Apple Powerbook 500 Series

The Powerbook 500 series shared the same Apple Codename as the Macintosh IIfx- namely Blackbird. The Powerbook 500 series was a groundbreaking design that featured a trackpad as opposed to trackball, a built in battery that allowed the laptop to hibernate for up to 10 minutes, during which time the user would swap out the main battery (or batteries). The series offered upgradeability via one battery bay that also doubled as a port for a PCMCIA (type II) cage that accepted Modems, ethernet/ network cards. In dual battery mode (both bays with fully charged batteries), users were able to get 4 hours of use from the laptop between charge. The built in stereo speakers and 16 bit sound quality opened the way to recording and editing music on the move. Unfortunately, the batteries used new technologies (the first with an “intelligent” NiMH battery) that prevented users from re-conditioning them by simply placing them in the freezer. Instead, Apple released the Intelligent Powerbook Battery Reconditioner software. The only real issue with the Powerbook 500 series that should be noted is that the hinges would work loose over time and their covers had to be removed and the TX screws tightened.