astro_rob's blog

PB 150's are the red-headed stepchildren of the 68k PowerBook line. Nobody really wants them. I often wonder why. My first PowerBook was a 150, and I thought it was a decent enough machine. The screen wasn't great, but it was fast running System 7.1. It also typed easily, and for me, that is always a plus. Sadly, it died one day, quite possibly the victim of a lightning strike while it was charging. Even after replacing it with more capable machines like the PB540c and 5300c, I still miss the PowerBook 150. That changed in May, 2005.

My taste in writer's computers is wildly varied. I use a number of machines for basic writing chores, but ultimately it's an issue of portability. I prefer to write anywhere but my desk. So, laptops are a necessity.
I've had a number of them in my life, both PC and Mac, as well as the occasional oddball (my Tandy and AlphaSmart Pro). Where the Macs are concerned, two have been an absolute joy to work on, my old Powerbooks 150 and 540c. Before it died, my 150 handled many writing chores, in fact, simply because it was lighter. So, weight becomes an issue.

I've written elsewhere in my blog that machines have life expectancies; in that essay, I was referring to my Portable. But the realization is starting to dawn on me that most of my computers will, indeed, one day die. That's how it goes; nothing lasts forever. My question, though, is this partially by design or by usage?