ThinkPad Power Series
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = ThinkPad Power Series
| title =
| aka =
| logo = PPC ThinkPad Logo.jpg
| logo caption = PowerPC ThinkPad logo on the 850 carrying case
| image = ThinkPad 850.png
| caption = An IBM ThinkPad 850 with its custom IBM-branded Logitech Chroma mouse
| developer =
| manufacturer = IBM
| family = ThinkPad
| type = Laptop
| generation =
| release date = {{Start date|1994|03|08}}
| retail availability =
| lifespan =
| price =
| discontinued = {{End date|1998|01|30}}
| units sold =
| units shipped =
| media =
| os = Windows NT, AIX, Solaris
| power =
| soc =
| cpu = PowerPC 603
| memory =
| storage =
| memory card =
| display =
| graphics =
| sound =
| input =
| controllers =
| camera =
| touchpad =
| connectivity =
| currentfw =
| platform =
| service =
| dimensions =
| weight =
| topgame =
| compatibility=
| predecessor = IBM RS/6000
| successor = IBM RS/6000
| related =
| marketing_target =
| website = At the Wayback Machine: {{Plain list|
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20010414083456/http://www-6.ibm.com/jp/pc/prod/ha/tpinx.html 820 and 850]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/19990127162846/http://www.rs6000.ibm.com/hardware/portables/ 860]
}}
| language =
}}
{{ThinkPad sidebar}}
The ThinkPad Power Series (and subsequent IBM RS/6000 Model 860 Notebook) is a laptop series by IBM based on PowerPC.
History
The first PowerPC notebook released by IBM was the RS/6000 Model N40, which was developed together with Tadpole Computer. It was announced in March 1994.{{Cite book|last=Enterprise|first=I. D. G.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i9Cu5oVMHRwC|title=Computerworld|date=1994-03-14|publisher=IDG Enterprise|language=en}} The start of the sale was announced in October 1994.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZDgEAAAAMBAJ|title=Tadpole to sell IBM's AIX-based portable|date=1994-10-17|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|language=en}}
Specifications
Most of the 800 Series laptops used the PowerPC 603e CPU, at speeds of 100 MHz, or 166 MHz in the 860 model, although the earliest 800 (Type 6020), the direct ancestor of the 850, used a 603 and was apparently only offered to developers.{{cite web|url=http://www.os2museum.com/wp/ibm-power-series-exotica/|title=IBM Power Series Exotica|website=os2museum.com}} All units used SCSI-2 instead of IDE hard disks, and the ID of every SCSI device on the system could be configured in the cursor driven GUI-based BIOS. Another unusual aspect of the series is their unique startup chime, reminiscent of Apple Macintosh computers of the time.
The PowerPC ThinkPad line was considerably more expensive than the standard x86 ThinkPads — even a modestly configured 850 cost upwards of $12,000.{{cite web|url=https://tecnopolis.ca/aixtp/tphistory.html |last=Cordes |first=Trevor E. |title=IBM PowerPC ThinkPad History |date=24 July 2008 |access-date=1 June 2014|website=tecnopolis.ca}} On the other hand, the 800, 850 and 851 (and later the 860 and 861) were capable of supporting an optional web camera, one of the first commercially available webcams available on a laptop.{{cite web|url=http://ps-2.kev009.com/aixtp/Brochure/4249-860.pdf|title=RS/6000 Notebook 860|website=kev009.com}} These units could also record PAL and NTSC signals with onboard composite connectors, and the batteries contained internal processors to regulate power usage for optimized battery longevity.{{cite web|url=http://ps-2.kev009.com/aixtp/tpcapab.html|title=IBM PowerPC ThinkPad Capabilities|website=kev009.com}}
Software
All of the PowerPC ThinkPads could run Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bxJIA8hscI |title=Windows NT on PowerPC ThinkPad |via=YouTube |date=8 January 2010 |access-date=28 September 2013}} AIX 4.1.x, and Solaris Desktop 2.5.1 PowerPC Edition. Many of these PowerPC operating systems and the corresponding compilers are very scarce and hard to find. However, it is also possible to run certain PowerPC versions of Linux on the 800 Series.{{cite web|url=https://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/|title=Debian – PowerPC Port|website=debian.org}}
Models
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name !Model number !Announced !Withdrawn !CPU !GPU !Memory Bus !Maximum Memory !Display !Video Capture |
| 800
|6020 |1994/11/08 |Unknown |603 @ 66 MHz | rowspan="5" |GT10 | rowspan="3" |32 bit |80 MB |10.4" 640 × 480 |built-in |
| 820
|6040 |1995/06/19 |1996/03/20 | rowspan="4" |603e @ 100 MHz | rowspan="2" |48 MB | rowspan="4" |10.4" 640 × 480 or 800 × 600 | rowspan="2" |optional |
| 821/822/823
|7247 |1996/02/20 |1996/07/26 |
| 850
|6042 |1995/06/19 |1996/03/20 | rowspan="3" |64 bit | rowspan="3" |96 MB | rowspan="3" |built-in |
| 851
|7249 |1996/02/20 |1996/11/08 |
| 860
|7249 |1996/10/08 |1998/01/30 |603e @ 166 MHz |GT20 |12.1" 1024 × 768 |
The ThinkPad Power Series 800 (6020){{Cite web|title=IBM ThinkPad Power Series 850 – OSnews|url=https://www.osnews.com/story/30782/ibm-thinkpad-power-series-850/|access-date=2021-04-16|website=www.osnews.com}} has a new case design, similar to contemporary 700 series models, but with additional rounded palmrest.
