PowerBook 160
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| Apple's drawing of the PowerBook 160/180 (developer note, Figure 1-2) | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Notebook computer |
| Released | 19 October 1992 |
| Discontinued | 16 August 1993 |
| Intro price | US$2,430 (1992) |
| CPU | Motorola 68030 at 25 MHz, 16 MHz power-saving mode; no FPU |
| Memory | 4 MB pseudostatic RAM; one expansion slot; 14 MB maximum |
| Storage | Internal 1.4 MB SuperDrive; 2.5-inch SCSI hard disk (40, 80 or 120 MB) |
| Display | 10-inch backlit FSTN LCD, 640 × 400, 16 shades of grey; external video out |
| Sound | Apple Sound Chip; built-in microphone and speaker |
| ROM | 1 MB |
| Power | NiCad main battery; 3 V lithium backup cell; 7.5 V adapter |
| Dimensions | 2.25 × 11.25 × 9.3 in |
| Weight | 6.8 lb (3.1 kg) |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.1 with System Enabler 111 to Mac OS 7.6.1 |
| Predecessor | PowerBook 140 |
| Codename | Brooks |
The PowerBook 160 is a notebook Macintosh introduced on 19 October 1992 alongside the PowerBook 180 and discontinued on 16 August 1993.[1] It uses the case of the PowerBook 140 and adds a 16-grey FSTN display, an external video port, memory expansion to 14 MB and SCSI disk mode.[2] The PowerBook 165, with a 33 MHz processor, and the active-matrix PowerBook 180 share its case, board layout and Service Source.[3] Low End Mac gives the code name Brooks and a launch price of US$2,430.[4]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Motorola 68030, 25 MHz; 32-bit address and data buses |
| RAM | 4 MB pseudostatic RAM; 8 MB with Apple's 4 MB card, 14 MB with third-party cards |
| ROM | 1 MB |
| PRAM | 256 bytes |
| Video RAM | 128K static for the LCD |
| Display | 10 in (254 mm) FSTN, CCFL backlight, 16 shades of grey, 640 × 400 |
| Video out | 8-bit, 256 colours; Macintosh monitors up to 16 in and VGA monitors |
| Ports | HDI-30 SCSI (no termination power); ADB (200 mA total); two RS-422 serial ports; mono sound in; stereo sound out; video out; security slot; modem slot |
| Main battery | NiCad, 2.5 Ah; 2-3 hours; 3 hours to recharge; about 500 cycles |
| PRAM battery | 3 V lithium |
| Power adapter | 110-220 V AC, 17 W, 50-60 Hz |
| Size and weight | 2.25 × 11.25 × 9.3 in (5.7 × 28.6 × 23.6 cm); 6.8 lb (3.1 kg) with battery |
Apple's documents disagree in places. The developer note gives the main battery as 2.8 Ah and puts the 4 MB of RAM on the main logic board; the Service Source says 2.5 Ah and places the RAM on the daughterboard.[2][3] The specification page lists 512K of video RAM for external video, the Service Source 128K for the LCD.[1][3]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]Boards
[edit | edit source]Like the 140, the 160 has a motherboard, a daughterboard carrying the processor and RAM, and an interconnect board (661-0750) in the top case. The 160, 165 and 180 daughterboards look alike. Apple's way to tell them apart: a 180 board has an FPU at U27 on the underside; on a 160 board resistor R38 is fitted and R39 is not, and on a 165 board the reverse. The green heat pads on the daughterboard must be replaced from Apple's kit 076-0069 if missing, without overhanging the chip edges.[3] Apple's specification gives 85 ns as the minimum speed for RAM cards.[1][4]
Display
[edit | edit source]The 160 and 165 use the FSTN display 661-0745, with inverter 922-0025 and display cable 922-0820; the 180's active-matrix panel needs its own inverter and cable.[3] The same part numbers appear as the Rev. C display in the 140/145 Service Source, and owners report that the 145, 145B, 160 and 165 panels are interchangeable.[5][6] mitchW identified his 160's panel as a Sharp LM64P58.[7] Apple's charts call a thin white line across the middle, rainbow colours at an angle and uneven brightness normal for the FSTN models.[3] Owners also treat ghosting around window edges as normal for this panel.[8]
Power
[edit | edit source]The NiCad main battery is the same part, 661-0013, as the 140's.[3] A 3 V lithium cell backs up the clock and PRAM; Apple's test is to set the time, shut down, remove the main battery and adapter for ten minutes and check whether the time survives, and its remedy for a flat cell is 48 hours on the adapter before replacing it.[3] See PowerBook 140 Battery Replacement, which covers the shared main battery and the VL2320 cell.
Known faults
[edit | edit source]- Leaking capacitors on the LCD driver board give a blank grey screen with the backlight on. Failing inverter capacitors can leave a recapped panel with almost no contrast when viewed straight on.[9][10] MacDat finds no electrolytics on the logic boards. See PowerBook 140 Capacitor Replacement Guide, which covers the 160's panel, inverter and trackball.[11]
- Broken hinge mounts and screw standoffs; jmacz rebuilt a 160 with 3D-printed standoffs and a grafted rear port cover hinge.[12]
- Breaks in the flexible cable on the interconnect board (72-pin on the 160 to 180) and worn DC jacks.[13]
- Original adapters that need recapping; see PowerBook 140 Troubleshooting#Power adapter.[10]
Fault-finding is on PowerBook 160 Troubleshooting.
