Toshiba T1000

Toshiba T1000
Manufacturer	Toshiba Corporation
Type	Personal computer
Release date	1987; 37 years ago (1987)
Introductory price	US$1,199 (equivalent to $3,090 in 2022)
Operating system	MS-DOS 2.11
CPU	80C88 @ 4.77 MHz
Memory	512 KB RAM (expandable to 1.2 MB with optional 768 KB LIM-EMS 3.2/HardRAM card) 256 KB ROM (MS-DOS 2.11)
Storage	Internal 3.5" floppy drive, 720 KB
Graphics	CGA card (16 KB RAM)
Sound	PC speaker
Power	9 VDC, 1.1A (+ = core; - = barrel)
Dimensions	310 × 280 × 52 mm
Mass	2.9 kg (6.4 lb)
Predecessor	Toshiba T1100

The Toshiba T1000 is a discontinued laptop computer manufactured by the Toshiba Corporation in 1987. It has a similar specification to the IBM PC Convertible, with a 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.

Unusually for an IBM compatible PC, the T1000 contains a 256 KB ROM with a copy of MS-DOS 2.11. This acts as a small, read-only hard drive. Alternative operating systems can still be loaded from the floppy drive, or (if present) the RAM disk.

Along with the T1200 and earlier T1100, the Toshiba T1000 was one of the early computers to feature a "laptop" form factor and battery-powered operation.

Reception

PC Magazine in 1988 named the Toshiba T1000 an "Editor's Choice" among 12 tested portable computers. One reviewer called it "the first real DOS laptop" and a plausible replacement for his Tandy 200, while another praised its durability after 60,000 miles of traveling and "incredible bargain" $800 street price.^[1] BYTE in 1989 listed the 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."^[2] 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."^[3]

Specification

Software compatibility

Compatible with software written for the IBM PC/XT using a color graphics adapter (CGA) display

Interfaces

• RGB (CGA) color video port
• Composite B&W monochrome video port
• RS-232-C serial port
• Parallel printer port
• Numeric keypad port
• External diskette drive port
• Toshiba proprietary memory slot
• Toshiba proprietary modem slot - "B" form factor