{"id":21742,"date":"2025-07-15T14:52:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T18:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=21742"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:03:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T19:03:18","slug":"vin89","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin89\/","title":{"rendered":"Toshiba T1200"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Toshiba T1200<\/h2>\n<p>[Vin89]<\/p>\n<p>The Toshiba T1200, introduced in 1987, was a groundbreaking laptop notable for being one of the first to feature a swappable battery pack, internal hard drive, and a \u201chard RAM\u201d non-volatile memory option\u2014features that made it highly practical for mobile professionals of its era. Its claim to fame lies in making true portable IBM PC-compatibility more accessible, combining a 9.54 MHz Intel 80C86 processor, 1MB RAM (with memory available for EMS or as a RAM disk), and a readable backlit LCD, all in a package light enough to fit in a briefcase. The T1200 was widely praised by the trade press, stayed in production into the early 1990s, and is seen as an important step in laptop evolution.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Toshiba Corporation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Laptop<\/li>\n<li><strong>Model<\/strong>: T1200<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1987<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $6,499\u00a0 (CAD ~$20,000 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.4 (400 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Intel 80C86, switchable between 4.77 MHz (compatibility mode) and 9.54 MHz (full performance) with optional\u00a08087 math co-processor socket<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 1 MB (384 KB could be used as LIM EMS or as a RAM disk).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Internal 20 MB hard drive (JVC\/Ricoh interface, proprietary 26-pin connector)<\/li>\n<li>3.5&#8243; floppy disk drive (720 KB formatted). Some models offered two floppy drives instead of a hard drive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: 9.75&#8243; monochrome LCD (CGA compatible), 640 x 200 pixels, 80 x 25 text; models included EL backlit and reflective screen versions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Graphics<\/strong>: CGA, 16 gray shades.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: 4.1 kg (9 lb).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Battery<\/strong>: Swappable NiCad battery pack for main power; separate batteries for RAM (backup) and CMOS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expansion\/Connectivity<\/strong>: Parallel (printer) port, Serial (RS-232C) port, External floppy drive port, CGA RGB video out, composite video out, Numeric keypad connector (proprietary), Optional internal modem slot.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keyboard<\/strong>: 82-key, full-size QWERTY layout.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sound<\/strong>: PC Speaker.<\/li>\n<li>External numeric keypad, external floppy drive, carrying case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW136206418 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: MS-DOS 3.3<\/li>\n<li><strong><strong>Supported Languages: <\/strong><\/strong>As an IBM PC-compatible running MS-DOS 3.3, the Toshiba T1200 could execute a wide variety of computer languages available for DOS at the time.\n<ul>\n<li>BASIC: Microsoft GW-BASIC, and later versions of QuickBASIC, were common and widely used.<\/li>\n<li>Pascal: Turbo Pascal and UCSD Pascal could be installed and run under MS-DOS.<\/li>\n<li>C and C++: Compilers like Microsoft C, Turbo C, and Borland C++ were compatible.<\/li>\n<li>Assembly Language: Programs could be developed and executed using assemblers such as Microsoft MASM or Borland TASM.<\/li>\n<li>FORTRAN: Microsoft FORTRAN and other DOS FORTRAN compilers were available.<\/li>\n<li>Other Languages: Software for COBOL, dBASE, and various scripting\/interpreted environments (such as Perl or REXX, after installation) could also run, within the hardware\u2019s limitations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The T1200 was the first laptop with a swappable battery pack, setting an industry standard for mobile computing power.<\/li>\n<li>It featured \u201cHard RAM\u201d: a battery-backed RAM section that could function as non-volatile storage\u2014a rare innovation for its time.<\/li>\n<li>The hard drive used a proprietary, rare 26-pin interface (developed with JVC\/Ricoh), making replacements or upgrades exceptionally challenging.<\/li>\n<li>Part of its RAM was user-selectable as EMS memory or a RAM disk, giving flexibility for advanced DOS usage.<\/li>\n<li>The T1200 used a distinctive keyboard layout nicknamed \u201cMiniTouch\u201d in retro computing circles, appreciated for its mechanical switches and compact but functional design.<\/li>\n<li>The T1200 cemented Toshiba\u2019s position as a leader in professional portable computing during the late 1980s.<\/li>\n<li>Offered desktop-like capabilities in a true briefcase-size form, it was a \u201cpremium\u201d business tool and helped define expectations for subsequent laptop generations.<\/li>\n<li>It remained in production into the early 1990s, a testament to its advanced features and popularity among business travelers and organizations<\/li>\n<li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/XEspBeKkE4Y?si=EiB0nki5wIsWtMZh\" class=\"ccms__fancybox\" data-caption=\"Hello Tosh, got a Toshiba? - TV adverts compilation\">Hello Tosh, got a Toshiba? - TV adverts compilation<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Toshiba T1200 [Vin89] The Toshiba T1200, introduced in 1987, was a groundbreaking laptop notable for being one of the first to feature a swappable battery pack, internal hard drive, and a \u201chard RAM\u201d non-volatile memory option\u2014features that made it highly practical for mobile professionals of its era. Its claim to fame lies in making true [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Toshiba T1200 - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Toshiba T1200 The Toshiba T1200, introduced in 1987, was a groundbreaking laptop notable for being one of the first to feature a swappable battery pack,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin89\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin89\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin89\/\",\"name\":\"Toshiba T1200 - 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