PowerBook 100
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| PowerBook 100, US version (Klaus with K, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0) | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sony for Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Notebook computer |
| Released | 21 October 1991 |
| Discontinued | 3 August 1992 |
| Intro price | US$2,500 (1991) |
| CPU | Motorola 68HC000 at 15.6672 MHz |
| Memory | 2 MB pseudostatic RAM soldered; one expansion slot; 8 MB maximum |
| Storage | 20 or 40 MB 2.5-inch SCSI hard disk; external 1.4 MB floppy drive (HDI-20) |
| Display | 9-inch backlit FSTN LCD, 640 × 400, monochrome |
| Sound | Apple Sound Chip; mono speaker and sound out |
| ROM | 256 KB |
| Power | Sealed lead-acid main battery; three CR2430 lithium backup cells; 7.5 V adapter |
| Dimensions | 1.8 × 11 × 8.5 in |
| Weight | 5.1 lb (2.3 kg) |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.0.1 to 7.5.5 |
| Predecessor | Macintosh Portable |
| Successor | PowerBook 145 |
| Codename | Derringer, Rosebud |
The PowerBook 100 is the smallest of the three original PowerBooks, introduced on 21 October 1991 with the PowerBook 140 and PowerBook 170. Sony designed and built it for Apple. Its internal architecture is based on the backlit Macintosh Portable, with the same 16 MHz 68HC000, Power Manager and custom chips, in a case 11 inches wide; the floppy drive is an external unit.[1][2] Apple's specification page gives the discontinuation date as 3 August 1992; Wikipedia gives 3 September 1992.[3][1] Low End Mac gives the code names Derringer and Rosebud and a launch price of US$2,500.[4]
The PowerBook 100 runs in 24-bit mode only and is the first PowerBook with SCSI Disk Mode, which lets a desktop Mac mount its internal disk through an adapter cable on the HDI-30 port.[4][2]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Motorola 68HC000, 16-bit CMOS, 15.6672 MHz; 24-bit address bus, 16-bit data bus |
| RAM | 2 MB of 100 ns pseudostatic RAM, expandable to 8 MB |
| ROM | 256K in two 128K × 8 chips, 150 ns |
| PRAM | 128 bytes |
| Video RAM | 32K pseudostatic |
| Hard disk | 20 MB or 40 MB, 2.5-inch, Apple SCSI interface |
| Floppy drive | Optional external HDI-20 1.4 MB drive |
| Ports | HDI-20 floppy; HDI-30 SCSI (1.5 MB/s, up to five devices); ADB (50 mA total); one external RS-422 serial port, plus an internal serial connection for the modem; sound out |
| Keyboard and trackball | Built-in keyboard on ADB; 25 mm two-button trackball |
| Display | 9 in (229 mm) diagonal backlit FSTN, 640 × 400, 75 dpi |
| Sound | Apple Sound Chip |
| Main battery | Sealed lead-acid, 7 V; 2.5 hours maximum |
| Backup batteries | Three lithium cells, industry-standard CR2430 |
| Power adapter | Input 85-270 V AC, 48-62 Hz; output 7.0-7.6 V (7.5 V nominal), 5 mA-2 A (1.5 A nominal) |
The developer note's block diagram labels the main battery 6.5 V SLA where the Service Source says 7 V, and both Apple documents give the backup cells as 3.5 V.[2][5] The developer note gives the size as 11 × 8.5 × 1.75 in and the weight as about 5.3 lb; the specification page gives 1.8 in and 5.1 lb.[2][3]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]Boards
[edit | edit source]The main logic board is Sony's PU-58 (Sony 1-640-290, Apple service part 661-0673), and the processor, ROM and soldered RAM sit on a daughterboard, Sony IF-54 (1-640-491, Apple 661-0674), that plugs onto it at connectors J318 and J319.[5][6] A small interconnect board, an inverter and a brightness and contrast board sit in the display; the interconnect cable also carries the speaker.[5] The SCSI and serial ports run from a single Combo chip, the AM85C80.[7]
Display
[edit | edit source]The display is a Sharp LM64P791 FSTN panel with a CCFL backlight.[6] Apple's service charts treat a slight white line across the middle, rainbow colours at extreme angles, an uneven image and a display that stops working in extreme heat, cold or light as normal for this screen.[5] The panel's drive voltage, LCD_VEE, of about −22 V is generated on the logic board.[8]
Power
[edit | edit source]The PowerBook 100 runs from a sealed lead-acid battery unique to this model.[4] Three CR2430 lithium coin cells behind a door at the rear back up the PRAM and clock, and a storage switch on the back disconnects all power for long-term storage, which clears the RAM disk and PRAM.[5][4] Some motherboards have their fuse soldered in, and replacing it means replacing the board; boards Apple supplied as spares have a removable fuse.[5] See PowerBook 100 Battery Replacement.