The ThinkPad Power Series 820 has another case design (square case with small palmrest with two speakers). This model has reported to run SuSE Linux and Windows NT 4.0 and that they are incompatible with Yaboot.{{Cite web|last=Mädel|first=Tobias|title=ThinkPad PowerSeries 820|url=https://tbspace.de/thinkpad820.html|access-date=2021-04-16|website=tbspace.de|date=23 April 2019 |language=en}} The availability started at April 15, 1996.{{Cite news|title=IBM ThinkPad Power Series 820 and 850 Deliver High Performance and Graphics Capability to Mobile Users|url=http://www.ibmfiles.com/ibmfiles/powerpc/820850_announcement.pdf}}
The ThinkPad 821/822/823 model was just an upgrade of the 820 model.{{Cite web |date=1996-07-09 |title=IBM ThinkPad Power Series 820 and 850 |url=https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/8/877/ENUSZG96-0188/index.html |access-date=2021-09-24 |website=www.ibm.com |language=en-US}}
The ThinkPad Power Series 850 (6042-G6D) has a similar case to an 800 model. This model has a motion video capture card and optional snap-in video camera.{{Cite web |date=June 19, 1995 |title=IBM Power Series Brings PowerPC Microprocessor Performance to Desktop and Mobile Personal Computers |url=http://www.ibmlink.ibm.com/usalets&parms=H_195-176 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010524044101/http://www.ibmlink.ibm.com/usalets&parms=H_195-176 |archive-date=2001-05-24 |website=IBM.com}}{{Cite web|last=Holwerda|first=Thom|title=IBM ThinkPad Power Series 850 – OSnews|url=https://www.osnews.com/story/30782/ibm-thinkpad-power-series-850/|access-date=2021-03-22|website=OSNews}}{{Cite web|last=Lazenby|first=Daniel|date=1 Mar 2000|title=Linux and IBM PowerPCs|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/3789|access-date=2021-03-22|website=Linux Journal}}{{Cite web|title=ThinkPad 10th Anniversary Special 06|url=https://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2002/1010/tp06.htm|access-date=2021-03-22|website=Watch Impress}}{{Cite web|last=October 2017|first=Avram Piltch-Online Editorial Director 05|title=25 Years of ThinkPad: The Best and Most Innovative|url=https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-thinkpads-of-all-time|access-date=2021-05-11|website=Laptop Mag|date=5 October 2017 |language=en}}
The ThinkPad 851 was just an upgrade of the 850 model.File:IBM RS6000 860 laptop.jpgThe IBM RS/6000 Notebook 860, sometimes incorrectly to referred as ThinkPad 860 can be seen as the successor of the ThinkPad 850.
= Others =
The ThinkPad line have a predecessor model (released in 1994{{Cite web |title=IBM RS/6000 N40 - Computer - Computing History |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/36033/IBM-RS-6000-N40/ |access-date=2021-09-24 |website=www.computinghistory.org.uk}} RS/6000 N40 with 50 MHz PowerPC 601 CPU and with design based on a Tadpole platform).
The Power Series 600 was a prototype of a compact desktop system;{{Cite web|title=6030 Front, Closed {{!}} OS/2 Museum|url=https://www.os2museum.com/wp/ibm-power-series-exotica/case-frontclosed/|access-date=2021-09-24|website=www.os2museum.com|language=en-US}} this model was never released, and only prototypes can be found.
Released by Canon Computer Systems in 1995, the Canon Power Notebook featured a 603e clocked at 100 MHz with 256 KB of external cache; 32 to 48 MB of RAM; an 810 MB hard drive; a double-speed CD-ROM drive; and a 10.4" active matrix color LCD. Though not marketed by IBM, Canon licensed the use of several components from the ThinkPad 755CD including the plastic case, and externally the Power Notebook was virtually identical to the 755CD save for Canon's logos.{{cite journal | last=Clyman | first=John | date=August 1995 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aS7TOePnRDAC&pg=PA40 | title=Power Notebook: PowerPC Goes Mobile | journal=PC Magazine | volume=14 | issue=14 | page=40 | publisher=Ziff-Davis | via=Google Books}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010414083456/http://www-6.ibm.com/jp/pc/prod/ha/tpinx.html|title=Official website (820/850)}}
- {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990127162846/http://www.rs6000.ibm.com/hardware/portables/|title=Official website (860)}}
- CD-ROMs: {{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/think-pad-820-program-pack-cd|title=820}} and {{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/tp850-media|title=850|via=Internet Archive}}
- {{Cite web|url=https://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/pc/thinkpad/ThinkPad_820/30H2388_820_HMM_199507.pdf|title=ThinkPad Power Series 820 Hardware Maintenance|via=Bitsavers}}
- [http://www.os2museum.com/wp/ibm-thinkpad-power-series-850/ IBM ThinkPad Power Series 850]
- [http://oldcomputer.info/portables/tp850/index.htm IBM ThinkPad Power Series 850 - oldcomputer.info]
- https://www.notebookcheck.net/A-look-back-at-25-years-of-ThinkPad-notebooks-Part-1-the-beginnings-with-IBM.251062.0.html
- http://www.ibmfiles.com/pages/tp820.htm
- http://home.icequake.net/~nemesis/linuxlaptops/ibm/thinkpad_misc/groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/thinkpad/old-archive/HTML/tp-1995/msg01259.html
- https://books.google.com/books?id=SzoEAAAAMBAJ
- https://virtuallyfun.com/wordpress/2013/09/19/thinkpad-860-saga-part-1/
- https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_sm/0/877/ENUS7249-860/index.html&lang=en&request_locale=en
- http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~ayase/tp/tp850.htm
{{IBM personal computers}}
{{IBM midrange computers}}