PowerBook 165
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| PowerBook 165 (Miguel Durán, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5) | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Notebook computer |
| Released | 16 August 1993 |
| Discontinued | 18 July 1994 |
| Intro price | US$1,970 |
| CPU | Motorola 68030 at 33 MHz; no FPU |
| Memory | 4 MB pseudostatic RAM; one expansion slot; 14 MB maximum |
| Storage | Internal 1.4 MB floppy drive; 2.5-inch SCSI hard disk |
| Display | 10-inch backlit FSTN LCD, 640 × 400, 16 greys |
| Sound | — |
| ROM | 1 MB |
| Power | 2.5 Ah NiCad main battery; 3 V lithium PRAM battery |
| Dimensions | 2.25 × 11.25 × 9.3 in (5.7 × 28.6 × 23.6 cm) |
| Weight | 6.8 lb (3.1 kg) with battery |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.1 to Mac OS 7.6.1 |
| Predecessor | PowerBook 160 |
| Codename | Dart LC |
The PowerBook 165 is a greyscale notebook Macintosh introduced on 16 August 1993 and discontinued on 18 July 1994.[1] Apple's developer note describes it as a PowerBook 160 running at 33 MHz.[2] It shares the 160's case, boards and Service Source; in Apple's exploded view only its daughterboard, display bezel and EMI shield have part numbers different from the 160's.[3] Low End Mac gives the code name Dart LC and a launch price of US$1,970.[4]
The colour PowerBook 165c came first, in February 1993.[5] Apple introduced it with "a distinctive new exterior design", and its display and display power boards are its own; it shares a Service Source with the 180c, not with the 165.[6][7] It is described in its own section below.
PowerBook 165 and 165c compared
[edit | edit source]| Item | PowerBook 165 | PowerBook 165c |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 16 August 1993[1] | 10 February 1993[5] |
| Discontinued | 18 July 1994[1] | 1 December 1993[5] |
| FPU | None | 68882 at 33 MHz[1][7] |
| Display | 10 in FSTN, 640 × 400, 16 greys[3] | 9 in colour FSTN, 640 × 400, 256 colours[7] |
| Display parts | Display 661-0745, inverter 922-0025, display cable 922-0820[3] | Display 661-0752, inverter 922-0374, display cable 922-0373, inverter cable 922-0566[7] |
| Power adapter | 17 W[3] | 24 W[7] |
| Weight | 6.8 lb (3.1 kg)[3] | 7.0 lb (3.18 kg)[7] |
| Gestalt ID | 84[1] | 50[5] |
| Launch price | US$1,970[4] | US$3,400[8] |
PowerBook 165 hardware
[edit | edit source]The 165 differs from the 160 only in its 33 MHz processor. Both use the 16-grey FSTN display 661-0745 with inverter 922-0025 and display cable 922-0820, and the same motherboard, 661-0746.[3] To tell the daughterboards apart, look at the underside: a 165 board (661-1016) has resistor R39 fitted and R38 empty, a 160 board the reverse, and a 180 board has an FPU at U27.[3]
The developer note gives 1 MB of ROM, 4 MB of PSRAM and room for a 10 MB card, 14 MB in all, with cards needing 85 ns or faster RAM.[2][1] The external video port drives 256 colours on Apple monitors up to 16 inches, in either mirror or dual mode.[2] The 165 also supports SCSI disk mode through an HDI-30 SCSI Disk Adapter cable.[2] The developer note lists 40, 80 and 120 MB disks; Apple's specification page gives 80-160 MB.[2][1]
On a 165 with a serial number below FC247xxxxxx or CK247xxxxxx, Apple's cure for a row of pixels that never lights includes replacing the daughterboard along with the display.[3] The rest of the fault-finding and repair is shared with the 160; see the guides listed below.
