PowerBook 150!

[3lectr1c]

The best worst PowerBook? Well I've got one now.

33MHz 030
8MB RAM
"beautiful" passive matrix 4-bit grayscale LCD
upgraded 1GB hard drive (the original quantum was of course dead)
NO PRAM battery damage! It's been replaced at some point, seems to even work maybe? Will probably remove it anyway
Even the main battery (aftermarket) holds about 30 seconds of charge. It's in the freezer right now to see if I can improve that.

Last but certainly not least...
the hinges are totally destroyed! I'm going to be going deep down the adventures of 3D printing with this one. Not just new mounts, I'm going to have to design a new bezel clip and a new screw "well" design for the front bezel (the plastic piece that's under the screw head that holds the 2 halves together, it's hard to explain).
So, fun!

It came with the original utilities floppy, so I went and threw an image of it up on the garden: https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/powerbook-150-utilities

 

[Fizzbinn]

Glad others also appreciate the so called “road apples” for their uniqueness! Long love the IIvx! Lol

The “Bad Batch”/“Suicide Squad” members:

Macintosh XL
Macintosh IIvx
PowerBook 150
Performa 6200

…who else would we want on the team!

 

[3lectr1c]

I’m all into the crappy macs! Long live the 5300!

 

[3lectr1c]

What’s up with the IIvx again?

 

[Nitram78]

What’s up with the IIvx again?

Websites like Low End Mac helped give it a bad reputation in late '90ies / early 2000 by telling it was slower than a IIci and by taking part in the confusion which wants that the Performa 600 is a rebadged IIvx whereas it is not the case.

 

[3lectr1c]

Here’s a compromised group photo

 

[retr01]

Hey @3lectr1c!

I didn't know there was an Apple PowerBook, the 1400c, with a FRONT 3.5" floppy disk drive rather than on the side. Wow. I learned something new. Cool.

 

[3lectr1c]

Only PowerBook to do that, plenty of later ones had CD drives on the front though, this one included if I had the right CD module.

I just actually spent a few hours tonight trying to get the 150’s hinges working. New 3D printed mounts and lots of glue. Broke immediately though, it’s more than the hinge mounts that have cracked on this one. I’ll get it done sooner or later.

 

[retr01]

Only PowerBook to do that, plenty of later ones had CD drives on the front though, this one included if I had the right CD module.

Yeah.

I just actually spent a few hours tonight trying to get the 150’s hinges working. New 3D printed mounts and lots of glue. Broke immediately though, it’s more than the hinge mounts that have cracked on this one. I’ll get it done sooner or later.

Can you post pictures? I think I know what is happening, but I'd like to see what you are seeing as it breaks.

 

[3lectr1c]

I’ll be making a full video when I get the restoration done, which will be up on my YouTube channel. I can post some photos tomorrow, essentially what happened was some repaired screw wells on the front bezel snapped immediately, and the 3D printed hinge standoff part broke off due to the glue bond not being good enough. I’ve fixed that issue now but now I need to buy some washers to replace the damaged screw wells. Then I have some clip repair and then hopefully a repaired 150. Electronics all work fine thankfully.

 

[retr01]

Cool.