ThinkPad 600

IBM ThinkPad 600 series

Company type	Product line
Industry	Computer hardware
Predecessor	IBM ThinkPad 770 series
Founded	1998
Successor	IBM ThinkPad T20 series
Products	Laptop computers

The IBM ThinkPad 600 series was introduced by IBM in 1998 as a more compact and lightweight alternative to the 770 lineup. This series comprised three distinct models: the 600, 600E, and 600X. It was eventually replaced by the ThinkPad T20 series in 2000.

Features

Engineered with portability in mind, the 600 series boasted a slender design and weighed approximately 5 pounds (2.3 kg), incorporating carbon fiber composite plastics to reduce weight. It debuted the UltraSlimBay, enabling modular drive configurations, and offered straightforward upgrades for RAM and hard drives. Initial factory-installed RAM came in either 32 MB or 64 MB capacities.

Operating systems shipped with the series included Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0, and later versions supported Windows 98 and Windows 2000. Additionally, all models were compatible with other operating systems such as Windows XP and various Linux distributions. While wireless networking and Ethernet were not integrated by default, these could be added through external PCMCIA or CardBus adapters.

A common drawback encountered was suboptimal battery longevity, with some units experiencing fast power depletion; however, this issue could be alleviated by utilizing third-party batteries and applying BIOS updates.

Models

• ThinkPad 600 - The original model equipped with a Pentium MMX processor at 233 MHz or Pentium II processors running at 233, 266, or 300 MHz. Display options included a 12.1" SVGA TFT, a 13.0" XGA HPA, or a 13.3" XGA TFT screen. Standard equipment featured an external floppy drive, an internal CD-ROM drive, hard drives ranging from 3.2 GB to 5.1 GB, infrared connectivity, USB 1.0 ports, a modem, and either 32 MB or 64 MB of RAM (expandable up to 288/320 MB using PC66 SODIMMs).
• ThinkPad 600E - An enhanced version featuring Pentium II processors clocked at 300, 366, or 400 MHz alongside a standard 13.3" XGA TFT display. It included an external floppy drive, built-in CD-ROM drive, hard drives from 4.0 GB to 10 GB, and memory options from 32 MB to 64 MB (expandable up to 512 MB). This was the first in the series to provide optional DVD-ROM drives and TV output functionality via a dongle.
• ThinkPad 600X - The final iteration equipped with Pentium III processors at speeds of 450, 500, or 650 MHz featuring SpeedStep technology and a default 13.3" XGA TFT display. Hard drive choices included capacities of 6 GB or 12 GB; it also offered Mini-PCI modem support along with CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive selections and came standard with 64 MB RAM expandable to as much as 512 MB using PC100 SODIMMs.

Comparison

< td >< b >600E (400)</ b ></ td >< td > Jun 1999 </ td >< td > Jan 2001 </ td >< td > ? </ td >< td colspan = "2" >13.3"</ td >< td > Pentium II -400 MHz
66 MHz Bus
256 KB cache </ td >< td colspan = "4"></ td ></ tr > < td >< b >600X </ b ></ td >< td > Dec 1999 </ td >< td > Jan 2001 </ td >< td > ? </ td >< td colspan = "2" >13.3"</ td >< td > Pentium III -450-500 MHz
100 MHz Bus
256 KB cache </ td >< td >64-576 MB
100 MHz SDRAM </ td >< td rowspan = "2" > NeoMagic NM2360
4 MB SGRAM
AGP </ td >< td rowspan = "2" > Cirrus CS4624
CS4297A </ td >< td >6.0 GB </ td >< td colspan = "2" rowspan = "2" >12.0 GB </ td >< td rowspan = "2" >18.0 GB </ td ></ tr > < td >< b >600X (2000)</ b ></ td >< td > Feb 2000 </ td >< td > Feb 2001 </ td >< td > ? </ td >< td colspan = "2" >13.3"</ td >< td > Pentium III -500-650 MHz
100 MHz Bus
256 KB cache </ td >< td >64-576 MB
100 MHz SDRAM </ td ></ tr >

Model	ReleaseDate	DiscontinuationDate	StartingPrice	DisplayVariants		SupportedResolutions	Processor	RAM	GraphicsChipset	SoundChipset	StorageOptions				AdditionalDetails
				TFT	HPA
600 (Apr '98)	Apr 1998	Aug 1998	Unknown	12.1" 13.3" Color	13.0" Color	640x480 800x600 1024x768 (XGA)	Pentium MMX - 233 MHz or Pentium II - up to 266-300 MHz 66 MHz Front Side Bus 512 KB Cache</ small >	< small >32-288 MB 66 MHz SDRAM </ small >	< small >NeoMagic NM2160B 2MB iDRAM </ small >	< small >Cirrus Logic CS4237B </ small >	< small >3.2 GB </ small >	< small >4.0 GB </ small >	< small >6.4 GB </ small >	< small >10 GB </ small >	UltraslimBay supports floppy, CD-ROM (20-8X), DVD-ROM (2X), SuperDisk drives Lithium-Ion battery providing roughly three hours of usage time
600 (Sep '98)	Sep 1998	Jun 1999	?	13.3"	-	640x480 800x600 1024x768	Pentium II -300 MHz 66 MHz Bus 512 KB cache
600E	Nov 1998	Mar 1999	?	13.3"
600E (1999)	Mar 1999	Mar 2000	?	13.3"			Pentium II -300-366 MHz 66 MHz Bus 256 KB cache </ td >< td colspan = "4"></ td ></ tr >