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From: cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Toshiba T5100 expansion chassis questions
Keywords: Toshibe T 5100 expansion
Message-ID: <25B201E8.1960@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca>
Date: 15 Jan 90 17:01:28 GMT
References: <2615@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu>
Reply-To: cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn)
Distribution: usa
Organization: McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Lines: 38

In article <2615@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu> sajima@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Takahiro Sajima) writes:
$	I recently got a Toshiba T5100 for a good price.  I like the
$machine very much, but find that it lacks expansion options.  Instead of
$having standard ISA expansion slots, it has a strange looking connector
$in the back through which I can hook up an "expantion chassis" of some
$sort. If you know about such a box, then I'd like to hear from you.  If
$you have any first hand experience, then I beg you to share your
$experiences. [...]

   Well, I've hever worked with a T5100, but I do have experience with
two methods of expanding a T3100 ... perhaps this will help you out a
bit.  Sorry if my memory is a bit fuzzy ... this was last summer.

   One product I tried was called the WonUnder (from, I believe, Connect
Computer).  It's a little box that attaches under the machine, has a
connector that plugs into the expansion slot, and will allow one 3/4-length
or shorter PC (not AT) card to plug in.  The whole thing was rather a
pain to assemble, and it wouldn't work for our application.  Since it draws
its power from the laptop, it's limited to whatever the laptop can provide
(about 200-300 mA, I think), which was by far insufficient for our application
(an IBM Token Ring LAN card).

   After this, we obtained an expansion chassis from Toshiba.  It has (I
think) five slots; they were all PC slots, but they may have a 16-bit version
out there somewhere.  This box has its own power supply, so the power load
of your cards isn't a problem.  The biggest problem is that the cable that
runs from the laptop to the chassis is only about nine inches long, so it
can be very inconvenient if space is limited (it's also a very thick cable
and won't bend too sharply).  It can be removed as easily as you would remove
a printer cable from the computer.

   Hope this helps.  I'll try to answer any further questions about either
product, but no promises.
-- 
Stephen M. Dunn                               cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca
          <std_disclaimer.h> = "\nI'm only an undergraduate!!!\n";
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    If it's true that love is only a game//Well, then I can play pretend