PowerBook 190

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PowerBook 190
Powerbook 190.jpg
Product familyPowerBook
Release dateAugust 28, 1995
Introductory price$1,650 - $2,200
DiscontinuedOctober 1, 1996
Operating systemSystem 7.5.2 - Mac OS 8.1
CPUMotorola 68LC040 @ 33 MHz
Memory4/8 MB, expandable to 40 MB (70 ns unique DRAM card)

The PowerBook 190 and its companion PowerBook 190cs are laptop computers manufactured by Apple Computer as part of their PowerBook brand, introduced to the market in August 1995. The two models differ only in their screen: the 190 had a 9.5" greyscale display, while the 190cs featured a 10.4" color display. Apple's target sales audience for this model was the college student in need of a no-frills portable computer.

In terms of hardware, along with the PowerBook 150, the 190 has much in common with Apple's "professional" laptop of the same period, the PowerBook 5300 series. In exchange for the cheaper price point (approximately US$2,200 compared to over US$6,000 for the cutting-edge PowerBook 5300ce), the 190 was equipped with a passive matrix LCD rather than a crisper active matrix screen.

More significantly, while the 5300s ran PowerPC 603e processors at 100 or 117 MHz, the 190 had only a Motorola 68LC040 clocked at 33 MHz - in fact, the 190/cs were the last Macintoshes to use a 68k CPU. However, Apple offered a PPC upgrade for the 190, a heavily marketed selling point for all new 68040 Macs at the time. In addition, a rather cramped 500 MB IDE hard drive was standard, and factory models shipped with System 7.5.2.

It is the only one of the 100 series PowerBooks that does not use the original 140 case design (except the PowerBook 100), thus was the only one to include a 68LC040 processor, a trackpad rather than the standard trackball, and along with the 150 the only ones to provide for more than 14 MB RAM expansion and larger, less-expensive IDE drives. The 190 was the de facto replacement for the PowerBook 500 series, which was completely discontinued with the introduction of the 5300 and the only 68040-based PowerBook Apple offered.

Sales figures for the 190 are unavailable, but in any event it did not benefit from reports of "exploding battery syndrome," where the similar 5300 factory-default lithium-ion battery could short-circuit and burst into flames. Apple quickly offered a recall on all such batteries. The PowerBook 190 series used a nickel metal hydride battery which did not exhibit this problem.

Production of the 190 halted in June 1996, while the 190cs was sold until October of that year, when it was replaced by the PowerBook 1400cs.

Timeline[]

Timeline of all portable Macintoshes
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Mac transition to Apple siliconiMac ProApple WatchiPadiPhoneMac ProPower Mac G5Power Mac G4Power Macintosh G3Power MacintoshCompact MacintoshMacBook Pro (Apple silicon)#5th generation (M1 Pro and M1 Max)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)#5th generation (M1 Pro and M1 Max)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Magic Keyboard revisionMacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Fourth generation (Touch Bar), 2016–2020MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)#4th generation (13-inch, M1, 2020)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Third generation (Retina), 2012–2016MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Third generation (Retina), 2012–2016MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Fourth generation (Touch Bar), 2016–2020MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Second generation (Unibody), 2008–2012MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Second generation (Unibody), 2008–2012MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#Second generation (Unibody), 2008–2012MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#First generation (Aluminum), 2006–2008MacBook Pro (Intel-based)#First generation (Aluminum), 2006–2008iBook G4PowerBook G4#Aluminum PowerBook G4PowerBook G4#Aluminum PowerBook G4iBook (white)PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook 2400cPowerBook 3400cPowerBook 1400PowerBook 5300PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 190TiBookPowerBook 150PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 165PowerBook 145BPowerBook 180cPowerBook 180PowerBook 165cPowerBook 160PowerBook 145PowerBook 170PowerBook 140MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Intel-based)#3rd generation (Retina)MacBook (2015–2019)MacBook Air (Intel-based)#2nd generation (Tapered Unibody)MacBook (2006–2012)#2nd generation: Polycarbonate UnibodyMacBook (2006–2012)#Aluminum UnibodyMacBook Air (Intel-based)#1st generation (Unibody)MacBook (2006–2012)#1st generation: PolycarbonatePowerBook G4#Aluminum PowerBook G4PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook Duo 2300cPowerBook Duo 280cPowerBook Duo 280PowerBook Duo 270cPowerBook Duo 250PowerBook Duo 230MacBook Air (Intel-based)#2nd generation (Tapered Unibody)iBook G4iBook (white)PowerBook DuoiBook ClamshellMacintosh PortablePowerBook 100Macintosh Portable
See also: Timeline of Macintosh models

External links[]

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