IBM ThinkPad 700

External videos
External videos
	The ThinkPad That Started It All 700c (1992) on YouTube (75 seconds)

IBM Thinkpad 700
	An IBM ThinkPad 700C with Microsoft Solitaire open
Manufacturer	IBM
Type	Notebook Computer
Release date	October 5, 1992;32 years ago
Introductory price	700: US$2,750(equivalent to $6,000 in 2023); 700C: US$4,350(equivalent to $9,400 in 2023); 700T: US$4,795(equivalent to $10,400 in 2023);
Operating system	PC DOS 5.0 ; PenPoint ; IBM OS/2 2.0; Windows 3.1x ;
CPU	Intel 80386SX @ 20 MHz (700T); IBM 486SLC @ 25 MHz (700/700C); IBM 486SLC2 @ 50 MHz (option for 700/700C);
Memory	4-16 MB
Graphics	Western Digital WD90C26
Weight	Up to 7.6 lb (3.4 kg)
Successor	IBM ThinkPad 720

Last updated January 20, 2025

The IBM ThinkPad 700 (also named model 700 PS/2) is the first notebook computer for the ThinkPad brand that was released by IBM on October 5, 1992. Another series was released alongside it, the ThinkPad 300 series. The 300 series was meant to be a cheaper, lower performance model line over the 700. It was developed as a successor to the L40SX.

History

Because of design issues with the L40SX, the next iteration of IBM laptops were going to involve industrial designer Richard Sapper.^[4] Richard designed the ThinkPad 700, being inspired from a rectangular cigar box, and kept it simplistic.^[5]

Before the announcement of the 700 series, it has been speculated that the 700 and 700T would be manufactured by AST Research, Inc. ^[6]

The first IBM ThinkPads, the 700 and 700C, were launched on October 5, 1992, alongside the 300 series.^[7]

The IBM 2521 (IBM 700T) was announced on April 17, 1992 and launched in July 1993. It was marketed as a data entry tablet for hospitals, health care providers, and field operation workers.^[8]

The ThinkPad 700C uses a color screen made by the joint venture Display Technologies, Inc. ^[9] It was the largest active matrix display in a laptop when it was released.^[10]

President George H. W. Bush wanted to buy a ThinkPad 700C as a Christmas present for his wife Barbara Bush when it was released. It was sold out, so he called then IBM CEO John Akers. Akers reached out to the general manager of IBM's PC division Jim Cannavino, who took the next ThinkPad from the assembly line and shipped it to the White House.^[4]

Features and models

Both the 700 and 700C were based on the 25MHz IBM 486SLC processor with 4 MB of memory, and had a nickel metal hydride battery that was claimed by IBM to last almost 4 hours. The 700 had the option of a 80 or 120 MB hard disk size, and a 9.5in 640 x 480 monochrome screen. The 700C had a standard 120 MB hard disk size, and 4, 8 or 16 MB memory options. It also had a 10.4in 640 x 480 active-matrix color screen. Both the 700 and 700C came with PC DOS 5.02 and Prodigy, an internet service. Other features both included were a modem, serial, VGA, and parallel ports, port replicator, docking station connector, and built in 3 1/2" 1.44 MB floppy disk drive.^[7]

Both the 700 and 700C came in a standard black color, but a less-known "IBM-Beige" color was available. Additionally later on a 50MHz processor upgrade was offered by IBM for the 700 and 700C, giving it better performance.^[9]

The 700T was a portable pen-operated tablet that had a 20MHz Intel 386SX, 4 or 8 MB of memory, a 10 in 640 x 480 monochrome screen, and also very uncommon for its time, had a 20 MB solid state drive instead of a hard drive for storage. The 700T used an operating system created by Go Corporation known as PenPoint OS. Other features the 700T had was a built in 2.4 kbit/s modem, a serial, parallel, external floppy drive, and keyboard connector.^[7]

The 700 was the base model, being considerably cheaper than the premium 700C at $2,750 vs $4,350 for the 700C. The 700T was renamed from IBM 2521 so that it was a name fit with the 700 and 700C.

