Chapter 1-Macintosh Portable Basics
THIS CHAPTER GIVES YOU A QUICK LOOK AT THE MACINTOSH(r) Portable computer, describes the
features and options available with your computer, and tells you how to care for your computer
both at home and on the road.
A quick look at your Macintosh Portable
Since the introduction of the original Macintosh in 1984, Macintosh computers have given you the
power to be your best at home, in school, or in your office. Now the Macintosh Portable lets you
take that power wherever you go. Use your Macintosh Portable at home. Take it to your office,
your client's office, meetings, classes, lectures, conferences, conventions. Use it while you travel,
at the airport, and in your hotel room. Use the HyperCard(r) application that comes with your
Macintosh Portable, and you can have your daily schedule, calendar, address book, phone book-
whatever you need-at your fingertips throughout your day.
To acquaint yourself with your new Macintosh Portable, take a few minutes to scan the
illustrations on the following pages. They'll familiarize you with your computer's features and
introduce you to some optional equipment you can use to expand your computer.
Features and options
The Macintosh Portable is a battery-powered, fully functional Macintosh computer, the size and
shape of a briefcase.
Two features distinguish this computer from others in the Macintosh family. They are:
the battery (which gives the Macintosh Portable its portability), and
system sleep (a feature that minimizes the power drain on the Macintosh Portable battery)
The battery
The key to the Macintosh Portable computer's portability is the battery, which can power the
computer for 6 to 12 hours before it needs recharging. (Actual battery life between charges
depends on which peripheral devices you have connected to your computer and how you use
them.)
The Macintosh Portable actually uses two batteries: a main battery that provides power while
you're using the computer, and a backup (9-volt) battery that sustains the computer's memory
while the main battery is disconnected (when you're putting in a freshly charged main battery, for
example).
The Macintosh Portable is shipped with the main battery in place but with a thin plastic sheet
between the battery and the contact points that connect it to the computer. Before you can use
the computer, you'll have to remove this plastic sheet to allow the battery to power the
computer. See "Setting Up" later in this chapter for instructions on removing the plastic sheet.
You'll learn all about the battery in Chapter 2.
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