PowerBook · The Beige Era · 1994
PowerBook 150
The rock-bottom PowerBook: Apple swapped the pricey SCSI disk for a commodity IDE one and trimmed the ports back, hitting $1,450 to chase students and tight budgets.
First PowerBook to use a cheap IDE hard drive.
PowerBook 190 (1995)
PowerBook 150: key facts
When was the PowerBook 150 released?
The PowerBook 150 arrived in July 1994. Apple discontinued it in October 1995.
How much did the PowerBook 150 cost?
The PowerBook 150 launched at $1,450 in 1994 — about $3,089 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: Motorola 68030 at 33 MHz, 4 MB RAM, 120 MB storage, 9.5" passive-matrix grayscale display.
Why does the PowerBook 150 matter?
First PowerBook to use a cheap IDE hard drive.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68030 · 33 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 MB (up to 40 MB) |
| Storage | 120 MB |
| Display | 9.5" passive-matrix grayscale |
| GPU | Integrated / NuBus video |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, serial |
| Weight | Varies by configuration |
| Dimensions | Clamshell laptop |
| Operating system | System 7 |
| Released | July 1994 |
| Discontinued | October 1995 |
| Launch price | $1,450 |
How the PowerBook 150 compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 4,100× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 33 MHz, the clock is roughly 97× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage holds about 30 modern phone photos.
Launched at $1,450 in 1994 — about $3,089 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Method note: clock comparisons use frequency only; price conversions use US CPI.
Related PowerBook models
Open the PowerBook 150 in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-29