	700^{[nb 1]}	700C^{[nb 1]}	700T
Display	9.5in 640x480 Monochrome STN	10.4in 640x480 Color TFT	10in 640x480 Monochrome STN
Disk	80 or 120 MB HDD	120 MB HDD	20 MB SSD
CPU	IBM 486SLC @ 25 MHz		Intel 80386SX @ 20 MHz
RAM	4-16 MB		4-8 MB
Video Controller	WD90C26
Audio Controller	None

Reception

The 700 and 700C were given good reception, being called "the finest notebooks on the market"^[12] by PC Magazine which also complimented its design by saying "After years of un-distinguished portables, IBM has finally gotten it right"^[9] and a review by BYTE Magazine said "The IBM ThinkPad 700C notebook wins the award for the most innovative design".^[13] PC Computing gave its annual "most valuable product" to the ThinkPad 700C, describing it as "a clear standout by its combination of speed, beauty, hard-nosed practicality, and, yes, grace".

The 700C was given a 8.0 rating in a review by InfoWorld , and many of the praise went to the 700C's active matrix color display which was said to have rich, bright colors and crisp text, and was bigger and better than competitors. The keyboard was also given good reviews, saying it is solid feeling and has quick responsiveness.^[14]

A 700C review from Computerworld noted that the implementation of the Advanced Power Management 1.0 specification by Microsoft resulted in a long battery life.^[15]

The only cons given about the 700 series by some reviews was the increased weight and size, along with the more expensive price tag and lower battery life.^[13]^[14]

Notes

1 2 Even though the 700 and 700C notebooks are part of the ThinkPad series, they were labeled as 700 PS/2 and 700C PS/2.^[11]

Related Research Articles

A laptop computer or notebook computer, also known as a laptop or notebook, is a small, portable personal computer (PC). Laptops typically have a clamshell form factor with a flat-panel screen on the inside of the upper lid and an alphanumeric keyboard and pointing device on the inside of the lower lid. Most of the computer's internal hardware is in the lower part, under the keyboard, although many modern laptops have a built-in webcam at the top of the screen, and some even feature a touchscreen display. In most cases, unlike tablet computers which run on mobile operating systems, laptops tend to run on desktop operating systems, which were originally developed for desktop computers.

ThinkPad is an American line of business-oriented laptop and tablet computers produced since 1992. The early models were designed, developed and marketed by International Business Machines (IBM) until it sold its PC business to Lenovo in 2005; since 2007, all new ThinkPad models have been branded Lenovo instead and the Chinese manufacturer has continued to develop and sell ThinkPads to the present day.

The IBM ThinkPad 701 is a subnotebook in the ThinkPad line by IBM. The 701 is colloquially known as the Butterfly due to its sliding keyboard, which was designed by John Karidis. It was developed from 1993 and sold from March 1995 until later that year and priced between $1,499 and $3,299. The 701 was the most sold laptop in 1995 and has received 27 design awards. It was based on either the DX2 or the DX4 version of the Intel i486, combined with the CT-65545 graphics chip. The 701Cs version used a DSTN display, while the 701C used a TFT LCD. It was pre-installed with Windows 3.11 and for the DX4 models also with OS/2 Warp 3.0. The 701 was discontinued because the keyboard design was no longer a necessity after screen sizes increased.

Subnotebook, also called ultraportable, superportable, handtop, mini notebook or mini laptop, is a type of laptop computer that is smaller and lighter than a typical notebook-sized laptop.

The history of laptops describes the efforts, begun in the 1970s, to build small, portable personal computers that combine the components, inputs, outputs and capabilities of a desktop computer in a small chassis.

IBM ThinkPad 770 was a laptop designed and manufactured by IBM targeted for the business, enterprise and professional user. It was the last lineup in the ThinkPad 700-series, succeeding the 760 as the high-end laptop of the ThinkPad lineup. The line was produced from October 1997 to May 2000, and eventually replaced by the ThinkPad models A20m and A20p.

IBM ThinkPad 240 is an ultra-portable laptop computer designed and produced by IBM from June 1999 to 2001. It is one of the few ThinkPad 200 series models made available in America and was the smallest and lightest ThinkPad model produced to date. The 240 series was discontinued, and it was replaced with the ThinkPad X series in 2000.

The ThinkPad T series is a line of notebook computers manufactured by Lenovo as part of the ThinkPad family. The T series is officially the flagship ThinkPad product, offering high-performance computers aimed at businesses and professionals. The ThinkPad X series was originally introduced in 2000 and was produced by IBM until 2005.

