The T1600 / 40 is a portable battery-powered calculator manufactured by the Japanese multinational Toshiba. As a microprocessor it mounts an Intel 80C286 at 12 MHz, compatible with the IBM PC standard, thus ensuring full compatibility with MS-DOS and the software developed for such a platform (such as the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet).
As its name suggests, it has a 40 mb hard drive, twice the size of the previous T1600 model. It is also equipped with a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, at the time still relatively uncommon among IBM compatible computers. However, an external floppy disk drive was included as an option to read the most common (at the time) 5.25-inch disks. An optional modem was built into the computer itself.
A peculiar feature of this model is the introduction of features for optimizing energy consumption and suspension mode. Through the latter, you can save the current status of the system (applications and open documents) before turning off the computer, so that you can resume your work at a later time directly from where you left it.
Insights - Fun facts
When it was launched in 1989, few portable computers were battery powered. Most of them had to be connected to the electricity grid in order to function.
In the standard model there is support for the Intel 80C287 math coprocessor, a backlit EGA LCD display (a feature not common for the time) with the possibility of connecting an external color monitor, and an expansion slot for the Toshiba LAN network card Ethernet.
The upgrade of the hard disk, brought to 40 mb, twice as much as the previous T1600 model, has caused a slowdown of the same hard disk and a greater weight, albeit slightly.
The standard model has 1 MB of RAM, expandable up to 5 MB. Of these, 384 KB can be used as a fast-access mass memory. The persistence of the data, being a volatile memory, is guaranteed by powering the memory using a buffer battery even when the computer is turned off.
The batteries, one in the standard version plus one optional, have an autonomy of 55 minutes per battery, and are inserted in the front.
As an operating system it was supplied as standard with MS-DOS 4.01. This version was harshly criticized at the time because it was incompatible with many of the applications marketed in the immediately preceding years. Alternatively, MS-DOS 3.30 (older version and more compatible with contemporary applications) and OS / 2 1.1 (one of the first multitasking operating systems for IBM compatible) were available on request.
Technical Data
Name of the asset: Toshiba T1600/40
Category: Portable computer
Manufacturer: Toshiba
Country of production: Japan
Year of production: 1989
Dimensions: 315x325x83 mm
Weight: 5.7 kg (with two batteries)
Processor: Intel 80C286 12 - 16 MHz (optional math coprocessor 80C287)
Memory Unit: 1MB standard (5MB maximum)
Hard disk: 40 MB
Floppy disk driver: 1.44 MB 3.5 inches (external reader 360 KB 5.25 inches optional)
Display: IBM EGA compatible 640x400 points 16 backlit gray tones (it is possible to connect an external color monitor)
Ports: Centronics parallel, 2 RS232 serial, EGA video, external floppy disk drive, external numeric keypad
Other: Optional internal 2400 bps modem
Operating system: MS-DOS 4.01 (MS-DOS 3.30 e OS/2 1.1 optional)
Battery: average duration 55 minutes
Bibliography
– Sito web Toshiba Europe
– InfoWorld 14/08/1989
– InfoWorld 05/06/1989
– PC Magazine 13/12/1988
