ThinkPad 700T

Type 2521

192-260 IBM THINKPAD 700T AVAILABLE


The IBM ThinkPad 700T Model 001 comes with 4 MB DRAM memory.
The IBM ThinkPad 700T Model 002 comes with 8 MB DRAM memory.
The IBM ThinkPad 700T Model 003 has 8 MB DRAM memory and no modem.

  • A 20-MHz 80386SX processor
  • Four or eight megabytes of 80 ns, memory (DRAM memory card)
  • A new solid-state file with a 20MB maximum capacity (two 10MBcards)
  • 10-inch supertwisted nematic (STN) transflective LCD with 640 by 480 VGA resolution
  • Cold fluorescent backlighting with a 3-to-1 contrast ratio
  • The ability to address up to 8 grey scales on the LCD (depending on the application)
  • Integrated 9600 bps fax send/receive, 2400 bps full duplex data modem (-001 / -002 only)
  • AC/DC Adapter (P/N 07G2083)
  • Automobile Lighter Adapter (P# 6451168)
  • A rechargeable battery pack
    Up to 3 hours (target) of use, depending on operating, environmental, and application characteristics. When on AC power, a powered off system can be fully charged in 3.5 hours. A 90 percent charge is achieved in 2 hours. If the system unit is turned on the charge rate is variable to a maximum of 4 hours.
    Two slot battery charger which can charge one or two batteries. The charging time for both batteries is six hours (full charge). The batteries are charged sequentially - one to 90 percent capacity in 2 hours, then a trickle charge is applied while the second battery begins charging. The first battery is fully charged in 4 hours.
    Automobile lighter adapter for connecting the DC power supply from an automobile cigarette lighter to the IBM ThinkPad 700T power connector. Charging the battery in the system unit will result in a 90 percent charge in 2 hours (system powered off) and a full charge in 3.5 hours.
  • A stylus with batteries installed and additional pen tips.
  • A carrying case.

The IBM ThinkPad 700T also provides parallel and serial input/output (I/O) ports for attaching external devices, an RJ-11 port for telephone communications, a diskette drive port, and a keyboard port.  Available options are: a 3.5-inch 1.44/2.88MB 2521 diskette drive, a stand-alone two-slot battery charger, additional 10MB solid-state file cards, an automobile lighter charging adapter, an 8MB memory upgrade, additional pens, and a deluxe carrying case.

The PenPoint operating system is installed on the ThinkPad 700T. Application program development is provided by the PenPoint Software Developers Kit (2), which runs on select PS/2 models. The PenPoint Software Developers Kit is available from:

GO Corporation
919 East Hillsdale Boulevard, Suite 400
Foster City, CA 94404

A keyboard is not provided with the ThinkPad 700T. An IBM Enhanced PS/2 Keyboard may be used to input data into the ThinkPad 700T by connecting it to the keyboard connector on the ThinkPad 700T system unit. Software support for keyboard usage is limited and it is expected that user applications will have to be created if extensive keyboard data input is required. The PenPoint operating system will recognize 101/102 character scan codes.

There are no internal slots for I/O adapters.  All I/O to the IBM ThinkPad 700T is through the external ports provided on the ThinkPad 700T system unit.


> Just found out that the designation "ThinkPad" was first used by IBM to describe their (NCR-derived?) pen-based computer. There's a CompuServe forum (GO THINKPAD) devoted to it, and there's been a lot of explaining there that that forum is just for the pen computer (there's some traffic in GO IBMHW about the 700C). Apparently IBM is using the "ThinkPad" designation for a whole range of models now.

Michael Graff
Yes, the ThinkPad name was originally used to refer to IBM 2521 pen-based tablet computer.  It is definitely NOT derived from NCR's pen computer, but is a direct competitor.

Then, IBM decided to use the ThinkPad name for all its new portable computers.  So the 2521 pen computer became the ThinkPad 700T while the new notebooks were called the ThinkPad 700C, 700, and 300.

The IBM TPFs (ThinkPad File) are standard SunDisk PCMCIA adapters, available in 5, 10 and 15 MB sizes.  SunDisks are available in both 5 and 12 volt versions, it seems like the 12 volt versions are the standard.  I bought some 5 volt versions because the 386 GRiD Convertibles were only compatible with them, but then I found the 486 GRiD's couldn't talk to the 5 volt cards, only the 12 volt!  The IBM 710T is compatible with 5 volt, and I am not sure about 12 volt.  The IBM 730T and 750P do not seem to talk to the 5 volt versions, though it may be a driver problem since I don't have any 12 volt cards to fool with.

I assume you're talking about the 700T.  The flash cards are manufactured by SunDisk and they have no on-card ATA controller.  I've been told they only work in the 700T and some older GRiDs. 

My first experience on a pen computer was the IBM 700T. What a dog. It constantly needed to be sent back to IBM to have the OS (PenPoint) reloaded on it. It seemed that the OS didn't have a good capacity for using the Flash disks that IBM designed the 700T around. 

You're correct that the 700T was specifically NOT designed for DOS use, it was optimized for PenPoint.  The folks within IBM who put PenDOS on it did so while ignoring this fact.  The 710T *is* designed for both DOS & PenPoint.

I'm wondering if you have an "early" machine, because the final manufacturing level of the 700T had a "ring" around the power switch and an internal half-second delay on the button to stop you from accidentally turning it off.
Does it have 1.21 level POST (the message displayed briefly when the machine is first turned on)?  Also, the 700T was lauded for its excellent screen (best of the breed at the time), so I wouldn't expect a "too dim, poor contrast" rating.  Again, some of the earlier (not supposed to have gotten out the door) boxes had problems in the way the brightness and contrast switches were handled by the internal processor that watches them.

You're right about the lack of a switch on the pen - PenPoint doesn't need it and this was meant to be a PenPoint box.

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