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ThinkPad 500
ThinkPad 500
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ThinkPad 500
ManufacturerIBM

The IBM ThinkPad 500 is a subnotebook from the ThinkPad series released by IBM in 1993.

History

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IBM Thinkpad 500 (left) and 510 (right).

The ThinkPad 500 (type 2603[1]) was announced on 16 June 1993. It was the first subnotebook by IBM,[2][3] made and registered with the FCC by their then-recent spin-off, Lexmark.[4]

The next subnotebook by IBM was the IBM ThinkPad 701 series, which John Karidis influenced after using a 500 and feeling the keyboard experience could be improved by making it wider than the screen.

It was announced at the same time as the IBM ThinkPad 350.[5] The New York Times noted that IBM challenged companies like Zeos, Dell, Zenith Data Systems and Hewlett-Packard who developed computers in the same class as the 500.[6]

The ThinkPad 500 has a Lexbook counterpart called Lexmark SE10 (codename "Enchilada"). The main difference is that instead of using a TrackPoint, its keyboard has a mouse-key button.

The ThinkPad 500 was the earliest known IBM portable computer to use an IBM Model M6-1 buckling sleeve keyboard assembly, a minor revision of the original Model M6 and descendant of the IBM PS/2 Model L40 SX's Model M3. M6 and M6-1 were used on many early IBM (and all Lexmark) laptops and were even produced for other companies like AST, Apple and Tadpole.[7]


Specifications

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  • 50 MHz 486SLC2
  • Cirrus Logic WD90C26 Video chipset
  • 7.24" Monochrome STN Display with 256-shade graphics and a maximum resolution of 640x480
  • 1 x PCMCIA Slot
  • 1 x 3.5" External Floppy Drive
  • 85 or 170mb Seagate Caviar Hard Drive
  • 2.5 hour battery
  • 12mb of RAM
  • Windows 95 and MS-DOS 6.22
  • PC Speaker for Sound
  • VGA monitor Out, Parallel/Serial ports
  • Came with an external floppy drive included[5]

Reception

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InfoWorld regarded the ThinkPad 500 as a bit too small for comfort.[8]

PC World awarded the ThinkPad 500 the "Best Buy - #1 Value Mobile PC" in September 1994.[9]

Successor

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In March 1994 the ThinkPad 510 was announced, which contains the 486 DLC by IBM and a 7.7" colour display.[10]

The ThinkPad 510 looks very similar to the 500, but with notable differences in design being a colour "IBM" logo indicating the use of a colour LCD and that the 500's blue brightness and contrast buttons have been moved to 'hot keys' on the keyboard.


References

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  1. ^ "Personal Systems Reference IBM ThinkPad Notebooks 1992 to 2001 - withdrawn" (PDF). Lenovo. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  2. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; I.B.M. INTRODUCES SERIES OF PORTABLE COMPUTERS". The New York Times. 1993-06-16. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  3. ^ Smith, Tony. "The IBM ThinkPad: 15 years old today". The Register. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  4. ^ "OET Equipment Authorization System FCC Form 731 FCC ID: IYL 2603". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  5. ^ a b Lee, Yvonne (June 21, 1993). "IBM subnotebook uses 486". InfoWorld. p. 31.
  6. ^ Lohr, Steve (1993-06-23). "Notebooks May Hold Key to I.B.M.'s Revival". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  7. ^ Kali. "Model M6 & M6-1 ThinkPad Laptop Keyboard Assemblies | Shark's Wiki". Admiral Shark's Keyboards. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  8. ^ Paul, Frederic (1993-08-16). "Powerful IBM ThinkPad 500 is a bit too small for comfort". InfoWorld. InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.
  9. ^ A., Dell, Deborah (2000). ThinkPad: a different shade of blue. Sams. p. 330. ISBN 0-672-31756-7. OCLC 781169669.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Lee, Yvonne (21 March 1994). "IBM revamps line with four ThinkPads". InfoWorld.
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