Guess what!! MobilePCMag has rated the powerbook as the #1 Gadget of all time. They have rated 100 gadgets and the powerbooks stood first ;). Well of course I should not fail to mention that the powerbook in question here is Apple’s Powerbook 100 and not the latest generation that I own. Here is the reasoning given on the website
Never mind the Apple versus PC debate: Until Apple unveiled this 5.1-pound machine, most “portable” computers were curiosities for technophiles with superior upper-body strength. But the PowerBook 100’s greatest and most lasting innovation was to move the keyboard toward the screen, leaving natural wrist rests up front, as well as providing an obvious place for a trackball. It seems like the natural layout now, but that’s because the entire industry aped Apple within months. The first PowerBooks captured an astounding 40 percent of the market, but more important, they turned notebook computers into mainstream products and ushered in the era of mobile computing that we’re still living in today.
Wow, imagine a single portable capturing 40% of the market. Innovation, thats the name of the game. Kudos Apple. Even Apple has it share of problems, for eg they will not replace a laptop with bad pixels unless there are 10 or more of them. I find that totally absurd. But I am quite happy with them for their products both hardware and software. Lets see what the future hold for them