Thinkpads Forum

howdy guys,

I have a machine-control app that requires an ISA slot for its custom IF card.

Used to run it with a mini-tower; but now I need to be able to run it 'mobile'....thus, on a laptop.

It's a DOS app, but it does appreciate cpu-speed.

It's usable on a P-233 and faster...but some kind of P3 is ideal.

So, to get an ISA slot, I need to use a dock. Since size is an issue, it seems like the plain Dock-1 is best (I've read that it's much smaller than a Selecta-dock plus a model-specific 'base')

So, now that Dock-1 is specified, what's the newest/fastest TP that will plug into a Dock-1 ?

Will the 770Z do that?

Although the 'main' app is DOS, I'd much prefer a machine that can run windows2000 (for easy wifi file xfer etc) and support a CDRW.

I'd much prefer a 13/14" LCD, but can live with a 12".

Any advice, info, model or part numbers, etc., would be much appreciated.

And of course, if anyone has an workable setup (i.e. TP and dock) that's not too dear, please do PM me with full details.

thanks much!

I know my 600X and is SelectaBase worked in a Dock III, but it might work in a Dock I. The 600X was built as fast as 650MHz PIII, but you can put up to an 850MHz CPU in them. They have 13.3" screens, take up to 576MB RAM and run Win2K and even XP very well.

If you go this route, and want to upgrade the CPU, be sure to get the motherboard with SpeedStep. Only those machines that shipped with the 650MHz CPU had that. It makes things much easier when upgrading the CPU.

whizkid wrote:
If you go this route, and want to upgrade the CPU, be sure to get the motherboard with SpeedStep. Only those machines that shipped with the 650MHz CPU had that. It makes things much easier when upgrading the CPU.

Correct! But there are machines like mine who were born with not speedStep processors (mine with a 500mhz) and the 850mhz PIII works perfectly...

700mhz on battery and 850 on AC without any mods just cpu swap.

whizkid wrote:I know my 600X and is SelectaBase worked in a Dock III, but it might work in a Dock I. The 600X was built as fast as 650MHz PIII, but you can put up to an 850MHz CPU in them. They have 13.3" screens, take up to 576MB RAM and run Win2K and even XP very well.

If you go this route, and want to upgrade the CPU, be sure to get the motherboard with SpeedStep. Only those machines that shipped with the 650MHz CPU had that. It makes things much easier when upgrading the CPU.

hi whizkid,

thanks much for the comment...and sorry for the delay in replying. I've been juggling too many TP projects this past week!

I've never owned any TP docks; but from everything I've read, the dock-3 is MUCH larger than a dock-1. And the Selectabase adds even more height/size.

I need to keep size to a minimum...and need ONLY the ISA slot function from a dock....so I'd very much like to stick with Dock-1 if at all possible.

I'd read somewhere that the 600E and 600X will not plug directly into a Dock-1. Is that correct?

That's why I'd posted here in the 770 section...because I understood that the 770 was the latest/fastest TP that'd work in a Dock-1.

A fast P2 or slow P3 is plenty for this application.

99% of the time it'll be running the machine-controller under DOS....and sometimes I'll want to boot to win2k to do file xfers over the wifi or ethernet.

Hope that clarifies the app; and I'm looking forward to the answers on the 600's and dock-1.

thanks!