Apple Macintosh Portable (1989-1991)

**COMING SOON

Apple Macintosh Portable 

🥇Apple's First Portable & Battery-Powered Computer 

🥇First Commercially-Released Portable Computer with an Active-Matrix LCD Screen 

🥇First Computer to Send an Email from Space 

The Apple Macintosh Portable, launched in September 1989 for a staggering $6,500 (or over $7,300 with an optional internal hard drive), was Apple's ambitious first attempt to build a self-contained, battery-powered Mac. Powered by a fast 16 MHz Motorola 68HC000 chip, it featured a gorgeous 9.8-inch black-and-white active-matrix LCD screen that delivered incredibly sharp visuals with none of the motion blur common on competing laptops. It also included a built-in mechanical keyboard and a trackball that could be swapped to either side of the chassis to accommodate left- or right-handed users. However, because Apple refused to compromise on desktop-level performance, the computer weighed a massive 15.8 pounds due to its heavy lead-acid battery and bulky 3.5-inch hard drive, earning it the affectionate nickname "the luggable." Crucially, because the power supply was designed only to charge the battery rather than run the computer directly, a completely dead lead-acid battery meant the computer wouldn't boot up even when plugged into the wall—a flaw that, along with its massive size and eye-watering price tag, kept it from commercial success until Apple redesigned its mobile line into the much lighter PowerBook series two years later.

Acquired from: eBay.com