Known faults
[edit | edit source]- Leaking electrolytic capacitors on the logic board, the CPU board and the LCD. MacDat's advice is that every PowerBook 100 must be fully recapped. See PowerBook 100 Capacitor Replacement Guide.[6]
- A blank screen with the backlight on, from a missing LCD_VEE supply. See PowerBook 100 Troubleshooting#Video.[8]
- Corrosion inside the LCD's ribbon cables, which takes out a band of rows at the bottom of the screen and is not repairable.[9]
- Dead lead-acid batteries and flat backup cells.[4]
- Leaking capacitors in the original power adapters; see PowerBook 140 Troubleshooting#Power adapter, which covers the shared 100-series adapter.
- A pink bloom on the LCD where the trackball presses against the closed lid, with small cracks in the panel over time.[10]
Maintenance and repair
[edit | edit source]- PowerBook 100 General Maintenance
- PowerBook 100 Troubleshooting
- PowerBook 100 Capacitor Replacement Guide
- PowerBook 100 Battery Replacement
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- PowerBook 100 Service Source: Apple's module-level service manual.
- PowerBook 100 Documentation: the developer note and the PU-58 EVT2 logic board schematic.
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Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wikipedia, "PowerBook 100" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Designed and manufactured by Sony; introduced 21 October 1991 at COMDEX; US$2,500; external floppy drive; discontinued 3 September 1992; sold off below US$1,000. History only.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Apple Computer, Macintosh PowerBook 100 Developer Note (1991), hosted here as File:PowerBook 100 Developer Note (1991).pdf (see PowerBook 100 Documentation). Chapter 1, pp. 1-4: based on the backlit Macintosh Portable; features list (68HC000 at 15.667 MHz; 256 KB ROM and 2 MB PSRAM soldered to the secondary logic board; 70-pin RAM connector for 2, 4 or 6 MB cards; FSTN LCD 640 × 400; 2.5 Ah sealed lead-acid battery; three 3.5 V lithium backup batteries; 11 × 8.5 × 1.75 in; about 5.3 lb); Portable expansion cards do not fit; sound by the Apple Sound Chip and a Sony sound chip.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Apple, "Macintosh PowerBook 100: Technical Specifications" (retrieved 2026-10-02). 68000 at 16 MHz; 16-bit data path; logic board 2 MB, 2-8 MB, cards of 2, 4 and 6 MB, 100 ns; external floppy HDI-20; SCSI HDI-30; battery type PB100, lead acid; 17 W, 100-240 V; introduced 10/21/1991, discontinued 8/3/1992; Gestalt ID 24; 5.1 lb; 1.8 × 11 × 8.5 in; 24-bit addressing only; ROM 256K, ROM ID $037A; System 7.0.1 to 7.5.5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Low End Mac, "PowerBook 100" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Introduced 1991.10.21 at $2,500, discontinued 1992.08.03; code names Derringer and Rosebud; 24-bit only; first PowerBook with SCSI Disk Mode; 7 V lead-acid battery unique to the PB 100; three CR-2430 PRAM batteries; AC adapter 7.5 V, 1.5 A nominal; power switch on the back for long-term storage, which clears the RAM disk and PRAM. Secondary source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Apple Computer, PowerBook 100 Service Source, hosted here as File:PowerBook 100 Service Source.pdf (see PowerBook 100 Service Source). PDF page numbers: Specifications pp. 3-11; Troubleshooting pp. 13-36; Take Apart pp. 38-85; Upgrades pp. 87-95; Additional Procedures pp. 97-114; Exploded View p. 116.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 MacDat, "Capacitor Reference - PowerBook 100" (retrieved 2026-10-02). Board photographs showing PU-58 1-640-290-13 / 661-0673 and IF-54 1-640-491-11 / 661-0674; every PowerBook 100 must be fully recapped; the logic board's varnish turns sticky with isopropyl alcohol; logic board, CPU board, Sharp LM64P791 LCD, inverter and trackball capacitor lists. Secondary source.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "Powerbook 100 scsi chip", April 2026. Fizzbinn: SCSI and serial are handled by the Combo chip, AM85C80; imactheknife: a PB100 that could not see its disk was cured by reflowing the chip after cleaning corrosion from its legs. Community repair report.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 68kMLA forum thread "PowerBook 100 display, LCD_VEE issue but inductors ok?", March-May 2025. asentientbot: LCD_VEE measured at test point TP055; inductors L2, L3, L4; finkmac: the LCD needs about −22 V and will not show a picture without it; clean under the inductors and U25, the FA7611 controller; alexGS: start by replacing C22, which is involved in producing the LCD drive voltage, and recap the eight 3.3 µF capacitors on the LCD. Community repair reports.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "Powerbook 100 1/8 of screen is still blue after recapping", May 2025. 3lectr1cPPC: loss of the bottom rows is now very common, caused by a failed row driver or by corrosion from the leaking capacitors inside the ribbon cable, and there is no practical fix; replacement LM64P791 panels are hard to find. Community experience.
- ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "Powerbook 100 - Recapped LCD and Logic board but screen is 'blobby'", October 2025. Byrd: many PB100 displays have a pink bloom where the trackball rests under the LCD, causing small fractures over time; finkmac: blotches after a recap were liquid between the diffuser film and the acrylic light guide, which are sensitive to oils and solvents; swap the backlight parts from a panel with a broken LCD. Community repair report.