Maintenance and repair
[edit | edit source]- PowerBook 160 General Maintenance
- PowerBook 160 Troubleshooting
- PowerBook 140 Capacitor Replacement Guide: the 160's LCD, inverter and trackball capacitors
- PowerBook 140 Battery Replacement: main battery and backup cell
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- PowerBook 160, 165 and 180 Service Source: Apple's service manual for the family.
- PowerBook 160 Documentation: the PowerBook 160 and 180 developer note.
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Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Apple, "Macintosh PowerBook 160: Technical Specifications" (retrieved 2026-10-02). 68030 at 25 MHz, no FPU; video mini-15; 4 MB, 4-14 MB, cards of 2, 4 and 10 MB, 85 ns; battery type PB1XX, NiCd; 17 W; introduced 10/19/1992, discontinued 8/16/1993; Gestalt ID 34; 6.8 lb; 2.25 × 11.25 × 9.3 in; original system 7.1 with System Enabler 111; internal LCD 640 × 400 at 4 bits; 512K VRAM for external video up to 832 × 624 at 8 bits.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Apple Computer, Macintosh PowerBook 160 and Macintosh PowerBook 180 Developer Note (1992), hosted here as File:PowerBook 160 and 180 Developer Note (1992).pdf (see PowerBook 160 Documentation). Chapter 1, pp. 1-5: 68030 at 25 MHz (160) or 33 MHz (180) with a 16 MHz power-saving mode; 1 MB ROM; 4 MB PSRAM soldered to the main logic board; RAM cards up to 10 MB, 14 MB total; 4-bit LCD with 16 greys, 640 × 400, FSTN on the 160; 8-bit external video with dual and mirror modes; 40, 80 and 120 MB SCSI drives; SCSI disk mode; 2.8 Ah NiCad battery and 3 V lithium backup; security connector; 6.8 lb; 11.3 × 9.3 × 2.25 in. Figures 1-2 and 1-3, p. 5: front and back views.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 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; Specifications pp. 6-18; Troubleshooting pp. 20-53; Take Apart pp. 54-131 (daughterboard identification pp. 84-86; sound jack insulator pp. 88-89); Upgrades pp. 132-141; Additional Procedures pp. 142-167 (backup battery verification pp. 166-167); Exploded View p. 169.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Low End Mac, "PowerBook 160" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Code name Brooks; introduced 1992.10.19 at US$2,430, discontinued 1993.08.16; with the 180, the first PowerBook to drive an external monitor and to take more than 8 MB; reintroduced SCSI Disk Mode; 85 ns PSRAM cards; 40, 80 or 120 MB drives; M5651 power supply, 19 W, 2 A. Secondary source.
- ↑ Apple Computer, PowerBook 140/145/145B/170 Service Source, hosted here as File:PowerBook 140, 145, 145B and 170 Service Source.pdf. Display compatibility matrix, PDF p. 4: FSTN Rev. C display 661-0745, inverter 922-0025, display cable 922-0820.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "PowerBook 140, 145, 145B, 160, 165 LCD Displays", February 2022 to April 2024. Shaddam IV: 145, 145B, 160 and 165 screens are the same; croissantking: a 145 panel worked in his 165 in 4-bit greyscale. Community experience.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "PowerBook 160 with vinegar syndrome LCD", March 2024. mitchW: Sharp LM64P58 panel in a PB160 developed vinegar syndrome (polariser breakdown) after two years in storage; replacement polariser film is the open question. Community report.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "Newly recapped Powerbook 160, screen artifacts or typical passive matrix?", August 2025. ironhalo: 11 LCD capacitors and 2 inverter capacitors replaced; finkmac, jmacz, croissantking and Byrd: the ghosting is normal; brightness should step from off to low, then rise gradually to high; an old CCFL dims. Community experience.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "PowerBook 160 Blank Screen", September 2023. Gunzel: chime and drive noise, blank grey screen; 3lectr1cPPC: the LCD capacitors are bad. Community experience.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 68kMLA forum thread "Powerbook 160 display can only be read off-axis", March 2026. DaveW: after recapping the LCD with tantalums and replacing the ribbon cable, the picture was readable only from an angle; replacing the inverter's 33 µF 10 V and 47 µF 16 V capacitors fixed it; the original power supply also needed recapping. Community repair report.
- ↑ MacDat, "Capacitor Reference - PowerBook 160" (retrieved 2026-10-02). No electrolytics on the logic board; LCD 100 µF 6 V, 22 µF 35 V and nine 3.3 µF 35 V; inverter 47 µF 16 V and 33 µF 10 V polymer; trackball 10 µF 16 V. Secondary source.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "PowerBook 160 Repairs", July-August 2024. jmacz: chassis falling apart, 3D-printed standoffs (STL files posted), rear port cover hinge grafted on; battery pack holds two groups of five cells in parallel, about 16 × 49 mm each, with thermal fuses and no smart circuitry; desertrout: 6 V nominal, rebuilt with ten cells copying the original. Community repair report.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "How to repair a Powerbook 140-180 interconnect cable", January 2024 to February 2026. croissantking: guide written on a 160/165/180, whose cable has a 72-pin connector against the narrower one on the 140/145/170; failing DC jacks. Community repair guide.