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Thinking I should forget the 180 and get a 150

insaneboy

Well-known member
Making my own thread here...

IDE HDD? beginning to think I should get a 150 and not bother with the 180.
Unless you can get a 150 that you know definitely has had its RAM upgraded (and therefore has the ultra rare RAM upgrade adapter), I wouldn't bother with a 150 unless you a) don't care about the passive matrix display, and B) never plan to use more than 4MB of RAM.
those the only limitations? only have 4MB in the 180 and those modules are not all that common either, and currently no HDD either. want one for occasional use of old 68k software I still have... Most of which is from the days I owned a Plus and later a PB 165, 180 and finally a IIci after that I went PPC(turbo 601/66 in the IIci)

*google* May have found a 36MB 150 module (looks different than a duo module, did they make 150 specific modules?) pricy, but less than 1/2 the cost of a CF monster for the 180. that's what's kept my 180 gathering dust on a shelf now HDD. the IDE drive should be cake to find, or get one of those cheap plentiful IDE to CF adaptors

has a SCSI port for my Asante mini EN/SC and a serial port... don't know I need much more than that. is the screen really that bad?

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
The 150 also only has one serial port, NO ADB, and NO video out. If none of those concern you, you'll be fine...but me...I'd prefer the 180.
nope. main objective is simplicity and space saving. Something I can just pull out and use when I feel the need for some nostalgia, than stow away (and not use much space) when not in use

do wonder if the screen will bug me. Never used a 150, how does it compare to the 165's screen? I could live with a 165... but I will admit the 180's screen in damn nice.

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
Just marvelous! ::) I found read the 150's TechSpecs and they do mention:

PowerBook 150 Memory Adapter Kit M3179

Nice pic of the ^%$%#$@%$#$^R^&PO$ (silly thing) in the ServiceSource too. [:O] ]'>

< grumbling . . . clears bench and disembowels PB150 >

GAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! [:(!] !]'>

No adapter, AND the silly thing thing isn't even mentioned in the LEMspecs.

. . . but I think I've got a Duo Memory Card with a curious vertical connector on it . . .

. . . did they make cards that would fit Duo normally and slap down onto the 150 without the adapter as well?

I do have the Pics-n-Procedures for the 150 ADB Hack saved as a ClarisWorks file if it's not still out here on the WWW though . . .

. . . that'll come in handy for using my Asante Micro EN/SC. [}:)] ]'>

 

Byrd

Well-known member
The PB150 is a dog, it is one of the most watered-down Mac models ever released. Stick with the PB180, if you're concerned about the 2.5" SCSI HD failing you could buy an Artmix 2.5" to CF SCSI adapter, or one of the 2.5" IDE to SSI bridges that came on later model Powerbook 5x0 models.

JB

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
The PB150 is a dog, it is one of the most watered-down Mac models ever released.
Actually, that's kind of why I like it, think of it as the Volkswagon of PowerBooks and the PB Gray bridge between the PB100 the PB190 and the rest of the IDE PBs.. The Duo's were the Thoroughbred heir's apparent to the 100, the 150 was the gelding bastard by a 1x0 series Plow Horse.

I think of the PB150 as a Brilliant PB100 on steroids and speed.

If I ever get that dratted memory adapter its RAM will increase by an order of 32bit addressed magnitude, 4.25x the 100''s and more than 2x any other 1x0 PB. Sure it's bigger, but it has a full 640x480x4bit LCD and they threw the FDD back into the larger case in order to house it. The 150 came off the lines ready for a silent HDD replacement and only key feature left out of the 100 spec was the ADB port to power an external expansion device on the road . . .

. . . and that gives me another pair of hacking opportunities! [}:)] ]'>

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
Well, I'm going to hunt one down hopefully reasonably priced and keep one 180 (I have two... I'll sell the parts one one fleabay, runs(off the floppy) and has a perfect screen just missing the case screws and modem port cover and back door. someone will pay me too much money for it :p

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
almost got one... Looks like that deal isn't going to happen an untested one, made an offer on it and it was accepted(decent price on both sides really) over charging for shipping though so. *sigh* included an untested 140 I was hoping might have a working HDD for the 180. xx( Guess that one wasn't ment to be, the hunt continues.

