Powerbook Addiction

[robivy64]

I've really been hooked on buying old Powerbooks recently.

I just finished my Powerbook 100 restoration, and am stoked to own a (seemingly rare) WORKING Powerbook 100!

I also recently purchased a Powerbook 3400C/200.

Both machines have been converted to use compact flash hard drives.

Anyone here specifically collect Powerbooks?

 

[840quadra]

Would love to own an older (Pre G3) Powerbook, as well as a Pismo or otherwise.

What has your experience been with batteries, and or replacement? Interstate Battery can refurbish many of the older battery types in my area, and was wondering if an older Powerbook would work for this.

 

[robivy64]

That's a good question. Both of mine are dead. I actually have several PB 100 batteries and some are starting to bulge. I have considered converting them to use no battery by having a battery shop remove the battery from the plastic housing, and then just installing the shell to fill the case.

I think you can still buy replacements for the 3400, but I don't know of any solution for replacing the battery in the PB 100

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Oh, boy, where do I start?

Used to have a Portable (backlit) - it stopped working so I sold it.
PowerBook 100 - with "bit rot" screen.
PowerBook 140
PowerBook 150 (broken, keep it as spare parts.)
PowerBook 145b
PowerBook 165c
PowerBook 180c
PowerBook 520c
PowerBook 540c
PowerBook 540c with PPC upgrade
-- One PB500-series PCMCIA Adapter
-- Two rebuilt PB500-series batteries
PowerBook Duo 210
PowerBook Duo 230
PowerBook Duo 280c
PowerBook Duo 2300c
PowerBook 190
PowerBook 5300
3 x PowerBook 5300c (only one fully functional, one was my first Mac back in 1998.)
PowerBook 5300ce (only partly functional screen.)
PowerBook 1400c
2 x PowerBook G3 Series (Lombard)
PowerBook G4 (12" Aluminum, first-generation, the first Mac I bought brand-new)
MacBook Pro (15", first-generation Core Duo, ordered day of release of first Intel-Macs)
MacBook (black, first-generation Core Duo)

I really need to cull the collection down...

 

[robivy64]

Wow! That's pretty serious! I see several machines that I would love to have, especially that Duo 280C!

 

[maxosx]

As a very happy loyal Apple customer since my first new PowerBook 170 purchased in 1991, I've owned nearly all of them.

In fact, my stellar 2002 PowerBook Ti, has a coveted spot in my office. A laptop I still use to write and surf the web once in awhile just for fun, it's traveled the globe and you'd never know it. An expensive proper laptop bag has been worth it's weight in gold. My Ti is cosmetically perfect.

That said, the single biggest disappointment I've experienced as an Apple customer is their decision to discard the much loved "PowerBook" model designation.

Oh sure I've read all the reasons why, but in my minds eye, they had one of the best monikers of all. There's a lot to be said for heritage.

IBM / now Lenovo has been very smart to keep the "ThinkPad" name alive.

The various "MacBook Pro's" I'm currently using simply don't have the same cache.

 

[robivy64]

I agree, I hated when the Powerbook name was dropped.

The Wallstreet is a fine machine, but I will always be partial to the pre-G3 Powerbooks, especially the 68k models.

 

[mcdermd]

I'm down to a couple of different 100-series and Duo-series PowerBooks to gather. I think this is the complete list of working old-world PowerBooks I own:

Macintosh Portable
PowerBook 100
PowerBook 140
PowerBook 150
PowerBook 160
PowerBook 165
PowerBook 165c
PowerBook 170
PowerBook 180
PowerBook 180c
PowerBook 190cs
PowerBook Duo 270c
PowerBook Duo 280c
PowerBook Duo 2300c
PowerBook 520c
PowerBook 540c
PowerBook 540c "BlackBird" Prototype
PowerBook 1400cs
PowerBook 5300cs
PowerBook 5300c
PowerBook 3400/240
PowerBook 2400c/180
PowerBook G3 "Kanga" (3500)

You can see a good number of them via the link in my sig.

 

[95yjman]

I have a couple, I find they are much easier to store than the my apple desktops!

 

[ryan42]

I've recently started picking up PowerBooks here and there because they take up less space than the desktops I've already hoarded. I currently have a 12" G4, Wallstreet G3, iBook 500, and a 1400cs. I've been trying to pick up some 68k PowerBooks lately.