The ThinkPad X series is a line of notebook computers and convertible tablets produced by Lenovo as part of the ThinkPad family. The ThinkPad X series is traditionally the range best designed for mobile use, with ultraportable sizes and less power compared to the flagship ThinkPad T series. It was initially produced by IBM until 2005.

The IBM Personal System/2 Model L40 SX is a laptop made by IBM as part of the IBM PS/2 series. It was the successor to the IBM PC Convertible. The "SX" in the name refers to its CPU, the Intel 80386SX.

The IBM ThinkPad 365 is a notebook computer series developed by IBM and manufactured by ASE Group. It was released in North America in November 1995, and was the successor of the ThinkPad 360 series. The series had eight models that were released before being discontinued, and was succeeded in 1997 by the ThinkPad 380 series.

The IBM ThinkPad 300 is a notebook computer series that was created by Zenith Data Systems for IBM. It was released in North America in October 1992, alongside the ThinkPad 700 series. It was the second series for the ThinkPad line of notebook computers, and was a cost saving alternative to the 700. It was however known as one of IBM's failures, with most not working properly or being dead after leaving the production line. It was also grey instead of black, and was missing a TrackPoint, which made them unappealing to consumers. The ThinkPad 300 was received as decent, but did not sell well.

The IBM Thinkpad 350 series was a notebook computer series introduced in 1993 by IBM as part of their Thinkpad laptop series. It was the successor to the IBM ThinkPad 300. With only 2 models ever made in the series, it was succeeded in 1994 by the IBM Thinkpad 360 series.

The IBM ThinkPad 360 series was a notebook computer series introduced in 1994 by IBM as part of their ThinkPad laptop series. It was succeeded in late 1995 by the IBM ThinkPad 365 series.

The Packard Bell Statesman was an economy line of notebook-sized laptops introduced in 1993 by Packard Bell. They were slower in performance and lacked features compared to most competitor products, but they were lower in price. It was created in a collaboration between Packard Bell and Zenith Data Systems. The Statesman series was essentially a rebrand of Zenith Data Systems Z-Star 433 series, with the only notable difference of the logo in the middle and text on the front bezel.

The IBM ThinkPad Power Series(800/820/821/822/823/850/851/860) is a laptop series from the ThinkPad line that was manufactured by IBM. It is based on the PowerPC architecture.

The IBM ThinkPad TransNote is a notebook computer by IBM.

The IBM Personal System/2 Model CL57 SX is the first notebook computer with a color TFT screen released by IBM in 1992. It was released a few months before the introduction of the ThinkPad series.

The IBM PS/2 Note and PS/note are a series of notebooks from the PS/2 line by IBM. It was announced in March 1992, half a year prior to the release of the first ThinkPad, the IBM ThinkPad 700. The series was discontinued in 1994.

The IBM ThinkPad T30 is a laptop computer manufactured by IBM.

References

1 2 3 Lee, Yvonne (October 12, 1992). "IBM ThinkPads hit the market". InfoWorld . Vol. 14, no. 41. p. 31. ISSN 0199-6649. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
↑ "ThinkPad 700 & 700C PS/2" (PDF). IBM. 1992. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
↑ Hachman, Mark; PCWorld. "Lenovo has removed its iconic TrackPoint nub from new ThinkPad laptops". PCWorld. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
1 2 Naitoh, Arimasa; Holstein, William J. (2017). How the ThinkPad changed the world: and is shaping the future. New York: Skyhorse. ISBN 978-1-5107-2500-3. OCLC 992973085.
↑ "ThinkPad 700C". Richard Sapper. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023.
↑ Fitzgerald, Michael (October 12, 1992). "Latest IBM notebooks outdo predecessors". Computerworld . Vol. 26, no. 41. p. 12. ISSN 0010-4841. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.
1 2 3 Smith, Tony (July 19, 2007). "The IBM ThinkPad: 15 years old today". The Register . Archived from the original on May 18, 2021.
↑ "Apple Newton, Compaq, Early IBM ThinkPads Launched Tablet Revolution". eWEEK . June 15, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
1 2 3 Ross, Matthew J. (December 22, 1992). "Screen Gem: IBM Comes Up With a Notebook Winner". PCMag . Vol. 11, no. 22. Ziff Davis, Inc. p. 44. ISSN 0888-8507. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.
↑ "ThinkPad 700C". The Palm Beach Post . October 6, 1992. p. 31. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
↑ "IBM Announcement Letter" (Press release). IBM. October 6, 1992. ZG92-0342. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
↑ Howard, Bill (March 30, 1993). "The Laptop Gap". PCMag . Vol. 12, no. 6. Ziff Communications Company. p. 191. ISSN 0888-8507. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.
1 2 Yager, Tom (1993). "Color you can carry anywhere". BYTE Magazine . Vol. 18, no. 5. McGraw-Hill. p. 72. ISSN 0360-5280.
1 2 Uiterwijk, Andreas; Nash, Siobhan (December 14, 1992). "IBM Joins front runners in 486 color notebook race". InfoWorld . Vol. 14, no. 50. IDG. p. 85. ISSN 0199-6649. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.
↑ Gryciuk, Wojciech (November 22, 1993). "IBM ThinkPad 700C PS/2 - idealny notebook dla Windows" [IBM ThinkPad 700C PS/2 - The Perfect Notebook for Windows]. Computerworld Polska (in Polish). ISSN 0867-2334. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2021.

