[Noisebridge-discuss] Compaq Concerto - 486/25 Tablet PC's - Runs Windows 3.11 for Pen computing, Windows 95, and SuSE Linux 6.3

[Corey McGuire]

Hey folks,

I have about 25 of these awesome little systems.  They are Active Pen Tablet
Laptops from 1992, they are NOT Y2K compliant, and they are NOT under
warranty, but they are AWESOME and totally serviceable machines.  There's
even a linux 2.6 kernel driver for the pen<http://code.google.com/p/cpqpen2/>!
Or one for Linux 2.0<http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/%7Epfeiffer/index_old.html#linux>
.

[image: http://pc-museum.com/031-compaq/rcm-031.jpg]
Compaq Concerto <http://pc-museum.com/031-compaq/rcm-031.jpg>

Features!

   - Fanless
   - 486SL 25mhz
   - 20MB RAM
   - 250MB hard drive (some may have failed but can be replaced by flash)
   - 1.44" floppy
   - Proprietary socket on the back that breaks out all busses including a
   SCSI Bus (for the enterprising hacker)
   - Apart from disks, no moving parts
   - 2 PS2 ports for keyboards or mice


Caveats!

   - Limited to small hard drives (PATA flash adaptors work great)
   - Have a crappy, non-vesa compliant "Compaq Advance VGA" graphics adapter
   which hasn't had a proper X Windows driver in a decade.  The last distro I
   had working with little effort was SUSE 6.3.
   - PCMCIA Type 2, 16 bit
   - Black and white screen ("SVGA like"(tm) color graphics on external
   port)
   - Tablet requires pen

For anyone interested, they are FREEEEEEEE!

Rating: * * *
Compaq Concerto
List Price: $2,799
Average Street Price: $2,600
Manufacturer: Compaq Computer, (713) 378-8820,
(800) 345-1518

  WIN/DOS

So far, computer manufacturers have failed to prove that the pen is mightier
than the keyboard. Compaq's Concerto isn't about to change that
impression--but it may convince you that the pen is mightier than the mouse.

The $2,799 Concerto is based on a 486SL processor running at 25 MHz with 4MB
of RAM and a 250MB hard-disk drive (a 33-MHz model is available for an
additional $300). Weighing in at about seven pounds (with battery), the unit
has a rather unusual two-part design: A thin detachable keyboard connects
via a cable to a touch-screen tablet, which accepts commands from an
electronic pen. When typing isn't necessary or appropriate, disconnect the
keyboard, and the tablet will function as a portable pen-based computer.
Most RecentTechnology Articles

The Concerto's 9.5-inch backlit passive-matrix screen boasts a monochrome
VGA display that's sharp enough for many computing tasks. Within the
tablet's housing are the main system components, including a 1.44MB floppy
drive, I/O ports (one serial and one parallel port, plus connections for an
external monitor, keyboard, or mouse), and the battery. The rechargeable
nickel metal-hydride battery and 3.3-volt system mean you'll get three to
four hours of continuous work before the power runs out.

For adding memory, a fax/modem, or other peripherals, the screen tablet has
a slot that accommodates two PCMCIA Type II cards or one Type III card. Any
peripheral cards conforming to the PCMCIA 2.0 specification can be inserted
or withdrawn without rebooting the computer.
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