Living with PowerBook 5xx
By Kuratate0
I like the design of PowerBook 500 series!
PowerBook 500 series is my most favoriate design from Apple Computer Inc. (Second is PowerBook G3!)
I bought PowerBook 550c,
a special model for Japanese market, in 1995.
It doesn't have enough RAM, recent faster CPU, but I don't care.
It is enough to typing text, checking e-mail via network.
Of course, the recent small PowerBook G4 is really nice. But I still like
my old PowerBook 550c 'cause I love the design!
If you have a PCMCIA modlue with wireless network card, you can type text
anywhere in your house! (if your battery works ;-P)
This PowerBook helped my miserable life and work condition after the terrible
disaster, HANSHI-AWAJI earthquake which killed over 6000 people around Kobe
area in Japan at the dawn, 5:46am on January 17th in 1995 (magnitude (M) 7.2 on the Richter Scale).
I was living in Konan-cho, Higashi-Nada-ku in Kobe city at
that time.
Every houses around my apartment building was completely destroied almost instantly.
My apartment building was renovated three years before the incident so it was strong enough to stand against the bibration,
but still had a terrible damage. I spend 10 minutes just espace from my
literally "shaked" room. I rescued 6 people and digged two dead bodies from a
corruped building close to my apartment... anyway, this is not the main topic.
Current condition of my PowerBook 550c
PCMCIA cards work with my PowerBook 550c
For PowerBook 500 series, PCMCIA module is very important device to
expand its capabilities. However this is NOT a recent CARD BUS slot,
there are not so many options available now... You have to find PCMCIA type II or III cards, 5V 16bits.... Here is a list I tested.
What can I do next with my PowerBook 550c?
Actually, I have no idea... It is too bad that Newer could not release G3 upgrades... I'll try to find more options but it is getting hard to find...