Apple PowerBook Duo: The Laptop That Was Also a Desktop

mars 11, 2024 Mourad ELGORMA

In the early 1990’s, there was an industry trend to make laptops smaller and lighter. These so-called subnotebooks often resulted in a compromise between portability and practicality. Apple’s PowerBook Duo series, however, tried to do everything.

Sources (in order of appearance):
AST Premium Exec laptop photo: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/retrocomputingatcitytech/retrocomputing-archive-namm-520/
PC Magazine, April 14, 1992.
Toshiba Libretto photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Libretto_70CT.jpg
LGR’s ThinkPad 701c video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRVJCtREW38
HP Omnibook 800CT photo: https://muzeuldecalculatoare.ro/2018/06/28/hewlettpackard-omnibook-800ct/
Compaq Contura Aero photo: https://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/j8pp4v/restored_compaq_contura_aero_433c_for_asm/
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Macworld, December 1993.
Macintosh Duo System Developer Note, November 1992.
AAUI ThinNet transceiver photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_AAUI_transceiver_and_cable.jpg
AAUI 10Base-T transceiver photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AAUI_examples.jpg
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Macintosh Classic photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mac_Classic.jpg
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Duo battery charger photo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/APPLE-M7778-MACINTOSH-POWERBOOK-DUO-BATTERY-RECHARGER-WITH-WARRANTY/113805936371?hash=item1a7f5cc6f3:g:ZGEAAOSws0tfjdX3
Duo 270c upgraded to 2300 photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenleewrites/3277732933/