PowerBooks & iBooks

PowerBook 190

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Overview

The PB 190 was Apple's last model based on a Motorola 68040 CPU. The base model has a 640 x 480 4-bit passive matrix display; the 190cs has an 8-bit color display. Apple eliminated the internal modem bay and the ethernet port, forcing buyers to acquire the separately. Because the PC Card uses a 16-bit bus, ethernet performance is roughly 25% slower than on the PB 540.

Because the 190 and 5300 share the same case any many other enclosures, it is possible to upgrade your 190 with 5300 components by swapping in the video card (which adds support for an external monitor) and/or an active matrix screen. You can also install the infrared circuitry if you have a reason to. (Thanks to Jonathan Fletcher for sending in this tip!)

Details

introduced 1995.08.28 at $1,650; discontinued 1996.06.15
requires System 7.1.1 or later; highest version supported without a PPC upgrade is Mac OS 8.1.
CPU: 33 MHz 68LC040
FPU: none
ROM: 2 MB
RAM: 8 MB, expandable to 40 MB
display: 9.5" 640 x 480 84 ppi grayscale passive matrix
500 MB IDE hard drive standard
expansion bay: same as PowerBook 5300
ADB: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
serial: 1 DIN-8 RS-422 port on back of computer
PC Card slots: 2
SCSI: HDI30 connector on back of computer
infrared: only supports Apple's IRtalk
Gestalt ID: 122
Size (HxWxD): 2.0" x 11.5" x 8.5"
weight: 6.0 pounds
power supply: M3747 or M3037

Upgrades

Apple made a 100 MHz PowerPC 603e PowerBook Logic Board Upgrade Kit (M3881LL/A) for the PB 190, which effectively makes it a PowerBook 5300. This upgrade appears to be extremely rare.

