ThinkPad Power Series
| Company type | Product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Predecessor | IBM RS/6000 N40 |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Products | PowerPC-based laptops |
| Parent | IBM |
The ThinkPad Power Series—along with the later IBM RS/6000 Model 860 Notebook—represents a line of laptops from IBM built around the PowerPC architecture.
History
IBM collaborated with Tadpole Computer to create its initial PowerPC laptop, the RS/6000 Model N40, which was unveiled in March 1994 and became available for purchase by October of the same year.
Specifications
The majority of the 800 Series laptops were equipped with the PowerPC 603e processor running at 100 MHz, except for the 860 model that operated at 166 MHz. The first 800 model (Type 6020), which preceded the 850, utilized a 603 CPU and was primarily intended for developers. All units featured SCSI-2 hard drives configurable through a graphical BIOS interface, and they included a startup sound reminiscent of contemporary Apple Macintosh systems.
Compared to typical x86 laptops, PowerPC ThinkPads carried a significantly higher price tag; even entry-level versions of the 850 exceeded $12,000. Models such as the 800, 850, 851, and later the 860 and 861 supported optional webcam hardware—among the earliest commercially integrated into laptops—and could capture PAL and NTSC video signals via built-in composite inputs. Their batteries incorporated embedded processors designed to enhance power efficiency and prolong operational time.
Software
The entire PowerPC ThinkPad lineup was compatible with Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0, as well as AIX 4.1.x and Solaris Desktop 2.5.1 PowerPC Edition. Although these operating systems along with their development tools are uncommon today, certain Linux distributions for PowerPC can also operate on the 800 Series machines.
Models
| Name | Model number | Announced | Withdrawn | CPU | GPU | Memory Bus | Maximum Memory | Display | Video Capture | Operating System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | 6020 | 1994/11/08 | Unknown | 603 @ 66 MHz | GT10 | 32 bit | 80 MB | 10.4" 640 × 480 | built-in | |
| 820 | 6040 | 1995/06/19 | 1996/03/20 | 603e @ 100 MHz | 48 MB | 10.4" 640 × 480 or 800 × 600 | optional | |||
| 821/822/823 | 7247 | 1996/02/20 | 1996/07/26 | |||||||
| 850 | 6042 | 1995/06/19 | 1996/03/20 | 64 bit | 96 MB | 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) introduced a redesigned chassis that echoed the style of contemporary models in the ThinkPad 700 series, featuring a rounded palmrest.
The 820 adopted a unique square-shaped enclosure with a compact palmrest and dual speaker setup; it supported SuSE Linux as well as Windows NT 4.0 but was incompatible with Yaboot bootloader software. Its release date was April 15, 1996.
Models 821, 822, and 823 served as minor enhancements over the original 820.
The 850 (6042-G6D) maintained a similar case design to the original 800 but added multimedia features such as a motion video capture card and an optional detachable camera, aiming at mobile professionals needing advanced media functionality.
The 851 represented an iteration with improvements over the initial 850.
The IBM RS/6000 Notebook 860, occasionally confused with the ThinkPad branding, succeeded the ThinkPad 850 by offering a higher clock speed CPU and upgraded graphics capabilities tailored for intensive business workloads.
Additional Models
The origins of the ThinkPad series can be traced back to the 1994 IBM RS/6000 N40, which was equipped with a 50 MHz PowerPC 601 processor and utilized a design derived from the Tadpole platform.
The Power Series 600 represented a prototype for a compact desktop computer; however, it never entered commercial production and exists only in prototype form.
In 1995, Canon Computer Systems introduced the Canon Power Notebook, featuring a 100 MHz 603e CPU complemented by a 256 KB external cache, between 32 and 48 MB of RAM, an 810 MB hard disk drive, and a 10.4-inch active matrix color LCD. While this device was not sold under IBM’s brand, Canon licensed several components from the IBM ThinkPad 755CD, resulting in an outward appearance nearly indistinguishable from the ThinkPad model except for Canon’s branding.