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Retro & Vintage Compaq Computers & Other Vintage Technology

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Toshiba T6400 – The Last (& Best) Gas Plasma Portable

December 31, 2022December 31, 2022
Retropaq
Gas Plasma Displays, Toshiba T6400

If you like the IBM P75, you will love the Toshiba T6400 – one of the last portable computers to be offered with a gas-plasma display, which was becoming obsolete when the computer went on sale on sale in 1992.

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Repairing Gas Plasma Displays

March 1, 2022March 1, 2022
Retropaq
Gas Plasma Displays

This is going to be a short post to try and help those who have faulty displays to attempt a repair.  However, the usual disclaimer applies: WARNING, HIGH VOLTAGE – Plasma displays operate at voltages around 100 – 300 volts

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Inside the Macintosh Portable (Repairs & Upgrades)

October 6, 2021October 7, 2021
Retropaq
Macintosh Portable

The Macintosh Portable is perhaps the only vintage computer that I have come across that does not require a screwdriver to disassemble, (which is amazing!) You can take apart the computer, all the way down to its bare PCB with

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Macintosh Portable: What Went Wrong?

June 24, 2021October 26, 2022
Retropaq
Macintosh Portable

Continued from Part 1 <<< Well, in typical Apple fashion, we will never know exactly what happened as Apple closely guards its secrets then and now – but we can still piece some things together. In a recent (2018) blog

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Using the Macintosh Portable

May 27, 2021October 26, 2022
Retropaq
Macintosh Portable

Despite my previous post decrying the Macintosh Portable for its hefty weight, identity crisis, and somewhat misguided design principles – it is actually a joy to use as a retro portable Mac. If you look at it through the lens

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Macintosh Portable – Apple’s Too Big, Too Late Luggable

May 27, 2021October 8, 2021
Retropaq
Macintosh Portable

The need for a Portable Macintosh We take our MacBooks for granted today, tossing them into our bags without much of a second thought – but have you ever stopped to wonder exactly when did Apple make its first foray

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The Chronicles of Gas-Plasma

October 20, 2020March 1, 2022
Retropaq
Gas Plasma Displays

Ah, gas-plasma, one of the oldest and most fascinating flat-panel display technologies. For many, the warm amber glow was welcoming for strained eyes and was a reminder that you were using a premium computer, back in the ’80s and ’90s.

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The Most Powerful Portable – IBM P75

October 7, 2020October 26, 2022
Retropaq
IBM P75

Background & history The IBM P75 was the most powerful portable computer released in 1990 as it was the first mobile computer to sport the then cutting-edge, Intel 486 CPU. It was also perhaps the most expensive personal computer that

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Booting Up & Configuring the IBM P75

October 6, 2020October 23, 2020
Retropaq
IBM P75

First things first, we need to talk about the IBM reference diskette. You will need this diskette to boot and configure your IBM P75 successfully. Though if you are having trouble getting POST (meaning getting a full count of the

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Looking Around the IBM P75

October 1, 2020October 23, 2020
Retropaq
IBM P75

IBM computers of the late ’80s and early 90’s certainly has a distinct aesthetic – beige and monolithic, yet elegant and sophisticated. You knew when you saw an IBM computer, and you knew it meant business (literally). IBM computers were

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Under The Hood – Looking Inside the IBM P75

October 1, 2020October 23, 2020
Retropaq
IBM P75

The IBM P75 has pretty impressive specs for 1990, with its 486 CPU, SCSI hard disk, and onboard XGA-1 (VGA) card – let’s take a closer look and see how it all fits together in this neat package. We can

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Tips & Tricks – IBM P70 / P75 CMOS Battery & POST

October 1, 2020December 30, 2022
Retropaq
IBM P75

The IBM P75 (and its younger brother, the IBM P70) can be a little tricky to restore and get back up and running, perhaps even more so than your average 30+ year-old computer. Typical issues include bad capacitors, a dead

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Setting Up The Compaq Portable 486

November 18, 2019October 23, 2020
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 486

Continued from previous post, overview & background on the Compaq Portable 486 <<< Setting up the Compaq Portable 486 is a bit of a hassle similar to the Compaq Portable 386 – it does not have a BIOS – meaning

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The Last Portable – Meet the Compaq Portable 486

November 13, 2019February 28, 2022
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 486

In early 1992, Compaq released their last “luggable / portable” computer, the Compaq Portable 486, marking the end of an era. Background The Compaq Portable 486 was the last portable computer in Compaq’s original “Compaq Portable” line. By the time

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Installing Windows 3.1 / 3.11 on the Portable 386

September 23, 2019October 3, 2020
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 386

Installing MS-DOS on the Compaq Portable 386 is pretty straight forward, but before we get into retro-gaming on it, I thought I’d post a quick intro on installing Windows 3.1 on a Compaq Portable 386. Getting Windows 3.1 / 3.11

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Installing Compaq or Regular MS-DOS 6.22

September 5, 2019October 23, 2020
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 386

This is the last post in a 6 post series on the Compaq Portable 386 Computer. In this section, we take a look at installing MS-DOS and using FDISK after using the diagnostic diskette. You can jump to: First Impressions

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The Hard Disk

September 5, 2019April 25, 2021
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 386

This is the 5th post in a 6 post series on the Compaq Portable 386 Computer. This part focuses on the Conner hard disk, the BIOS settings, its limitations, and alternatives to using a real hard disk. You can jump

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Floppy Drive & Diagnostics

September 5, 2019October 23, 2020
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 386

This is the 4th post in a 6 post series on the Compaq Portable 386 Computer. This section looks at the floppy drive, the 720K disks it accepts, and the Compaq Diagnostics program to configure the computer. You can jump

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Booting Up, Then Opening Up

December 19, 2018October 23, 2020
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 386

This is the 3rd post in a 6 post series on the Compaq Portable 386 Computer. In this section, we look at turning the computer on, getting it to POST, and taking a peek at the insides & motherboard. You

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Gas Plasma Screen

December 19, 2018October 23, 2020
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 386

This is the 2nd post in a 6 post series on the Compaq Portable 386 Computer. This section looks at the Gas Plasma Screen, the computer’s specifications, and what the display looks like running MS-DOS games. You can jump to:

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First Impressions of The Compaq Portable 386

December 18, 2018October 23, 2020
Retropaq
Compaq Portable 386

This is the first post in a 6 post series on the Compaq Portable 386 Computer covering its history & legacy, price, capabilities, and relative importance at the time. You can jump to: First Impressions The Gas Plasma Screen Booting

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Recent Posts

  • Toshiba T6400 – The Last (& Best) Gas Plasma Portable
  • Repairing Gas Plasma Displays
  • Inside the Macintosh Portable (Repairs & Upgrades)

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  • Computers
    • Compaq Portable 386
    • Compaq Portable 486
    • IBM P75
    • Macintosh Portable
    • Toshiba T6400
  • Gas Plasma Displays
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