Online Resources

Low End Mac's best classic Mac OS deals. Best online prices for System 6, 7.1, 7.5.x, Mac OS 7.6, 8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 9.0, 9.2.2, and other versions.
What's the best Mac OS for your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
Mac 'Book power management adventures, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.05.19. If your 'Book won't power up, shuts down while your working, or has other power issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear things up.
Why you should partition your Mac's hard drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. "At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the 'emergency' partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics."
Creating Classic Mac boot floppies in OS X, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat, 2008.08.07. Yes, it is possible to create a boot floppy for the Classic Mac OS using an OS X Mac that doesn't have Classic. Here's how.
The compressed air keyboard repair, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn't working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
Macs: Better by design, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 2008.07.11. From the beginning, Macs have stood apart from other computers with their attractive and intelligent design.
Praise for Opera, low cost iBook mobo replacement, IrDA and IRtalk, WaMCom recommended, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.18. Also the use of 'compleat', booting from CD, new Toshiba 1.8" drives too thick for MBA, and PowerPC support and Snow Leopard.
EmpowerBook, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 2008.04.22. The goal: distraction-free writing on the go. But which PowerBook or iBook is best for the job?
A vintage Mac network can be as useful as a modern one, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 2008.04.08. Old Macs can exchange data and share an Internet connection very nicely using Apple's old LocalTalk networking.
Wireless FAQ for Older Apple PowerBook Computers. Resources to help you to install and maintain 802.11b/g wireless PC Cards on older PowerBook computers.
The Complete and Utter Guide to PC Cards and Expansion Bays on the PowerBook, Insanely Great. All about the PCMCIA, PC Card, or CardBus slots used in various PowerBooks.
Leopard almost running on Beige G3, Word vs. Pages, overclocking an eMac, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.01.14. Also Compact Flash and the PowerBook 190, beige G3 that won't boot Mac OS 8.1, Google less than completely Mac friendly, and AirPort drivers.
Vintage Mac networking and file exchange, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.19. How to network vintage Macs with modern Macs and tips on exchanging files using floppies, Zip disks, and other media.
Better Classic emulation, Leopard on any G3?, CardBus and Compact Flash, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.12.18. Also where to find even older versions of BBEdit Lite, more oddball Mac video connections, installing System 7 on a PowerBook with no install disks, and lockups when faking out the Leopard installer.
Solving Mac startup problems, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2007.12.12. When your old Mac won't boot, the most likely culprits are a dead PRAM battery or a failed (or failing) hard drive.
Better and safer surfing with Internet Explorer and the Classic Mac OS, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.11.06. Tips on which browsers work best with different Mac OS versions plus extra software to clean cookies and caches, detect viruses, handle downloads, etc.
Hacking Mac OS 7.6.1 so many Mac OS 8 apps will run, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.10.30. With a little ResEdit work and a second copy of your System Folder, you can run a lot of OS 8 apps with Mac OS 7.6.1.
Simple Macs for simple tasks, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.10.19. Long live 680x0 Macs and the classic Mac OS. For simple tasks such as writing, they can provide a great, low distraction environment.
Mac System 7.5.5 can do anything Mac OS 7.6.1 can, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.06.04. Yes, it is possible to run Internet Explorer 5.1.7 and SoundJam with System 7.5.5. You just need to have all the updates - and make one modification for SoundJam.
Appearance Manager allows Internet Explorer 5.1.7 to work with Mac OS 7.6.1, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.23. Want a fairly modern browser with an old, fast operating system? Mac OS 7.6.1 plus the Appearance Manager and Internet Explorer may be just what you want.
Silence is golden: Running your existing notebook using flash memory, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 2007.05.23. With a new adapter from Addonics, you can replace your laptop's IDE hard drive inexpensively and boot silently from a Compact Flash card.
Appearance Manager allows Internet Explorer 5.1.7 to work with Mac OS 7.6.1, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.23. Want a fairly modern browser with an old, fast operating system? Mac OS 7.6.1 plus the Appearance Manager and Internet Explorer may be just what you want.
Format any drive for older Macs with patched Apple tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Apple branded hard drives - until you apply the patches linked to this article.
First Blu-ray drive for Apple's 'Books, replace notebook hard drive with Compact Flash, and more, The 'Book Review, 2007.04.13. Also 160 GB 7200 rpm hard drives, upgrading from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook, Waterfield's flexible new Sling bag, bargain 'Books from $170 to $1,699, and more.
Making floppies and CDs for older Macs using modern Macs, Windows, and Linux PCs, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.03.15. Older Macs use HFS floppies and CDs. Here are the free resources you'll need to write floppies or CDs for vintage Macs using your modern computer.
System 7 Today, advocates of Apple's 'orphan' Mac OS 7.6.1, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2006.10.26. Why Mac OS 7.6.1 is far better for 68040 and PowerPC Macs than System 7.5.x.
30 days of old school computing: Increasing battery life with a RAM disk, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.09.14. When using the hard drive, the old battery ran out of juice within 30 minutes, but running from a RAM disk it still has a 50% charge after half an hour.
Mac OS 8 and 8.1: Maximum size, maximum convenience, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.09.11. Mac OS 8 and 8.1 add some useful new features and tools, and it can even be practical on 68030-based Macs.
Inside your notebook's battery: Ordinary AA Li-Ion cells, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.08. That expensive battery in your notebook computer probably holds less than $30 worth of off-the-shelf AA Li-Ion batteries.
Compact Flash with SCSI Macs, PB 1400 CD-RW upgrade problems, and Web incompatibilities, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2006.06.16. Suggested ways to use Compact Flash with vintage Macs and PowerBooks, problems getting CD-RW to work with a PowerBook 1400, and more thoughts on website incompatibilities.
Moving files from your new Mac to your vintage Mac, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat, 2006.06.13. Old Macs use floppies; new ones don't. Old Macs use AppleTalk; Tiger doesn't support it. New Macs can burn CDs, but old CD drives can't always read CD-R. So how do you move the files?
System 7.6.1 is perfect for many older Macs, John Martorana, That Old Mac Magic, 2006.03.24. Want the best speed from your old Mac? System 7.6.1 can give you that with a fairly small memory footprint - also helpful on older Macs.
MpegDec: Play MP3s and streaming audio on 680x0 and old PowerPC Macs, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.03.14. 680x0 Macs can play anything short of 128kbps stereo MP3s, and even the oldest PowerPC Macs have no trouble at all with those recordings.
System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6: The beginning and end of an era, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.02.15. System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6 introduced many new features and greater modernity while staying within reach of most early Macintosh models.
Web browser tips for the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic Mac OS.
Which system software is best for my vintage Mac?, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2005.11.22. Which system software works best depends to a great extent on just which Mac you have and how much RAM is installed.
Why you should use Mac OS 7.6 to get the most out of vintage Macs, Thomas Ahart, The Productive Mac, 2005.12.12. Although you may be able to run OS 8 or 9 on your old Mac, you'll generally find better performance using Mac OS 7.6.
The PowerBook 190: Still a great little laptop, Caleb Cupples, My Turn, 2005.12.01. The PowerBook 190 is relatively small, relatively light, fast enough, and cheap enough to carry everywhere.
Flash memory improves PowerBook, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2002.11.14. Using Compact Flash to boot, save files, run silently, extend battery life, and as virtual memory on a PowerBook.
The underrated PowerBook 190, Heather Anne Hurd, My Turn, 2002.07.01. How a seven-year-old PowerBook became a personal favorite.
SCSI and FireWire Disk Modes, Paulo Rodrigues, Tangerine Fusion, 11/29/00. How to use SCSI Disk Mode and FireWire Target Disk Mode for ultra fast file transfers.
DV's PowerBook 5300 Info Page. Includes tips on repairing the power connector on the PB 5300 and PB 190.
PowerBook history, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 5/12. A history of portable Macs from 1989 through 1996.
Recovering a stolen PowerBook, The 'Book Page. One user's experience.
Best Used PowerBook, PB Upgrade Options, Mac Daniel
Email list: PowerBooks
Apple Specs for PowerBook 190/66

Cautions

From Apple Knoweldge Base Archive Article 19358: There is a known issue with the password security feature on the PowerBook 5300 and 190 series computers. This issue is resolved by installing the System 7.5 Update 2.0 which includes the Password Security 1.0.3 control panel.
The 100-series and 500-series PowerBooks do not provide SCSI termination power, depending on external SCSI devices to provide it. For more details, see SCSI Termination Power.

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