PowerBook 165c
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The 165c was Apple's first colour PowerBook.[8] Apple's developer note gives it a 33 MHz 68030 and 68882, 4 MB of PSRAM expandable to 14 MB, an 8-bit colour FSTN display of 640 × 400 lit by two cold-cathode lamps, 80 and 120 MB disks, a 2.9 Ah NiCad battery, a 3 V lithium backup battery and "a new 24 W" adapter.[6] The colour circuitry is a Western Digital WD90C26 controller and WD90C55 display driver with Apple's Pangola interface ASIC and 512 KB of DRAM, appearing to software as a NuBus video card in slot $C.[6] The Service Source calls the same 512K "video RAM".[7] Low End Mac says Apple used single-ported DRAM there, where the 160 and 180 have VRAM, and that screen redraws were slower as a result.[8]
The 165c's Service Source shares its charts and procedures with the PowerBook 180c. Points that matter for the 165c:[7]
- The NiCad battery gives 1.5-2 hours. Low End Mac puts it at about one hour.[7][8]
- The machine needs the 24 W adapter. If it will not start with the battery removed or flat, check that the adapter is a 24 W unit before anything else.
- The brightness and contrast controls are on the DC/DC converter board, which carries a shield; see PowerBook 180 General Maintenance.
- A thin white line across the middle, rainbow colours at extreme angles, uneven brightness, and a display that stops working below about 5 °C or above 40 °C and then recovers are all normal on the 165c.
- The PowerBook Display control panel dims the backlight but never turns it fully off.[6]
165c display capacitors
[edit | edit source]MacDat lists no electrolytic capacitors on the 165c's logic board. The display has seven 10 µF 63 V low-profile radial electrolytics. The inverter board has two 8.2 µF 80 V electrolytics, for which MacDat substitutes 10 µF 80 V, and one polymer capacitor that rarely fails.[9] The board in MacDat's photograph also carries two slide controls and a label for use with display 661-0752. The procedure is on PowerBook 180 Capacitor Replacement Guide.
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Capacitors in the 165
[edit | edit source]The 165 uses the same LCD driver board, inverter and trackball capacitors as the 140, 145 and 160, and none on the logic board.[10]
| Board | Value | Qty | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCD driver board | 100 µF 6 V | 1 | Surface-mount electrolytic |
| LCD driver board | 22 µF 35 V | 1 | Surface-mount electrolytic |
| LCD driver board | 3.3 µF 35 V | 9 | Surface-mount electrolytic |
| Backlight inverter | 47 µF 16 V | 1 | Low-profile radial electrolytic |
| Backlight inverter | 33 µF 10 V | 1 | Low-profile radial polymer |
| Trackball | 10 µF 16 V | 1 | Radial electrolytic |
MacDat advises against ceramic replacements on the LCD board, which have caused contrast drift, and recommends tantalum.[10] The full procedure is on PowerBook 140 Capacitor Replacement Guide.
Maintenance and repair
[edit | edit source]For the PowerBook 165:
- PowerBook 160 General Maintenance
- PowerBook 160 Troubleshooting
- PowerBook 140 Capacitor Replacement Guide
- PowerBook 140 Battery Replacement
For the PowerBook 165c:
- PowerBook 180 General Maintenance
- PowerBook 180 Troubleshooting
- PowerBook 180 Capacitor Replacement Guide
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- PowerBook 160, 165 and 180 Service Source: the 165
- PowerBook 165c and 180c Service Source: the 165c
- PowerBook 165, 165c and 180c Developer Notes
- PowerBook 160 Documentation: the PowerBook 160 and 180 developer note, which both 165 notes refer back to
Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Apple, "Macintosh PowerBook 165: Technical Specifications" (retrieved 2026-10-02). 68030 at 33 MHz, no FPU; video mini-15; 17 W, 2 A, 100-240 V; battery type PB1XX NiCd; 4 MB on the logic board, 4-14 MB, cards of 2, 4 and 10 MB, 85 ns; 128K static RAM for the LCD and 512K VRAM for external video; internal LCD 640 × 400 at 4 bits; external video up to 832 × 624 at 8 bits; introduced 8/16/1993, discontinued 7/18/1994; Gestalt ID 84; 6.8 lb; 2.25 × 11.25 × 9.3 in; original system 7.1 with System Enabler 131 v1.0.3; Mac OS 7.1 to 7.6.1; internal hard disk 80-160 MB; ROM 1 MB.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Apple Computer, Macintosh PowerBook 165 Developer Note (Developer Press, 1993), hosted here as File:PowerBook 165 Developer Note (1993).pdf (see PowerBook 165, 165c and 180c Developer Notes). PDF page numbers: features p. 12; compatibility and Gestalt value p. 13; RAM card design guide pp. 14-15.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Apple Computer, PowerBook 160/165/180 Series Service Source, hosted here as File:PowerBook 160, 165 and 180 Service Source.pdf (see PowerBook 160, 165 and 180 Service Source). PDF page numbers: display compatibility matrix p. 4; processor p. 6; memory p. 8; sound and video p. 13; electrical p. 14; video symptom charts pp. 28-37; daughterboard identification pp. 84-86; exploded view p. 169.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Low End Mac, "PowerBook 165" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Code name Dart LC; introduced 1993.08.16 at US$1,970, discontinued 1994.07.18; 9.8-inch 4-bit 640 × 400 passive-matrix display; 80 or 160 MB hard drive; power supply M5651, 19 W, 2 A. Secondary source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Apple, "Macintosh PowerBook 165c: Technical Specifications" (retrieved 2026-10-02). 68030 at 33 MHz with 68882 FPU; 24 W, 3.2 A; battery type PB1XX NiCd; 4-14 MB, 85 ns; internal LCD 640 × 400 at 8 bits; introduced 2/10/1993, discontinued 12/1/1993; Gestalt ID 50; 7 lb; 2.29 × 11.25 × 9.3 in; original system 7.1 with System Enabler 121; Mac OS 7.1 to 7.6.1; internal hard disk 80-120 MB.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Apple Computer, Macintosh PowerBook 165c Developer Note, hosted here as File:PowerBook 165c Developer Note.pdf (see PowerBook 165, 165c and 180c Developer Notes). PDF page numbers: introduction and features pp. 12-13; block diagram p. 14; compatibility p. 15; colour LCD interface pp. 18-19; LCD screen p. 20; control panel changes p. 24.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 Apple Computer, PowerBook 165c/180c Service Source, hosted here as File:PowerBook 165c and 180c Service Source.pdf (see PowerBook 165c and 180c Service Source). PDF page numbers: display compatibility matrix p. 4; configurations p. 7; processor p. 8; memory pp. 9-10; sound and video p. 15; electrical p. 16; physical p. 17; power and video symptom charts pp. 27-39; DC/DC converter pp. 70-74.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Low End Mac, "PowerBook 165c" (retrieved 2026-10-02). First colour screen in the PowerBook line and, by Low End Mac's account, the first notebook from any maker with 256 colours on its internal display; battery life about one hour; single-ported DRAM for video in place of the VRAM of the 160 and 180, slowing redraws; code name Monet; introduced 1993.02.10 at US$3,400, discontinued 1993.12.01; 8.9-inch 8-bit 640 × 400 passive-matrix display; power supply M5652, 24 W. Secondary source.
- ↑ MacDat Capacitor Reference Library, "Capacitor Reference - PowerBook 165c" (retrieved 2026-10-02). No electrolytics on the logic board; LCD seven 10 µF 63 V low-profile radial electrolytic; LCD inverter board two 8.2 µF 80 V low-profile radial electrolytic (10 µF 80 V works) and one polymer of unknown value; trackball one 10 µF 16 V. Secondary source.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 MacDat Capacitor Reference Library, "Capacitor Reference - PowerBook 165" (retrieved 2026-10-02). No electrolytics on the logic board; LCD one 100 µF 6 V, one 22 µF 35 V and nine 3.3 µF 35 V surface-mount electrolytics; ceramic replacements have caused contrast drift, so tantalum is recommended; inverter one 47 µF 16 V electrolytic and one 33 µF 10 V polymer that rarely fails; trackball one 10 µF 16 V. Secondary source.