PowerBook 190cs
The PowerBook 190cs was the last 68k-based laptop Apple ever sold, and may have also been the last 68k computer to be discontinued by Apple, lasting until the end of 1996 on the market. The 190cs shipped with a passive-matrix color LCD, but Apple offered an official Active Matrix upgrade, essentially turning it into a "190c". You can perform this upgrade on any 190cs via swapping the LCD and cable from a 5300c. It is also possible to use a 5300ce's display and cable, making the 190cs the only 68k PowerBook to be able to handle an internal 800x600 display. Note that due to VRAM limitations, you will only be able to run the 800x600 panel at 256 colors.
Specifications
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 1995 |
| Discontinuation Date | October 1996 |
| Processor | Motorola 68LC040 @33MHz |
| Bus Speed | 33MHz |
| RAM | PowerBook 190/5300 Proprietary - 4 or 8MB soldered - 36 or 40MB maximum, dependant on soldered RAM |
| Hard Disk | 2.5" IDE - 500MB Standard |
| Display | 10.4" Passive Matrix Color LCD @640x480 |
| GPU | Chips & Technologies 65225 (Apple ECSC) - 512KB VRAM |
| Main Battery | NiMH |
| PRAM Battery | 3V Lithium (rechargeable) |
| Power Supply | Barrel Jack - 24V 1.87A - Apple M3037 |
| Disk Drives | PowerBook 190/5300 Modular Bay with the following available modules: - 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive - ZIP Drive - Others? |
| PC Cards | 2x PCMCIA Slots |
| Networking | None |
| Other I/O | - 1x Serial - 1x ADB - 1x Mini-15 Video Out (Optional) - 1x HDI-30 SCSI - 1x Line Out - Infrared |
| Pointing Device | Trackpad |
| Minimum Mac OS | System Software 7.5.2 |
| Maximum Mac OS | Mac OS 8.1 |
Upgrades
SSD Upgrade
See our page on IDE SSDs for more info.
Resources
 Service Manual |
Capacitor Reference | 3D Print Templates |
|---|
Common Faults & Maintenance
Brittle Plastics & Hinge Failure
Like just about every 90s laptop, the PowerBook 190cs's plastics are now fragile and brittle. The first place where this will become a problem on one is with the display hinges. The screwposts on both the base side and the LCD side are both known to crack and break. When this happens, further damage to the plastic housing parts will be caused if the hinge continues to be used after the plastic breaks. You're also just about guaranteed to break your LCD cable if you do this.
So, what's the fix?
3D print templates have been made that replace the LCD-side hinge mounts. You can find downloads for these on the resources page. If you dont want to replace the original mounts with 3D printed ones, you can also reinforce the originals with epoxy.
Main Battery Leaks
The main NiMH battery in the 190cs is well known for leaking, usually severely. Even when compared to other NiMH batteries, these seem to be especially leak-prone. If you have one, do not leave it in the system to start corroding things.
The CMOS battery in the 190cs is a rechargeable Lithium pack that isn't known for leaking.
Capacitor Failure
The 190cs has a good amount of electrolytic capacitors in it - on the logic board, inverter board, and the LCD (on some models). These capacitors can leak, although it's currently not extremely common. They do fail though, and there have been many known cases of bad logic board caps keeping them from starting. Capacitor Reference info is available on the resources page.
Broken Power Jacks
The 190cs's power jack is a tiny, fragile barrel jack. These are known to break off of the board very easily, even back in the day. There's a chance that you may have to resolder yours when you get one.
Misc. less common issues
LCD Vinegar Syndrome
See article: Vinegar Syndrome
Stiff Keyboards/"Binding Key Syndrome"
The keys on the 190cs's keyboard can go stiff with age, causing what I call "binding key syndrome", where the keys will bind when trying to press them down from the edges. If your keyboard has this issue, it may be possible to use a small amount of lithium grease to improve it.
Gallery
No images are currently available. If you own a 190cs, help the site out by sending some in!
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 08/14/2024
Update Reason: page rewritten
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