Powerbook 150 for $15! | Why is it so hated? | Review & Repair
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Hi! Thanks to www.pcbway.com for sponsoring this video.
So I picked up this Apple PowerBook 150 for $15. Lets find out if it works and if its worth repairing!
The PowerBook 150 packed a Motorola 68030 CPU running at 33Mhz. Which gave great performance for the entry price of $1450.
This particular example suffers from a very common issue, broken plastics around the hinge. We break out the epoxy and attempt to rectify the issue.
We also look at using the BlueSCSI to get a new OS onto the built in hard drive, and then connect to my AppleTalk network to copy and play some games.
If you have a PowerBook 150 then you'll need the Utilities Disk. You can find the files and disk image here:
lawlor.cs.uaf....
If you need the Apple Legacy Recovery CD in a .HDA format suitable for the BlueSCSI, you can get that here:
mega.nz/folder...
If you need more information on the BlueSCSI and what it can do, look here:
github.com/eri...
If are looking to purchase then check out the official vendors:
scsi.blue
Please note, this video is for entertainment purposes only. Don't try any of this yourself.
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#powerbook #apple #repair - Наука та технологія
Awesome find and definitely a great deal. I didn’t know the 150 went IDE - super cool.
Yeah, although it was a bit of a headache when I was trying to set up the OS, until I figured out I needed that unique HD initialisation tool on the Utilities disk. I also forgot I had the BlueSCSI and was trying to do everything with floppies 🤦♂️ but we don’t need to see footage of that 🤣
IDE drive, passive matrix screen, missing ports and an old case design that was flawed. You’ve convinced me, it’s beautiful.
What’s not to like! 😆
Hah, no way, I just got one of these! You got a great deal on it, and you were extremely lucky.
1. Someone had already removed the PRAM battery. Unlike other 100 series models, the one the 150 used is a NiMH type that nearly always leaks. It likely would have been toast if it was still installed. The only reason mine survived is because someone replaced it.
2. The quantum hard drive worked! These have rubber bumpers in them that always become sticky and get the heads stuck. It’s extremely lucky to see one of those drives work. Don’t expect it to last though.
Mine has the same issues with the hinges, although a bit worse. I’m going to go the route of replacing them with a 3D printed part, but that epoxy looks great too. What is that stuff called?
I’ll be making a video on mine when I’m done. I really enjoyed yours!
Awesome! They’re fun to work on. I like the idea of using the 3D printed part for the hinges, and would most likely deliver a better result. But I don’t have a 3D printer, and my machine will probably mostly just be on display, so I’m happy with the epoxy fix. The epoxy I use is called Chemset, which is a Ramset product. Thanks for watching, and I look forward to your video on the topic!
@@TheBasementChannel I’ll have to look into that stuff, does it stink real bad like other epoxies do?
@@3lectr1c it does have a particular aroma, yes 😆
Fabulous video!
I've never had anything to do with Apple laptops at any point in my life, but you still made this fascinating to watch for me!
Thanks Lee, you should grab one and have a play some time!
Beautiful restoration!
Thanks Garth, it’s turned out nice, especially for $15.
3:16 yeah that screen looks really good!
I need to get some of that Epoxy!! Great video
It’s especially awesome when you get it all over your hands!
Honest and interesting presentation, thank you for the video
You’re very welcome, thanks for the kind comment 👍
I always thought that the machines that had "power" in the name had PowerPC CPU's. Learned something new today!
Apple’s marketing machine knows no limits! 😂
Wow $15? Here in the UK they're like £500 ($460 Koala Dollars)! Nice find!
It started out at $100 but then the seller broke the hinge when he opened it, and had the power supply and battery stolen at a garage sale. It’s a long story, but he ended up accepting $15. 👍
there is a hack out there to add an ADB port to the 150 as well, but you need to use the waybackmachine to view the data. I have done it..... involves soldering and drilling a port on the back.
Yes I’ve heard about this. I’m keen to give it a try when I get the time!
not a bad little machine, I did get to use one for a little while, I got to borrow one to do some high school exams with due to my bad handwriting, I was allowed to use it so that I still got decent grades.
Yes I ended up quite liking it!
That screen is a lot better once recapped and switched to 1bit (the 2bit is useless).
Sounds like a good project. Do you have a guide?
Very nice work on all of those screw holes! I have a 145b and 170 that I have been dreading to open thanks to your videos 😂
Go ahead, it makes for a fun evening activity 😄
Great stuff as always.
Thank you kind sir!
Nice work! Could you make a tutorial about how to make a recovery CD? I'm trying to reinstall the system of my old mac
I would use the BlueSCSI on older macs or a USB drive on newer macs.
Perhaps there is an idea for a modification for the screen of using some sort of mode E ink display? The first laptop I got to fully explore was an our book 145B that was possible to borrow from the school library for a few days at a time and take home.
It’s probably possible, but way beyond my skill level I reckon.
Another question for you: working on my 150 now, hasn’t been going to plan though. Mainly, my repair to the screw wells you replaced with washers broke instantly. What size washers did you use on yours? I’m going to give that method a go.
No idea of the size unfortunately, I just have an extensive washer collection so I looked through that to find something. Make sure it’s as thin as possible, as extra thickness here stops the two halves from closing tightly. Sand or score the surfaces before epoxy. Good luck!
Thanks. Fascinating video. What is the brand of epoxy you used for the repairs?
I used Chemset, which is a Ramset product. I had a half used tube left over from a construction project (I’m a builder by day) and tried it out on a previous repair, and it worked great, so I’ve continued using it.
I know I'm digging this conversation up from the dead, but it's #MARCHintosh...
I have a PB 150 and a PB 180 (plus a few others) and I'm torn. I have that mythical 36MB RAM expansion and I've upgraded the hard drive to a SSD. I like using it as a dedicated writing machine and it's totally capable 68030 laptop for those purposes. I recently picked up a 180 from a recycler where it was being sold as "not working". I noticed that the power supply brick they had included with it did not seem to match the connector that my other 100-series brick, so I took it home for $40 and now I have a working 180 as well. The 150 has that crappy display, but the 180 has a lower RAM capacity. The 180 also has a FPU. I'm wondering if I can get A/UX running on the 180??
That’s awesome, I love those wins when it’s an easy fix like using the correct power adapter 😆 I recently had a win with a PowerBook Duo sold as not working but they don’t boot if the battery is dead, so I removed the battery and it fired right up.
I can’t help you with the A/UX question I’m afraid, I’ve never had anything to do with it. But I say use both machines! Set up an Apple talk network (super easy using the serial connector) and you can write on either ma ch one and share between them. Personally I’m not a huge fan of the 150 keyboard, it feels a bit stiff, but that could just be mine? Happy retro computing!
My machine is otherwise ok now but the display has hardly any contrast. Any adjustement for that?
It might need some capacitor replacements?
Please tell me how you made the utility floppy disk
I use software called Balena Etcher which is designed to write disk images to USB drives. I found the image on Macintosh Garden and wrote it to a disk in an external USB floppy drive on my iMac.
Can we use 2.5 ide ssd hard disk for this Macintosh 150? If it is i will include this one for my vintage apple collection.
Yesterday i repaired and recovered Macintosh 145b. But i couldn’t install os because of faulty floppy drive. Are there any ways to recover os except inbuilt floppy drive?
I don’t see why a 150 couldn’t use a SSD provided you used the correct connector. And you should most definitely get an external BlueSCSI, it will be very useful for all of your old macs. I use one in this video to install the OS.
Promo*SM
This is not worth being vintage or obsolescence it’s just a severe piece of s***