The PowerBook 150 differs from the 140/145/145B in a number of areas as follows:
Display
-------
The PowerBook 150 uses a VGA 640 X 480 FSTN display measuring 9.5" diagonal capable of displaying up to 4 shades of grey.
External Ports
--------------
The PowerBook 150 has one serial port (modem or printer/LocalTalk), SCSI port, and a power connector on the back of the unit. There is no door covering the rear ports, care should be taken to avoid damaging the ports during use or transportation. With an optional modem installed, an RJ-11 jack will also be available.
Internal Hard Drive
-------------------
The 150 uses an IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) type hard drive rather than SCSI. A unique version of Apple HD Setup is supplied to properly initialize the drive. Replacement of the IDE drive with a SCSI drive is not supported by the logic board.
The IDE drive installed in the PowerBook 150 has numerous benefits for the system including a fast seek time: <17ms average, fast spin-up from standby, and light weight.
Memory
------
Utilizing a small adaptor, the PowerBook 150 uses 70ns memory similar to that used with the PowerBook Duo computers. Maximum memory capacity is 40MB.
Power On/Off
------------
At the rear of the PowerBook 150 are two switches which affect the power on and power off sequencing of the computer. The small recessed switch (inside the plastic case) is a true On/Off switch. If the computer is in shutdown mode, upon pressing and releasing this switch, the PowerBook will initiate the boot-up process. A paper clip or other thin instrument is required to activate this switch.
As this is a true reset switch, it is possible that personal set up information could be lost when activated. Be sure to use it as a last resort only.
If the computer is on, upon releasing the switch, it will turn off.
The other switch is a Power ON switch only - which means the unit can be awakened either from sleep or shutdown by pressing it.
Article Change History:
03 Apr 1995 - Clarified info on PowerBook 150 Reset switch.
Support Information Services