IBM PS/2 Model P70
While PS/2-P70 was the official name, everyone called
this machine the "Luggable." It came along around 1988 or so. This model
has an Intel 386 CPU; there was also a 486 version.
This one has 4MB of memory and a 30MB hard drive, and a 3.5"
diskette drive. The display, which folds out from the unit,
was monochrome, with a weird orange color (like this.)
IBM called it a "Gas Plasma Display."
This system was "portable" if you had a strong
back (it weighs about 20 lbs.) and a place to plug it in ---
no batteries here! I used it as an upgrade from the PC XT
to connect from home to the host e-mail system at work, and
to connect to the cc:mail system at LANDA. (Any former LANDA
members out there, please say hello.)
Some genius IBM engineers in Poughkeepsie, working under
Head Genius Bill Beausolleil, made up a version
of the 486 model that had a S/370 co-processor card. It
could actually run mainframe programs, as well as PC software.
Incredible but true!
They've come a long way from this early "mobile" PC to
today's ThinkPads!
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