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PowerBook 190

laptop computers manufactured by Apple Computer

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 19, 2026
Entity authorityQ3400854 ↗
Source-derived summary

The PowerBook 190 and PowerBook 190cs are laptop computers manufactured by Apple Computer as part of its PowerBook series. Introduced in August 1995, the two models differ primarily in their displays: the 190 has a 9.5-inch (240 mm) greyscale passive-matrix LCD, while the 190cs has a 10.4-inch (260 mm) dual-scan color LCD.

The PowerBook 190 was positioned as an entry-level machine below the subcompact PowerBook Duo 2300 and high-end PowerBook 5300 and was intended for users who did not require the performance of Apple's PowerPC-based PowerBooks. Contemporary reviews described it as a budget-oriented portable computer suitable for tasks such as word processing, Internet access, and general productivity.

Hardware

Despite carrying a PowerBook 100 series name, 190 shares much of its design with the PowerBook 5300 series. Unlike the PowerBook 5300, which used PowerPC 603e processors, the PowerBook 190 used a Motorola 68LC040 processor running at 33 MHz. The PowerBook 190 and 190cs were the last Macintosh computers released by Apple to use a 68k processor. Apple offered a US$1,199 (equivalent to $2,500 in 2025) upgrade option that allowed the 190 to be upgraded with a PowerPC processor.

Unlike most of the earlier PowerBook 100 series models, it included a trackpad rather than a trackball and used IDE hard drives instead of SCSI. A 500 MB hard drive was standard, and the computer shipped with System 7.5.2.

The PowerBook 190 came standard with 4 MB of RAM and was priced at $1,650 (equivalent to $3,500 in 2025). The PowerBook 190cs came with 8 MB of RAM and was priced at $2,300 (equivalent to $4,900 in 2025).

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “PowerBook 190” as laptop computers manufactured by Apple Computer. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA practical starting point whose main value is the path it opens into stronger specialist and primary sources. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1995, 2025—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where PowerBook, laptop and computers can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as laptop computers manufactured by Apple Computer. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3400854. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1995 and 2025.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “PowerBook 190”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow PowerBook 190 primary sources, PowerBook 190 archive and PowerBook research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “PowerBook 190” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.