More COMPAQ information
This commit is contained in:
Jeff Parsons
parent
1bf3fcb35b
commit
c3aa4ecbb4
11 changed files with 1163 additions and 27 deletions
182
_posts/2016-02-24-compaq-revisited.md
Normal file
182
_posts/2016-02-24-compaq-revisited.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
layout: post
|
||||
title: "COMPAQ Revisited"
|
||||
date: 2016-02-24 14:00:00
|
||||
permalink: /blog/2016/02/24/
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
I finally obtained a [ROM Dump](/devices/pc/rom/compaq/bios/portable/) from COMPAQ's first machine,
|
||||
the [COMPAQ Portable](#compaq-portable).
|
||||
|
||||
At the same time, I thought it would be a good idea to create my own roughly chronological list of COMPAQ machines from
|
||||
the 1980s, since they are all machines I would like to see PCjs eventually support:
|
||||
|
||||
+ [COMPAQ Portable](#compaq-portable)
|
||||
+ COMPAQ [Portable] Plus
|
||||
+ COMPAQ DeskPro
|
||||
+ COMPAQ DeskPro 286
|
||||
+ COMPAQ Portable 286
|
||||
+ COMPAQ Portable II
|
||||
+ [COMPAQ DeskPro 386](#compaq-deskpro-386)
|
||||
+ [COMPAQ Portable III](#compaq-portable-iii)
|
||||
+ COMPAQ Portable 386
|
||||
+ COMPAQ 386/20e
|
||||
+ COMPAQ SLT Series
|
||||
+ COMPAQ SLT/286
|
||||
+ COMPAQ LTE Series
|
||||
+ COMPAQ LTE 286
|
||||
+ COMPAQ LTE 386
|
||||
|
||||
It's hard to stop at this point, because COMPAQ did produce other 80386-based systems, like those in the "LTE Lite"
|
||||
series. But I think I need to stick my original plan and draw a line at the end of the 1980s.
|
||||
|
||||
Below is a random assortment of information I've gathered about some of the above models, with gaping holes for others.
|
||||
Currently, the *most* gaping is the [COMPAQ DeskPro 386](#compaq-deskpro-386), because that's the one COMPAQ machine
|
||||
that PCjs *already* supports. I just need more time to organize and fill in the details.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ Portable
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
PCjs now has a [ROM Dump](/devices/pc/rom/compaq/bios/portable/).
|
||||
|
||||
Reviewed in Byte Magazine, Jan 1983. Reprinted [here](http://blog.modernmechanix.com/byte-reviews-the-compaq-first-pc-clone/).
|
||||
|
||||
Also see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compaq_Portable).
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ Portable Plus (aka COMPAQ Plus)
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Reviewed in Byte Magazine, Jul 1984, pp. 247-251: "The Compaq Plus".
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ DeskPro
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Introduced June 28, 1984. Reviewed in Byte Magazine, May 1985, pp. 260-267. For use with MS-DOS 2.11.
|
||||
|
||||
**Model** | **Price** | **CPU** | **Options**
|
||||
:-------- | :-------- | :---------------- | :------------------------------------------
|
||||
Model 1 | $2495 | 4.77-7.14Mhz 8086 | 128Kb RAM, 1 FDD
|
||||
Model 2 | $2995 | 4.77-7.14Mhz 8086 | 256Kb RAM, 2 FDD
|
||||
Model 3 | $4995 | 4.77-7.14Mhz 8086 | 256Kb RAM, 1 FDD, 10Mb HDD
|
||||
Model 4 | $7195 | 4.77-7.14Mhz 8086 | 640Kb RAM, 1 FDD, 10Mb HDD, 10Mb Tape Drive
|
||||
| | |
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ DeskPro 286
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Released in 1985 at the same time as the [COMPAQ Portable 286](#compaq-portable-286).
|
||||
|
||||
Reviewed in [InfoWorld](https://books.google.com/books?id=2i4EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA15&dq=infoworld%20compaq%20deskpro%201985&pg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false),
|
||||
May 20, 1985: "Compaq Edges Past AT Speed and Memory: New Products Use Intel 80286 Processor For 30 Percent Speed Boost".
|
||||
|
||||
Updated to 12Mhz in 1987.
