Manufacturer Toshiba Corporation Operating system | Type Personal computer CPU 80C88 @ 4.77 MHz | |
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Release date 1987; 30 years ago (1987) Memory 512 kB RAM (expandable to 1.2 MB with optional 768 kB LIM-EMS 3.2/HardRAM card) / 256 kB ROM | ||
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 parallel port, connectors for an external monitor, and a real-time clock.
Contents
Unusually for an IBM compatible PC, the T1000 contained a 256 kB ROM with a copy of MS-DOS 2.11. This acted as a small, read-only hard drive. Alternative operating systems could still be loaded from the floppy drive, or (if present) the ramdisk.
Along with the earlier T1100 and T1200 systems, the Toshiba T1000 was one of the early computers to feature a "laptop" form factor and battery-powered operation.
Reception
BYTE in 1989 listed the Toshiba T1000 as among the "Excellence" winners of the BYTE Awards, stating that it "takes portability to the limit ... as self-contained as you can get and still have a real computer that can handle real-world workloads". Noting that it was available for as little as $850, the magazine reported that "Many of us are in love with this one". In the same issue, Jerry Pournelle praised it as a "little gem". While acknowledging that it cost more than the TRS-80 Model 100 and NEC PC-8201, he believed that "you get quite a lot for the added weight and price", and reported that "Many writers swear by the T1000. David Drake loves his".
Software Compatibility
Compatible with software written for the IBM PC/XT using a color graphics adapter (CGA) display