Notebook Computers

The IBM PC Convertible (model 5140)

Year: 1986 Retail Price: US$2,000 (equivalent to $5,340 in 2022) This is IBM’s first laptop. The grandaddy of Lenovo! The IBM PC Convertible (model 5140) from 1986 was IBM’s first laptop-style computer, following the luggable IBM Portable, and introduced the 3½-inch floppy disk format to the IBM product line. The CPU is an Intel 80C88, the CMOS version …

The IBM PC Convertible (model 5140) Read More »

Toshiba T1000LE

YEAR: 1990 INITIAL PRICE: $1,799, $3,534 in 2020 SN: 10016686 The Toshiba T1000LE was one of the first laptops to include both a hard drive and a Ni-CD battery. Previous laptops did not have enough power to run a hard drive from battery power (exceptions include the Toshiba T1200, which had a proprietary 26-pin JVC hard drive, and …

Toshiba T1000LE Read More »

Apple Powerbook 140

Year: October 1991 Initial Price: $3,199, $6,113 in 2020   The PowerBook 140 was released in the first line of PowerBooks. It was the mid-range PowerBook, between the low-end 100 and the high-end 170. Component   Processor: Motorola 68030, running at 16 MHz RAM: 2 MB on board, can be expanded to 8 MB ROM: 1 MB Hard disk: 20-80 MB Floppy disk: 1.44 …

Apple Powerbook 140 Read More »

IBM PS/2 L40SX

Year: 1991 Initial Price: $5,995, $11,456 in 2020   CPU 386SX-20(MHz) RAM 2MB up to 18MB HDD\Floppy 20\40\80 MB Drive\ 3.5 inch drive Graphics VGA Display (640×480) STN Display This Computer was having a bad display and a faulty HDD Connector. It took me 2 weeks to finish this project. All working now!

Epson Equity LT

Year: 1989 Initial Price: ?   The Epson Equity LT (model Q150A) weighs in at only 14.3 pounds, with the hard drive and supertwisted backlit LCD.  Parallel and serial (9-pin) ports are standard, as is the colormonitor port.  Two option slots house the hard drive and optional 300/1200 baudmodem card.Measurements are 12.2″ deep by 13.6″ …

Epson Equity LT Read More »

Olivetti M10 by Kyocera Corporation (Japan)

YEAR: 1983 Initial Price: $800, $2,090 in 2020   The Olivetti M-10 is basically the same computer as the Tandy 100 or the NEC PC-8201. All these machines were in fact conceived by Kyocera Corporation (Japan). Thus they all have very similar characteristics.Olivetti is well known for computers with special design, and the M-10 is not an exception. …

Olivetti M10 by Kyocera Corporation (Japan) Read More »

Olivetti M15

Year: 1985 Initial Price: $5,999, $14,490 in 2020   Manufacturer Olivetti Personal Computers Processor type Intel 80C88 Cycle time 4.77 MHz RAM memory 512 KB ROM memory 16 KB Ports Serial RS-232C, Parallel Operating systems MS-DOS 3.3 Keyboard 78-keys Modem no Screen size 25 lines x 80 columns  LCD Graphics resolution 640 x 320 dots …

Olivetti M15 Read More »

NEC MULTISPEED

Year: 1986 Initial Price: $2,200, $4,797 in 2020   Processor: NEC V30 4.7Mhz and 9.5 Mhz RAM Disk: up to 126kB RAM: 640Kb Storage: 2X720kB FDD units The unit had a bad power supply and bad jumper config. Fully functional, runs MS-DOS 3.30. See more on Google Docs.

Compaq Contura 4\25

YEAR:1993 Initial Price: $3,400, $7,126 in 2020 With the introduction of the INTEL 80486 processors back in 1989, COMPAQ equipped its Contura “All-in-One” notebook series 2820 with these faster chips. Also the 80486 had a mathematical co-processor integrated in the CPU. 4/25[Specifications] i486SX-S (SL enhanced 486SX) running at 25MHz Passive matrix gray scale VGA display, 16 shades …

Compaq Contura 4\25 Read More »

Tandy 1110HD

YEAR: 1992 INITIRAL PRICE: $1,199, $2,224 in 2020 The 1110 HD was introduced in 1992. The specifications of the Tandy were not spectacular as it was considered a lower middle class laptop. It was still very impressive at its time of release, which proved it to be more successful that it’s competitors.     Processor: 8 bit …

Tandy 1110HD Read More »

FIC SportSX – just over 1000 ever made because of Copyright issues

YEAR: 1987 INITIAL PRICE: ??? FIC Sport SX was a laptop manufactured by FIC (First International Computer, Inc.)  and released in 1987. It featured a 40 MB hard drive that was about twice the capacity used in those days, it has and incredible 8 MHz Intel 80286 CPU and a monochrome gas-plasma display. This laptop is so Rare …

FIC SportSX – just over 1000 ever made because of Copyright issues Read More »

Toshiba T1900

YEAR: 1993 INITIAL PRICE: $3,899, $7,023 in 2020   “Getting a head start is rare these days. Starting in front is almost unheard of. But that’s the feeling you get when you own a Toshiba notebook. The confidence that comes from knowing that what’s standard for Toshiba means leadership for the industry. The T1900 Series …

Toshiba T1900 Read More »

IBM PS/2 Note N33Sx Type 8533 (before the Thinkpads)

Year: 1991 Initial Price: $2,990, $5713 in 2020   The Personal System/2 or PS/2 was IBM‘s third generation of personal computers released in 1987. The PS/2 line was created by IBM in an attempt to recapture control of the PC market by introducing an advanced yet proprietary architecture. IBM‘s considerable market presence plus the reliability …

IBM PS/2 Note N33Sx Type 8533 (before the Thinkpads) Read More »

IBM Thinkpad 345C (Top of the 25 Greatest PCs of All Time)

YEAR: 1992 INITIAL PRICE: 2375 US Dollars LIKE US ON FACEBOOK Among the first IBM’s to use the Thinkpad name As IBM president 1914 to 1956, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. enjoyed using the phrase “THINK!” to motivate and inspire his employees. This simple word has become deeply embedded in IBM’s corporate culture ever since. Decades …

IBM Thinkpad 345C (Top of the 25 Greatest PCs of All Time) Read More »

TOSHIBA T1200XE (first laptop with “Resume-mode” technology)

YEAR: 1987 INITIAL PRICE: $6,499,  $14,890 in 2020   The Toshiba T1200XE was a laptop manufactured by the Toshiba Corporation, first made in 1987. It was an upgraded version of the Toshiba T1100 Plus. Processor Intel 80C286TM microprocessor Adjustable 12/6 MHz clock speed   Memory 1 MB RAM standard 5 MB RAM maximum LIM-EMS 4.0 …

TOSHIBA T1200XE (first laptop with “Resume-mode” technology) Read More »

Toshiba T1000

Year: 1987 Initial Price: 1199 USD   The Toshiba T1000 was a laptop computer manufactured by the Toshiba Corporation in 1987. It had a similar specification to the IBM PC Convertible, with an 4.77 MHz 80C88 processor, 512 kB of RAM, and a monochrome CGA-compatible LCD. Unlike the Convertible, it includes a standard serial port and …

Toshiba T1000 Read More »

Scroll to Top