Toshiba T1100

The Toshiba T1100 was a battery-powered IBM PC-compatible laptop with a clamshell LCD, 3.5-inch floppy drive and low-power 80C88 processor. It could run standard MS-DOS software from a compact portable package.

Its commercial success in Europe helped establish the clamshell PC laptop as a viable product category and set the direction for Toshiba’s influential portable-computer business.

Notable Features

• Early mass-market IBM-compatible laptop
• 640 x 200 reflective LCD
• Built-in 720 KB 3.5-inch floppy drive and long battery operation

Historical Significance

• Its commercial success in Europe helped establish the clamshell PC laptop as a viable product category and set the direction for Toshiba’s influential portable-computer business.

Collector’s Notes

• The proprietary rechargeable battery is usually exhausted or leaking; the LCD, floppy belt and matching AC adapter also need careful assessment.
• Memory, storage, displays and expansion hardware should be documented because configurations often changed during a system’s working life.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Toshiba T1100
Manufacturer	Toshiba
Launched	Monday, April 1, 1985
Launch Price	$1,899
Country	Japan
CPU	Intel 80C88
Units Sold
Form Factor	Laptop
Power	Rechargeable NiCd battery or AC adapter
Networking	None built in
Operating System	MS-DOS 2.11
Expansion / I/O	Serial, parallel, external RGB and composite display
Keyboard	83-key full-travel keyboard
Storage	720 KB 3.5-inch floppy drive
Sound	PC speaker
Colours	Monochrome internal; external colour
Graphics	CGA-compatible 640 x 200 pixels
Display	9.75-inch monochrome LCD
ROM	Toshiba PC-compatible BIOS
RAM	256 KB standard; expandable to 512 KB
CPU Speed	4.77 MHz