Macintosh PowerBook 100 (1991)
PowerBook 100 (1991): the lightest Mac portable of its time, designed with Sony: 68HC000 at 16 MHz, 2.3 kg and a central trackball, for $2,500.
Specs
| Release | 1991-10-21 |
| Chip | 68000 · 16 MHz |
| RAM | 2 or 4 MB (100 ns PSRAM) · up to 8 MB |
| Display | LCD 640×400 · 1 bit |
| Ports | ADB · HDI-20 · HDI-30 (SCSI) |
| System | 7.0.1 → 7.5.5 |
| Weight | 2.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 46 × 279 × 216 mm |
| ROM | 256 KB |
| VRAM | 256 KB |
| Storage (detail) | 20 or 40 MB SCSI hard drive · optional external 1.44 MB floppy |
| Display | 9″ backlit monochrome, 640×400 |
| Battery | Sealed lead-acid; 2–4 hours (EveryMac) |
Launch
Apple introduced it on October 21, 1991 at the COMDEX show, alongside the PowerBook 140 and 170, and it was sold until August 3, 1992. It was designed by Apple together with Sony, which also manufactured it: hence its compact size. The floppy drive was external and optional. Dates and data: EveryMac; the introduction is recorded in contemporary press (Macworld, Computerworld) and Apple Support.
Marketing
The entry portable: the smallest and lightest of the original trio, meant to take the Mac anywhere for $2,500 in the US. The PowerBooks were an instant hit: according to contemporary press, Apple took in over a billion dollars from the line in its first year. (EveryMac, Macworld.)
Flaws and fixes
Apple documents no model-specific defects in the sources consulted. Limits that do appear in its spec sheet: PSRAM expandable only to 8 MB; no expansion slot; the floppy drive was external and optional; passive monochrome display (no active-matrix).
Indicative price
New (launch, US): $2,500 · EveryMac
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Updated: October 29, 2026 · Sources: Apple Soporte · Apple Tech Info Library · EveryMac · Compare this product