Compaq Portable III (Model 2660) with External Expansion Chassis
Autopsy:
testo tratto dalla Homepage di Ivrea Laboratorio Museo:
Il Compaq Portable III viene commercializzato nel 1987, contemporaneamente in 12 paesi. Nonostante siano già presenti sul mercato dei computer portatili, funzionanti a batterie, la Compaq produce uno degli ultimi trasportabili, cioè un computer che può funzionare solo con la tensione di rete e non a batterie.
Il design, studiato con grande attenzione per ridurre il peso e lo spazio mantenendo una buona visibilità, fa assumere ai trasportabili con schermo LCD una forma particolare, tale da essere soprannominati “lunch box”, più o meno “cestino da colazione”. Sono disponibili degli accessori opzionali, fra cui un modem a 1200 baud e uno chassis per eventuali schede di espansione.
Specifiche:
- Microprocessore: Intel 80286 (8 bit) a 12 Mhz
- RAM: 640 KB espandibile a 2 MB
- Memoria ROM: 16 KB
- Modalità grafica: 640 x 200
- Porte input/output: Video RGB, parallela, seriale, bus espansione.
- Memoria di massa: 1 floppy disk (5,25”) 1,2 MB Hard disk 20MB
- Tastiera: 92 tasti, separata.
- Modalità testo: 40 o 80 caratteri x 25 linee.
- Monitor: Monocromatico.
- Colori: Beige.
- Produzione: dal 1987
- Dimensione: 41 x 19 x 25 cm (LxPxA)
- Peso: 9 kg
source: museotecnologicamente.it
Very important..The display isnt LCD but one of firsts very rare plasma tecnology monitor
Very informative dissection. I’ll have to implement your fix for the keyboard connector to mine. Fyi, the clock, backup battery and 64 bytes of non-volatile RAM to store boot settings are all in the DS1287 chip. Fyi, if a replacement is ever needed, a DS12887 is a 100% drop-in replacement, and can still be purchased for about $8.
Nice job. Just fixing up this model as well. I miss the user manual though. Do you know how I get display on an external RGB-L (CGA) monitor?
My Portable III had different mechanism for splitting the keyboard. It was very difficult clamps (broke 3 of them), and no screws at all. Keyboard is looking identical though.
@Remi
You just have to press CTRL+ALT+> and CTRL+ALT+< to switch between the internal Plasma and external RGB display.
In reality you need to press 4 keys at once on an English keyboard: CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+
dunno why, but the symbols > and < were removed after posting…they should have followed SHIFT+
Does anyone know how to take the cover off of a Compaq portable III power supply? Thank you!
Hi, you can tell me the pinout scheme voltage of the 4-pin red molex connector that powers the LCD screen. please.
I’ve got one of these in storage somewhere. Gotta dig it out soon. I can’t remember if they had an RS-232 port on them or not or if one was available if not. Does anyone know? I’d like to use it as a portable terminal with a WiModem232 to call BBS’s.
@Tim
Yes, the Portable IIIs have an RS-232 (9-pin serial) port as standard equipment on the back. Compaq also offered an authentic Hayes-manufactured modem in Compaq’s proprietary form factor that fits under the disk drives. Came with a replacement trim piece (plastic cover) for access to the phone jack. Snap out the old cover and snap in the new. The modem was Compaq part 2661; 1200 and 2400 bps models were available. Same modems worked with Portable 386s, which was physically identical. Let me know if you want one; I have a working modem for sale.