Very rare Thinkpad 500 1993 subnotebook

[hwattys]

This is definitely the class of my collection. 1993 vintage 2603-08N Thinkpad 500. Monochrome screen, 50 mhz 486 CPU, 80 meg hdd, floppy, 12 megs RAM (4 onboard plus an 8 meg DRAM card). I have loaded Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with an active 3Com pcmcia NIC...and classic AOL 3.0. The odd thing about the configuration is that the mouse buttons are in the front.










I think you might say this is the direct lineal ancestor of the 701C... it competed with the Compaq Contura Aero (I also have one of those) and the HP 540 series for the first workable subnotebook. The Aero is a 33 mhz processor and has a very poor 16 color (not 16 bit) DSTN screen. The Thinkpad has it beat hands down for design, of course.

[automobus]

Nice treasure you have! Why no photo of AC adapter? What connector does it use: 5.5/2.5, 6.3mm, trapezoid four pin, something else? What about floppy connector: is it 600/770 type, 365XD type, or 701C type?

[hwattys]

The AC adapter is an FRU 59G7991 16.3v/1.84a and has a short barrel with a wide center connection like the 350 model and the 730T. The floppy is unique as far as I know. The connector cable has a pass-through serial port connection. It uses the same external box as the 701C and 365XD but the other end of the cable is different than any other Thinkpad floppy cable I have seen. It attaches on the back next to the printer port.

[tfflivemb2]

Oooooohhhh pretty!!!! I'm quite jealous!

[mpcook]

I owned one from new, my very first ThinkPad (but not my first IBM, I had an IBM PC 5150). Unfortunately I sold the 500 when I upgraded to a 600. I wish I still had it, it was my favorite. I had a DEC subnotebook before the 500, and the TP was far superior.

[Khipata]

I just paid for one today and am very excited Will post once I'll get it

[Norway Pad]

Nice find, hwattys! Immaculate condition, this is probably one of those once in a lifetime finds.

Wasn't it the 500 that John Karidis looked at, when he got the idea for the concept that resulted in the 701C? He realized that the width of the machine was dictated by the width of the keyboard, which gave a lot of wasted space around the screen. He also noticed that the sizes of those two components were the same, except different shapes. This discovery, combined with a whole lot of creativity, resulted in the foldable Butterfly keyboard.

[Tasurinchi]

Soo nice!! Congrats!