ThinkPad 700

IBM ThinkPad 700

Company type	Product line
Industry	Computer hardware
Predecessor	IBM PS/2 L40SX
Founded	October 5, 1992 (1992-10-05)
Headquarters	Armonk , United States
Products	Laptop computers (ThinkPad series)

The IBM ThinkPad 700—also referred to as the model 700 PS/2—marks the inaugural notebook in IBM's ThinkPad series, officially released on October 5, 1992. It was introduced alongside the more affordable and less powerful ThinkPad 300 series, serving as the successor to the L40SX.

This model was IBM's maiden laptop to incorporate a pointing stick for cursor navigation, marketed under the name TrackPoint. While it garnered acclaim for its innovative design, it also attracted criticism due to its steep price and relatively short battery endurance.

History

After encountering design obstacles with the IBM PS/2 L40SX, IBM engaged industrial designer Richard Sapper to develop the ThinkPad 700. Drawing inspiration from the form of a rectangular cigar box, Sapper prioritized both simplicity and practicality in his design approach.

Prior to its release, rumors circulated that manufacturing would be handled by AST Research, Inc., but ultimately IBM took on production internally. The ThinkPad 700 and its color variant, the 700C, debuted in October 1992 alongside the budget-conscious 300 series.

In July 1993, IBM launched the IBM 2521 (ThinkPad 700T), a tablet computer aimed at healthcare professionals and field personnel for data entry purposes.

The ThinkPad 700C stood out with a color active-matrix display developed through a partnership with Display Technologies, Inc., representing the largest color screen available on laptops at that time.

A notable event involved President George H. W. Bush expressing interest in acquiring a ThinkPad 700C as a present for Barbara Bush; due to stock depletion, IBM expedited delivery directly to the White House via CEO John Akers and PC division general manager Jim Cannavino.

Features and models

Both the 700 and 700C models were powered by a 25MHz IBM 486SLC processor paired with 4 MB of RAM and utilized nickel-metal hydride batteries providing close to four hours of usage. The ThinkPad 700 came equipped with either an 80 or 120 MB hard drive and featured a 9.5-inch monochrome display with a resolution of 640 × 480 pixels. Conversely, the 700C offered a standard 120 MB hard disk, memory configurations ranging from 4 to 16 MB, and a larger 10.4-inch active-matrix color screen at the same resolution. Both units shipped with PC DOS 5.02 alongside access to Prodigy internet services, and included modem, serial, VGA, and parallel ports. Additional hardware consisted of a port replicator, docking station interface, and an integrated 3½" floppy drive supporting 1.44 MB disks. An uncommon "IBM-Beige" finish was also made available. Subsequently, IBM introduced an optional processor upgrade boosting speeds to 50MHz for enhanced performance.

The tablet variant, the ThinkPad 700T, featured pen input capability supported by a 20MHz Intel 386SX CPU with either 4 or 8 MB of memory. It sported a 10-inch monochrome display at a resolution of 640 × 480 pixels and replaced traditional hard drives with an innovative 20 MB solid-state drive. This model operated on PenPoint OS developed by Go Corporation. Its connectivity options included an integrated modem operating at 2.4 KB/s, serial and parallel ports, an external floppy disk drive interface, and support for an external keyboard.

At launch, the base ThinkPad 700 was priced at $2,750, making it significantly more accessible than the premium $4,350 ThinkPad 700C model. The tablet version was renamed from IBM 2521 to align with the broader ThinkPad product naming scheme.

	700	700C	700T
Display	9.5" 640x480 Monochrome STN	10.4" 640x480 Color TFT	10" 640x480 Monochrome STN
Storage	80 or 120 MB HDD	120 MB HDD	20 MB SSD
CPU	IBM 486SLC @ 25 MHz		Intel 80386SX @ 20 MHz
Memory (RAM)	4-16 MB		4-8 MB
Video Controller	WD90C26
Audio Controller	None
Operating System	PC DOS 5.0, PenPoint, IBM OS/2 2.0, Windows 3.1x

Reception

The 700 and 700C models garnered significant praise, with PC Magazine labeling them as "the best notebooks available" and commending the design enhancements following a period of lackluster portable computers. BYTE Magazine recognized the 700C as "the most innovative design," while PC Computing honored it with the "most valuable product" award, acknowledging its combination of speed, style, functionality, and sophistication.

InfoWorld assigned the 700C a score of 8.0, emphasizing its active matrix color screen that delivered vivid colors and sharp text, outperforming rival devices. The keyboard was also highlighted for its sturdy construction and tactile responsiveness.

A review in Computerworld attributed the extended battery life of the 700C to Microsoft's effective implementation of Advanced Power Management 1.0.

However, critiques were directed at the series' heavier and bulkier build, elevated cost, and relatively shorter battery endurance.

See also

• History of tablet computers § Early tablets