Apple 165c manual Compatibility Issues, Color Display, RAM Expansion Slot

C H A P T E R 1

Hardware

Compatibility Issues

Because the Macintosh PowerBook 165c is identical in most respects to the Macintosh PowerBook 160/180 computers, most hardware and software designed for those models will operate without modification on the PowerBook 165c. This section highlights key areas you should investigate in order to ensure that your products work properly with the PowerBook 165c. These topics are covered in more detail in subsequent sections.

Color Display

The internal display controller is optimized for 8-bit color mode. Although 1-, 2-, and

4-bit modes are supported for compatibility, they provide no significant improvement in display performance.

The LCD controller circuitry includes a 256-entry color look-up table (CLUT) and is compatible with software that uses QuickDraw and the Palette Manager. The controller supports a palette of 262,143 colors. However, due to the nature of LCD technology, some colors are dithered or exhibit noticeable flicker. Apple has developed a new gamma table for this display that minimizes flicker and optimizes available colors. With this gamma table in place, the effective range of the CLUT is 4096 colors.

See the section “Color LCD Interface” on page 9 for more information about the internal display hardware and LCD screen.

The external video interface of the Macintosh PowerBook 165c computer is identical to the PowerBook 160/180 in all respects.

Note

MacsBug version 6.2.2 does not properly restore the LCD frame buffer on the Macintosh PowerBook 165c. The screen can be restored by forcing a redraw. This problem will be corrected in future MacsBug versions. ◆

RAM Expansion Slot

The RAM expansion slot is compatible with RAM expansion cards meeting Apple design specifications for the Macintosh PowerBook 180 and earlier models. However, the design of the PowerBook 165c provides more physical space for RAM expansion cards than was specified for earlier PowerBook computers. Developers must follow the design guidelines provided in the section “RAM Expansion Interface” on page 10 to assure compatibility with the Macintosh PowerBook 165c and future models.

▲W AR N I N G

Do not exceed the design envelope shown in Figure 1-5. Cards that exceed these specifications may damage the computer, and may be incompatible with future PowerBook models. ▲

Compatibility Issues 5