Apple PowerBook patent move hints at 'supercomputer' blast from the past

Is Apple next in line for a retro reboot? The classic PowerBook.

Apple has registered a worldwide trademark for the "PowerBook", hinting at a retro comeback of the company's first laptop, The Sun reports.

The PowerBook, first launched in 1991, was Apple's flagship laptop. The company boasted at the time that its lightweight design made it the "first supercomputer you can take on an airplane."

Under the helm of Steve Jobs, the PowerBook was replaced by the successful and widely popular MacBook in 2006.

The worldwide patent for the PowerBook was launched in February and hints that the company could be ending the reign of the MacBook, or doing a retro comeback a la Nokia.

Nokia released a new version of the classic 3310 handset this year. The modernised version riffs off the robust and reliable original while adding new features.

Nintendo have also jumped on the retro rerelease buzz by launching the NES Classic Mini, a rebooted version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The product proved so popular, the company is struggling to keep up with demand.