Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!usc!apple!bbn.com!dhirsch From: dhirsch@bbn.com (Doug Hirsch) Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops Subject: Re: info request: Panasonic CF 150B Summary: decent machine Message-ID: <59872@bbn.BBN.COM> Date: 8 Oct 90 05:46:19 GMT References: Sender: news@bbn.com Reply-To: dhirsch@BBN.COM (Doug Hirsch) Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA Lines: 33 In article schraudo@beowulf.ucsd.edu (Nici Schraudolph) writes: >Just saw an ad for a low-end laptop I've never heard of before: > > Panasonic CF 150B, V-20 XT @ 8 MHz, 640k RAM, > backlit LCD, MS-DOS 3.3, 1 x 720k floppy, $599. > >Sounds like a good deal compared with the Toshiba T1000... does anybody >have more technical data and/or experience with this machine? Please >mail responses to me, I will post a summary to the net. I'm going ahead and posting since I've never seen anyone answer the multiple requests for info on this machine. I bought one several months ago and I'm pleased. When I shopped, the new T1000s supposedly had screens twice the resolution, but the greenish color of the Panasonic screen just seemed easier for me to read; this is totally subjective, of course. I bought the 1M add-in memory ($400) and the 2.4k modem ($190). Although they don't advertise it (for reasons I don't understand), the add-in memory is battery backed, leaving you with a very convenient continuous ram-disk. I was pleasantly surprized. The only disappointment is that the battery doesn't last more than an hour unless you turn off the backlight, which inconveniently involves rebooting. Even so, I don't think I get the three hours they claim, but I haven't taken it to the limit because I don't want to lose my ram-disk. I'll be interested to see if I get similar performance when I get my spare battery pack ($80?). It's possible my modem is eating all that extra power; there's no obvious convenient way to cut off its power. Other than that, it's a nice, light-weight, convenient little low-end laptop, and a fine alternative to the T1000. Doug