Wanted to Buy: 701c

[intararts]

I'm interested in purchasing a functional 701c.

I am a designer/digitizer of monogram styles for computerized embroidery machines, which are sold to end-user embroiderers, both home and commercial machines. In order to test designs and sew out samples for photography we have a commercial embroidery machine, which is connected by a serial cable to a laptop. The company that we purchased the transfer software from in 1993 has long since folded, and there are newer options available (quite expensive) but the original setup works fine, and is still running on a thinkpad 560, running Windows 95 (also dos). The transfer software was offered originally as dos only and then upgraded to 95 just before they went out of business.

I have always regretted not buying a 701c butterfly thinkpad when they were new. Periodically I look online without much success. I found this forum and thought I would see if anyone has any suggestions. I don't have the skills or the time to try refurbishing one myself so I'm looking for one in good working order.

It really only has to run this one application, so memory, harddrive size, etc aren't very important. What is important is a functional 9 pin male serial port - that is what the cable connects to for the embroidery machine.

PM messages are fine. Thanks for any help.

[RealBlackStuff]

If the serial port is your main critical item, then some 'newer' machines should also be considered.
The T20, T21, T22 can use up to 2x256MB PC100 RAM, T23 up to 2x512MB PC100 or PC133 RAM.
All have a 9-pin serial port and can run DOS and/or W95/W98/W2K/XP.
There is even a 'newer' T30 with up to 2x1GB PC2100 RAM and with serial port, but that one often has RAM problems.
After that there are no more Thinkpads with built-in serial ports.

If interested, I have a few T23 for sale.
And also a NEC Versa VX1 laptop with serial port.

[Thinkpad4by3]

The 701C is a quite poor choice for a serial port machine. The following Thinkpads have serial ports

Legacy UART

ThinkPad 220
ThinkPad 300
ThinkPad 350, 350C
ThinkPad 355, 355C, 355Cs
ThinkPad 360, 360Cs, 360C, 360P, 360PE
ThinkPad 500 (via port extension cable)
ThinkPad 510Cs
ThinkPad 550BJ
ThinkPad 700, 700C
ThinkPad 710T
ThinkPad 720, 720C
ThinkPad 750, 750Cs, 750C, 750P
16550A compatible UART

ThinkPad 240, 240X
ThinkPad 310, 310D, 310E, 310ED
ThinkPad 345C, 345CS
ThinkPad 365CS, 365C, 365CSD, 365CD, 365E, 365ED, 365X, 365XD
ThinkPad 380, 380D, 380E, 380ED, 380XD, 380Z
ThinkPad 385D, 385ED, 385XD
ThinkPad 390, 390E, 390X
ThinkPad 560, 560E, 560X, 560Z
ThinkPad 570, 570E
ThinkPad 600, 600E, 600X
ThinkPad 701C, 701CS
ThinkPad 755C, 755Cs, 755CSE, 755CE, 755CX, 755CV, 755CD, 755CDV
ThinkPad 760C, 760CD, 760EL, 760ELD, 760E, 760ED, 760L, 760LD, 760XL, 760XD
ThinkPad 765L, 765D
ThinkPad 770, 770E, 770ED, 770X, 770Z
ThinkPad 820, 850, 860
ThinkPad A20m, A20p, A21e, A21m, A21p, A22e, A22m, A22p, A30, A30p, A31, A31p
ThinkPad i Series 1410, i Series 1411, i Series 1412, i Series 1420, i Series 1421, i Series 1422, i Series 1441, i Series 1442, i Series 1450, i Series 1451, i Series 1452, i Series 1460, i Series 1472, i Series 1482, i Series 1483, i Series 1492, i Series 1512, i Series 1552, i Series 1540, i Series 1541, i Series 1542, i Series 1560, i Series 1562, i Series 1592, i Series 1720, i Series 1721
ThinkPad T20, T21, T22, T23, T30

16550B compatible UART

ThinkPad 360CSE, 360CE
ThinkPad 370C

My recommendation is a 755 series or 760 series machine. They are cheap and have a serial port, a built in floppy/CD-ROM.

[NonesensE]

T4x and T6x have built-in serial, too, they just need the ultrabay adapter to feed it outside. And the X4x and X6x have serial ports on their respective ultrabases. Granted, they will need a virtual machine to run Win95.

[Cooler22]

Well if you DO get a 701c then make sure to get the port replicator, or the dock and adapter. Also you might need the floppy drive if you cannot transfer the drivers via HDD swap.

[intararts]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I assumed that the 701c had a serial port built in - or maybe an open spot where one could be added - since the 560 that I have now has one. My motivation on this is design, since what I have now works for its intended purpose.