External links

"Personal Systems Reference IBM ThinkPad Notebooks 1992 to 2001" (PDF). IBM. January 2001. pp. 4, 55. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 4, 2023.
"WD90C26 VGA Flat Panel Display Controller". Western Digital. November 25, 1991.

Preceded by IBM PS/2 Note IBM PS/2 CL57SX	IBM ThinkPad 700	Succeeded by ThinkPad 720

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[ps2-12] 1 2 Even though the 700 and 700C notebooks are part of the ThinkPad series, they were labeled as 700 PS/2 and 700C PS/2.^[11]

[infoworld-19921012-1] 1 2 3 Lee, Yvonne (October 12, 1992). "IBM ThinkPads hit the market". InfoWorld . Vol. 14, no. 41. p. 31. ISSN 0199-6649. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.

[700-brochure-2] "ThinkPad 700 & 700C PS/2" (PDF). IBM. 1992. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.

[3] Hachman, Mark; PCWorld. "Lenovo has removed its iconic TrackPoint nub from new ThinkPad laptops". PCWorld. Retrieved 2025-01-19.

[changedworld-4] 1 2 Naitoh, Arimasa; Holstein, William J. (2017). How the ThinkPad changed the world: and is shaping the future. New York: Skyhorse. ISBN 978-1-5107-2500-3. OCLC 992973085.

[5] "ThinkPad 700C". Richard Sapper. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023.

[6] Fitzgerald, Michael (October 12, 1992). "Latest IBM notebooks outdo predecessors". Computerworld . Vol. 26, no. 41. p. 12. ISSN 0010-4841. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.

[:0-7] 1 2 3 Smith, Tony (July 19, 2007). "The IBM ThinkPad: 15 years old today". The Register . Archived from the original on May 18, 2021.

[8] "Apple Newton, Compaq, Early IBM ThinkPads Launched Tablet Revolution". eWEEK . June 15, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2021.

[pcmag-19921222-9] 1 2 3 Ross, Matthew J. (December 22, 1992). "Screen Gem: IBM Comes Up With a Notebook Winner". PCMag . Vol. 11, no. 22. Ziff Davis, Inc. p. 44. ISSN 0888-8507. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.

[10] "ThinkPad 700C". The Palm Beach Post . October 6, 1992. p. 31. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2021.

[11] "IBM Announcement Letter" (Press release). IBM. October 6, 1992. ZG92-0342. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2021.

[13] Howard, Bill (March 30, 1993). "The Laptop Gap". PCMag . Vol. 12, no. 6. Ziff Communications Company. p. 191. ISSN 0888-8507. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.

[:2-14] 1 2 Yager, Tom (1993). "Color you can carry anywhere". BYTE Magazine . Vol. 18, no. 5. McGraw-Hill. p. 72. ISSN 0360-5280.

[:3-15] 1 2 Uiterwijk, Andreas; Nash, Siobhan (December 14, 1992). "IBM Joins front runners in 486 color notebook race". InfoWorld . Vol. 14, no. 50. IDG. p. 85. ISSN 0199-6649. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023.

[16] Gryciuk, Wojciech (November 22, 1993). "IBM ThinkPad 700C PS/2 - idealny notebook dla Windows" [IBM ThinkPad 700C PS/2 - The Perfect Notebook for Windows]. Computerworld Polska (in Polish). ISSN 0867-2334. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[nb 1]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[11]