Apple computers have slimmed down during last 20 years

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Many readers who are likely accessing today’s CSBJ Daily from a laptop or handheld device can appreciate this piece of news that appeared in an October 1989 edition of the Business Journal:

Apple introduces Macintosh portable

Apple computer has introduced its version of the “totable” Macintosh machine.

Retailing for about $6,000 and weighing approximately 16 pounds, Apple refers to the new model as a portable, compared to IBM compatibles called laptops, which weigh in at 4 pounds and cost considerably less.

But users are paying for the functionality of Mac in a portable design, while providing full compatibility with Macintosh software and hardware.

The portable consists of a CPU screen, keyboard, battery and disk storage. It has a cursor-control device called a trackball mounted on the keyboard, replacing the mouse.

The graphics display is a superior as the larger models. Maintaining the high-quality graphics is the reason Apple gives for its delay in entering the “lightweight” market.

The clarity is created by a high-contract active matrix liquid crystal display with a fast response rate. The screen displays the full width of a letter-size page, and is easy to see in virtually any lighting condition or angle.

The portable Mac has a long batter life, providing six to 12 hours of operation, depending on system configuration and usage.

The Macintosh portable comes standard with 1 megabyte of RAM, and is available in two configurations: with a built-in Apple FDHD SuperDrive or with an Apple FDHD SuperDrive and an internal 40-megabyte hard disk drive.