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
might have over paid for that, I'll find out when I get them... but tI have a PB 150 and 140 on their way to me now. May have a functioning 180 and 150 soon, we shall see. :cool:

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
might have over paid for that, I'll find out when I get them... but tI have a PB 150 and 140 on their way to me now. May have a functioning 180 and 150 soon, we shall see. :cool:
the box is in my town *SQUEEEEE* Excited! I love mystery boxes, I know what's in it, but they're untested powerbooks, who knows what secrets they may hold inside and if they even work...

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
wow... those were some beat powerbooks. 140 worked and has a functioning HDD! (and 2MB ram module and modem, all of which are in the 180 now) the 150 was DOA, however, Trash80 is gonna hate me...

7809356116_a78da48ef1_z.jpg.a5e8e6975bc4f9c6bcdcb9f9bab85831.jpg
:cool:

7809359670_3a58f774df_z.jpg.119cc0d417435d496ca5c1dbac1b7554.jpg


Yup it's got the powerbook duo RAM adaptor card on it }:)

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
Oh SCSI voodoo how I did not miss you xx( trying to move stuff about so I can use the new HDD. got the EZ-135 and Jaz hooked up, not even going to try to get to the network volume with some stuff on it, Asante EN/SC would be a bit much I think :p

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
8-o Lucky devil! :approve: Congrats, comrade.

With my miserable luck, everything I buy untested in the hope that It's DOA for a hack winds up fit as a fiddle . . .

. . . and here you get one expecting it to work with minimum RAM config, but it's DOA with the crown jewel inside . . . :-/

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
8-o Lucky devil! :approve: Congrats, comrade.
With my miserable luck, everything I buy untested in the hope that It's DOA for a hack winds up fit as a fiddle . . .

. . . and here you get one expecting it to work with minimum RAM config, but it's DOA with the crown jewel inside . . . :-/
isn't it always that way? double layer RAM card in it too, wonder how big it is? Also had a global village powerport gold modem in it. screen lights up when plugged into the 140, yeah that's blue isn't it? (would have been cooler id it worked on the 140, but hey at least I know it lights up.

getting 7.5.3 installed on the 180 now, than 7.5.5 update after

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
got the 150 to boot! running a 7.2v RC car battery tied into te battery terminals. screen lights up but is blank :(

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
I wonder if you could set up the HDD from another Mac with the 150 in SCSI Disk Mode to output Video to a SCSI Converter like my SuperMac SuperView?

Assuming you've got the necessary cables handy, try booting it into SCSI Disk mode to find out what's on the HDD from your 180, then see if you can set it up to boot the 180 from it. Those procedures will let you know you've got a bootable system on the 150 for sure . . .

. . . or you could just wait for the next maxed out 150 that drops into your lap. :p

:eek:)

 

insaneboy

Well-known member
I know it has a bootable system on it, if I leave it for more than a few minutes the HDD spins down and the backlight on the screen shuts off, hitting the spacebar turns both back on. :p

I do not have the cables for SCSI disk mode(the one with the switch) nor do I have a 25 pin to 25 pin cable to go between the two with the adaptors I do have. Never planned on doing that, only saved enough to hook up the EZ and Jaz to a single machine. But being IDE drive I can just use the little IDE to USB dongle thing I have at work to plug the drive into a current mac and read what's on the disk :)

for now the 180 is good to go, prepped the 140 and the other 180 to go on fleabay make some money back so I'm ready to jump on the next 150 that appears :) will keep the current 150 incase I need parts... Once I have a working 150, the extra bits will go. (I like to keep what I have to the bare minimum this is why I have laptops, not desktops...)

 
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