The first notebook by Apple, the PowerBook 100 rewrote the rules for what a portable computer could be and set a new standard for others to follow. After its release, the innovative keyboard, palm rest and track ball configuration rapidly became an industry standard that persists today. It was selected as the Number One Gadget by Mobile PC Magazine in February 2005 (in a field with products like the iPod, Swiss Army Knife, Kodak Brownie Camera, the Telephone and the Polaroid Camera). PowerBooks captured an astounding 40% of the market, but more importantly, they turned notebook computers into mainstream products and ushered in the era of mobile computing that we’re still living in today.

Published: April 16, 2014