|
||||
From [InfoWorld](https://books.google.com/books?id=yzAEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA56&ots=jBzxR3wcps&dq=%22compaq%20deskpro%20286%22&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q&f=false),
|
||||
June 1987: "Compaq Brings 12-Mhz Machine to 286 Market"
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ Portable 286
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Introduced in 1985.
|
||||
|
||||
**Model** | **Price** | **CPU** | **Options**
|
||||
:-------- | :-------- | :---------------- | :----------------------------------------------------
|
||||
| | 8Mhz 80286 | Up to 2.6Mb RAM, 1.2Mb FDD, 20Mb HDD, 10Mb Tape Drive
|
||||
| | |
|
||||
|
||||
See this [COMPAQ Advertisement](http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/mobile-computing/18/343/1658).
|
||||
|
||||
On July 8, 1985, the [Los Angeles Times](http://articles.latimes.com/1985-07-08/business/fi-9857_1_hard-disk-drive)
|
||||
reported:
|
||||
|
||||
>It's not cheap and it's not for everyone. Equipped as described, the portable lists for $10,378 and contains
|
||||
about $3,000 worth of extra RAM memory that cannot be utilized by any application software programs now on the market.
|
||||
(It can be used to simulate a disk drive to speed up programs, however.)
|
||||
|
||||
>A standard Compaq Deskpro 286 with 512 kilobytes of RAM memory, a 30-megabyte hard disk and a monitor is priced
|
||||
at $6,254, compared to IBM's similarly equipped enhanced PC AT that offers only a 20-megabyte hard disk. The Portable
|
||||
286 with 512K of memory and 20-megabyte hard disk lists for $6,299.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ Portable II
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
The COMPAQ Portable II ("slimmed-down version of the Portable 286", as described in Byte Magazine, Oct 1986) was
|
||||
released on February 20, 1986. For use with MS-DOS 3.10.
|
||||
|
||||
**Model** | **Price** | **CPU** | **Options**
|
||||
:-------- | :-------- | :---------------- | :------------------------------------------
|
||||
Model 1 | $3499 | 6-8Mhz 80286 | 256Kb RAM, 1 FDD
|
||||
Model 2 | $3599 | 6-8Mhz 80286 | 256Kb RAM, 2 FDD
|
||||
Model 3 | $4799 | 6-8Mhz 80286 | 640Kb RAM, 1 FDD, 10Mb HDD
|
||||
Model 4 | $4999 | 6-8Mhz 80286 | 640Kb RAM, 1 FDD, 20Mb HDD
|
||||
| | |
|
||||
|
||||
Also see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compaq_Portable_II).
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ DeskPro 386
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Released in late 1986.
|
||||
|
||||
PCjs has detailed information about the [DeskPro 386 ROMs](/devices/pc/rom/compaq/bios/deskpro386/) and system boards.
|
||||
|
||||
I also have the hard-to-find **COMPAQ Technical Reference Guide** for the DeskPro 386/25 (Vol. 1), which I'll post
|
||||
at a later date.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ Portable III
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Reportedly intended to be an 80386-based machine, the Portable III was first released in 1987 as a 12Mhz
|
||||
80286-based system.
|
||||
|
||||
PCjs also has information about [COMPAQ Portable III ROMs](/devices/pc/rom/compaq/bios/portable3/).
|
||||
|
||||
**Model** | **Price** | **CPU** | **Options**
|
||||
:-------- | :-------- | :---------------- | :----------------------------
|
||||
| $5000+ | 12Mhz 80286 | 640Kb RAM, 1 FDD, 20-40Mb HDD
|
||||
| | |
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ Portable 386
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
[TBD]
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ 386/20e
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Released in late 1988. For use with MS-DOS 3.31.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ SLT Series
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_laptops#Compaq_SLT.2F286): "The COMPAQ SLT/286 debuted
|
||||
in October 1988, being the first battery-powered laptop to support an internal hard disk drive and a VGA compatible
|
||||
LCD screen. It weighed 14 lbs."
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
COMPAQ LTE Series
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
First model in 1989.
|
||||
|
||||
Also see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compaq_LTE).
|
||||
|
||||
### COMPAQ LTE 286
|
||||
|
||||
Various models, such as the [Model 40](http://www.overclockers.com/compaq-lte-286-model-40/).
|
||||
|
||||
### COMPAQ LTE 386
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
*[@jeffpar](http://twitter.com/jeffpar)*
|
||||
*February 24, 2016*
|
||||
Loading…
Reference in a new issue