash. Support for the 30" Apple Cinema monitor was also introduced. on the 17" model, and is optional on the 15" through an upgrade in video hardware.

The PowerBooks were last updated in November 2005. The main changes were a processor upgrade, better graphics card, a dual-layer DVD burner, and 8X (higher than included in the 15&# MacBook Pro). 34;) and a higher quality and higher resolution screen in the 15" and 17"