4 ms·

For context, here is a laptop from the time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_T1100 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_T1100 4.77 mhx 8088, 640x200 mon

For context, here is a laptop from the time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_T1100 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_T1100 4.77 mhx 8088, 640x200 monochrome display. MS-DOS 2.11. 4 kilograms. $1899. That's a bit more than $4k after adjusting for inflation. Looks like a pretty expensive toy to me. I sure wouldn't take it fishing either. What use would it even have?

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
joezydeco 11y ago
Back when I worked on software validation of large clinical chemistry analyzers, I had a number of these that I could move around the lab and hook directly to the target machines. We had an array of Turbo-C programs that would inject data into the machine over the serial port and read back results. It was a lot easier to move these machines around that it was to move PC-ATs. The battery also kept the machine running even if the power glitched (which we would test as well)
- philippnagel 11y ago
  For how long did the machines typically run on a single charge?
  - joezydeco 11y ago
    Don't quite remember, but it was probably around two hours. There was no hard drive and no LCD backlight, so it pretty much sipped power.
- DanBC 11y ago
  You're a salesman and you lug it around to sell your spreadsheet / accounts / database software, and a bunch of computers to go with it.
lutusp 11y ago
> What use would it even have? During my solo around-the-world sail (http://arachnoid.com/sailbook http://arachnoid.com/sailbook) (http://i.imgur.com/v6zyW.jpg http://i.imgur.com/v6zyW.jpg), I had one of these Toshibas on board for log entries and celestial navigation sight reductions. I also used it as a data terminal for a ham packet radio link to my home address -- at least while I was on the same side of the earth as my house. It was expensive but indispensable. One day during a storm a wave hit it and it quickly died. I replaced it as soon as I could. From a modern perspective, it's hard to keep from laughing at how puny it was, but then, I once thought my Apple II was a computing powerhouse.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

joezydeco 11y ago

Back when I worked on software validation of large clinical chemistry analyzers, I had a number of these that I could move around the lab and hook directly to the target machines. We had an array of Turbo-C programs that would inject data into the machine over the serial port and read back results. It was a lot easier to move these machines around that it was to move PC-ATs. The battery also kept the machine running even if the power glitched (which we would test as well)

philippnagel 11y ago
For how long did the machines typically run on a single charge?
- joezydeco 11y ago
  Don't quite remember, but it was probably around two hours. There was no hard drive and no LCD backlight, so it pretty much sipped power.
DanBC 11y ago
You're a salesman and you lug it around to sell your spreadsheet / accounts / database software, and a bunch of computers to go with it.

lutusp 11y ago

> What use would it even have? During my solo around-the-world sail (http://arachnoid.com/sailbook http://arachnoid.com/sailbook) (http://i.imgur.com/v6zyW.jpg http://i.imgur.com/v6zyW.jpg), I had one of these Toshibas on board for log entries and celestial navigation sight reductions. I also used it as a data terminal for a ham packet radio link to my home address -- at least while I was on the same side of the earth as my house. It was expensive but indispensable. One day during a storm a wave hit it and it quickly died. I replaced it as soon as I could. From a modern perspective, it's hard to keep from laughing at how puny it was, but then, I once thought my Apple II was a computing powerhouse.