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.jpg) IBM Thinkpad 360CE | |
| Manufacturer | IBM |
|---|---|
| Type | Notebook Computer |
| Release date | May 1994; 31 years ago (1994-05) |
| Introductory price | Starting atUS$2,099 (equivalent to $4,453 in 2024) |
| Discontinued | June 1996; 29 years ago (1996-06) |
| Operating system | |
| CPU | |
| Memory | 4–20 MB |
| Display | |
TheIBM ThinkPad 360 series was a notebook computer series introduced in 1994 byIBM as part of theirThinkPad laptop series. It was succeeded in late 1995 by theIBM ThinkPad 365 series.
On October 17, 1994, the ThinkPad 360 CE and CSE were released. Both had aIntel 486DX-2 50 MHz processor, 4 MB of memory, a 1.44 MB floppy disk drive, and a 250, 340, 540, or 810 MB hard disk drive with PC DOS 6.0/Windows 3.1 and various included software. Both units came with aNickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery pack that could last 2.9 hours in a CSE and 3.2 hours in a CE, while only taking 1.5 hours to charge. Both the CE and CSE were mainly the same in terms of specifications, with the only notable difference of a 9.5in 640x480 DSTN screen for the CSE and a 8.4in 640x480 TFT screen for the CE. It cost between $2,649 and $4,199 for a unit depending on the configuration.[1]
Many of the models in the 360 series were discontinued by IBM on December 21, 1995. This included the CS, C, P, CSE, and CE.[2]
Most models in the 360 series shipped withIBM PC DOS 6.3 andWindows 3.11 as the includedoperating system, while some such as the 360P and PE shipped with DOS 6.21 and PenDOS 2.2.
All models in the series featured anIntel486SX orDX2 processor running at 33 to 50 MHz, and aWD90C24A2 or WD90C24 video controller with 1 MB of video memory. A standard of 4 MB RAM was installed, which was soldered onto the motherboard. The ram could be upgraded to up to 20 MB in total if the user had a IC DRAM Card, which goes into a slot under the floppy disk drive.
The standardhard drive size was 170 or 340 MB, later adding the option to 540 MB. All models in the series had a 1.44 MB floppy disk drive in anultrabay.
Two notable models in the series, the 360P and 360PE, featured a pen touch display, which could also fold back and down to close like a tablet.
IBM ThinkPad 360 — One of the first models in the series, it introduced a Intel 486SX processor running at 33 MHz. It had 4 MB of ram, which could only be upgraded to a maximum of 20 MB with a IC DRAM Card. It featured a 9.5-inch monochrome screen, and could hold a battery charge up to 10 hours. Other features included: 170 or 340 MB hard drive options, a 3.5-inch 1.44 MB removable floppy drive, Trackpoint II pointing device, and 1 Type III or 2 Type II or 2 Type I PCMIA slots.[3]
IBM ThinkPad 360C — Released the same time as the 360, the 360C model was basically identical to the 360 but with a 8.5-inch TFT color screen, and a decrease to 5 hours of battery life. It had a 0.5lb increase in weight, and it cost over $4,399 if it came with 8 MB of RAM and a 170 MB hard disk.[4]
IBM ThinkPad 360CS — Also released the same time as the 360C and 360 base model, the 360CS model was also identical to the 360C and 360, with only a few differences. It had a 9.5-inch DSTN screen, a slight increase in battery life from 7 to 8 hours, and a slight weight increase of 0.1lb.[3]
IBM ThinkPad 360P — The 360P model introduced at $3,399 was a unique model, as it featured a pen touch display. The pen was a pressure-sensitive input device (Stylus). It had a DSTN 9.5-inch 640×480 display. The machine ran DOS 6.21 with PenDOS 2.2 and had a battery life of about 5 hours. Other features included: Ultrabay with 1.44 MB floppy drive, Trackpoint II pointing device, and 1 Type III or 2 Type II or 2 Type I PCMIA slots.
IBM ThinkPad 360PE — The 360PE model was almost identical to the 360P, having a small upgrade to a Intel 486 DX2 running at 50 MHz, a 17 MHz increase in speed. It also offered a slightly larger hard drive size option of 540 MB, and was the first and only model in the series to offer built-in audio with a CS4248 audio controller. The 360PE cost $300 more than the 360P at $3,699.
IBM ThinkPad 360CE — One of the final models, the 360CE was a slight upgrade from the earlier 360/C/CS models, offering a Intel 486 DX2 running at 50 MHz, a 8.4-inch 640×480 TFT display, and an additional 540 MB option for hard disk size. Other features included: Ultrabay with 1.44 MB floppy drive, Trackpoint II pointing device, and 1 Type III or 2 Type II or 2 Type I PCMIA slots.
IBM ThinkPad 360CSE — The last model of the series, the 360CSE was again another nearly identical model as the previous unit, only offering a 9.5-inch 640×480 DSTN display rather than the 360CE's TFT display.
| Model | Introduction Date | Withdrawal Date | Base Price | Display Options | Resolution | CPU | Memory | Video Controller | Audio Controller | Hard Drive Options | Misc Info | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSTN | TFT | |||||||||||||
| 360 | May 1994 | May 1995 | $1,899 | 9.5" Mono | – | 640x480 | 80486SX- 33 MHz 8 KBcache | 4–20 MB 70 ns | WD90C24A2 1 MBDRAM | None | 170 MB | 340 MB | 1.44 MBFDD NiHM Battery – 4.6 hr | |
| 360CS | Dec 21 1995 | $2,349 | 9.5" Color | – | 1.44 MBFDD NiHM Battery – 3 hr | |||||||||
| 360C | Jun 1994 | $2,229 | – | 8.4" Color | 1.44 MBFDD NiHM Battery- 3.5 hr | |||||||||
| 360P | $2,899 | 9.5" Color | – | 1.44 MBFDD NiHM Battery- 3.3 hr Pen enabled display | ||||||||||
| 360CSE | Oct 1994 | $2,399 | 9.5" Color | - | 80486DX2- 50 MHz 25 MHz bus 8 KBcache | WD90C24A/A2 1 MBDRAM | 170 MB | 340 MB | 540 MB | 1.44 MBFDD NiHM Battery – 2.9 hr | ||||
| 360CE | $2,799 | - | 8.4" Color | 1.44 MBFDD NiHM Battery- 3.2 hr | ||||||||||
| 360PE | Apr 1995 | Jun 1996 | $3,699 | 9.5" Color | – | CS4248 | 340 MB | 540 MB | 1.44 MBFDD NiHM Battery – 2.5 hr Pen enabled display | |||||
| Preceded by | IBM ThinkPad 360 1994–1996 | Succeeded by |