compaq presario 1993 tft display factory

Compaq succeeded in getting the better of IBM throughout the 1980s. First, reverse-engineering the PC’s BIOS when creating the trailblazing Compaq Portable. Then, introducing Intel’s 80386 processor in the Compaq DeskPro computer. Finally, spearheading industry opposition to IBM’s proprietary Micro Channel architecture and developing the competing EISA bus.

Though Compaq soared through the ’80s, it suffered when PCs were commoditized in the early ’90s. Lagging sales in 1991 prompted Compaq’s chairman, Ben Rosen, to orchestrate the ouster of long-time CEO Rod Canion. Rosen and Canion disagreed on how Compaq should respond to the industry’s race to the bottom, with Canion favoring in-house technologies and Rosen wanting to purchase off-the-shelf components. In June 1992, under new CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer’s leadership, Compaq lowered prices and launched sixteen new products, including updates to the venerable DeskPro line, a new ProLinea line, and Contura laptops.

The following year, on August 27, 1993, Compaq launched the budget-minded and long-lasting Presario line. First was the $1,399 Presario 425. It was a compact and well-equipped 486SX all-in-one system that looked like a Macintosh LC molded to its monitor. They also announced the Presario 633—a conventional desktop system priced $100 less than the Presario 425.

Consumers responded enthusiastically to Compaq’s low-end offerings, with more than 100,000 Presarios selling in the first 60 days. By the end of 1993, Presario sales totaled $500 million.

Compaq continued to produce all-in-one Presarios along with conventional models. They released three versions of the original 400 series, and in 1994, Compaq jumped on the multimedia bandwagon, adding a CD-ROM with the CDS 500s and integrating a TV-tuner in the CDTV 500s.

In late 1996, the Presario 3020 became the next generation all-in-one. Built on Intel’s Pentium processor and sporting a hinged 12.1-inch flat-panel display, the 3020 was innovative and eye-catching. The design was dominated by a prominent speaker grill surrounding the LCD, with the rest of the system neatly packaged behind the display. A style Compaq debuted a few months before Apple’s sleeker Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh and eight years before the iMac made it commonplace.

The industry noticed the unusual design, giving the 3020 attention in Newsweek, the New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. WSJ’s Walt Mossberg described the Presario 3020 as “a sort of novelty product, which should appeal to people with a strong desire for a radical design.” He admits it generated conversation when guests entered his office, and it was well-equipped with a 166 MHz Pentium processor, 24MB of RAM, 2MB of video RAM, a 2GB hard drive, a four-disk 8x CD-ROM changer, and a 33.6Kbps modem. He was not a fan of the “ton of useless software” and its relatively high price at $3,500. Popular Sciencewas more impressed, appreciating the design and configuration. PC Magazine was also favorable, describing the “monoputer” as a successful merger of convenience, portability, power, and functionality.

A few months later, in January 1997, Compaq bumped the 3020 to the Presario 3060, upping the processor to 200 MHz and the hard drive to 3.8GB. They also lowered the price to $3,000.

I picked up this particular Presario 3060 by chance. I arrived at a local junk dealer’s warehouse to collect a Macintosh Performa listed on Facebook Marketplace. Before I left, he said the magic words, “Do you want to see something else while you’re here?” We burrowed deeper into the dark warehouse and came out with a device I’d never seen before. It lacked a keyboard or mouse, and neither of us was quite sure what it was at first. I spotted the Compaq branding and Intel sticker on the front, so I assumed it was a PC, but it could have been a stand-alone multimedia player or a strange point-of-sale system. We struck a quick deal, and I took it home.

The Presario 3060 is powered by an Intel Pentium with MMX technology. The Pentium was Intel’s next-generation processor following the successful 80486. MMX referred to instructions Intel added to accelerate multimedia and communication applications. This technology sped up calculations needed for graphics-intensive applications such as video encoding and image compression along with music synthesis, speech recognition, data transfers, and other functions that operate in parallel with primary system functions. Technically, the 3060 has a 200MHz Socket 7 P55C processor running on a 66MHz system bus. The Pentium has an internal 32K cache and a 256K external pipeline burst cache. The system’s memory comes from 8MB of RAM soldered directly to the motherboard, with two additional 8MB SIMMs installed in two of the four SIMM sockets, providing a total of 24MB.

Expansion slots are mounted on a daughter card protruding from the middle of the motherboard. One side of the expansion card has two PCI slots and an ISA slot. One of these PCI slots is occupied by the S3 Aurora64+ video card with 2MB of video RAM. The card drives the built-in LCD at 800 x 600 resolution with 16 million colors. The active-matrix TFT flat-panel LCD is connected by a ribbon cable to the top of the video card, but a port on the side can also drive an external display at 1280 x 1024 with 256 colors. On the other side, a single ISA slot is intended for Compaq’s 33.6kbps/14.4kbps modem/fax card. The remaining PCI and ISA slots are available for user purposes.

The sound system is impressive. JBL Pro speakers are located on the sides of the display, powered by the 16-bit ESS 1888F AudioDrive sound chip. The speakers provide Spatializer 3D surround sound effects and with the built-in modem and microphone, the computer could serve as a full-duplex echo canceling speakerphone. A Wavetable header is provided on the motherboard, but not populated on my unit.

The original 3.8GB IDE drive was missing, so I installed an IDE to compact flash adapter. Ordinarily, this is not a complex upgrade, but Compaq uses proprietary configuration software, which complicates things. The computer accesses the configuration software from a hidden utility partition on the hard drive, but this unit’s hard drive is long gone. Luckily, after posting a picture of the Presario 3060 on Twitter, @DangerDook volunteered to send me images of the setup and diagnostic disks. I’ve since learned that HP still maintains an FTP sitewith all the legacy Compaq SoftPaqs. I finally booted the computer after creating the SP2141 (Setup) and SP10245 (Diagnostics) disks.

The inspection software on the diagnostic disk provided helpful information, and the system passed the full suite of diagnostic tests. Now, it was time to load the setup program to verify the settings and configure the new hard drive. The software has a friendly graphical interface, and the hard drive settings are easy to find. Unfortunately, the BIOS does not automatically detect the hard drive, so I needed to input the drive’s geometry (cylinders/heads/sectors). I learned that SP2824 patches the setup program to correct a problem related to the hard drive information. So, I installed the patch on my setup disk and then used the utility WhatIDE to verify the proper settings for the 2GB compact flash card I’d selected. After changing the settings and a reboot, the setup program recognized the new drive. It offered to create the utility partition and copy the setup and diagnostic software to the drive. After this, I could access Compaq’s software by pressing F10 at boot.

I was then able to install Windows 95. While the system recognized some of the hardware, Compaq expected users to use the System Restoration CD to reload software on the computer. I did not have the CD, and I came up empty when searching online. However, I learned Computer Surgeons, a computer repair business located in Versailles, KY, sells legacy Compaq and HP recovery kits. I was able to find what I needed on their website, and after paying $35, a CD and boot floppy were on their way.

When the new compact flash card arrived, I abandoned the automated restoration program and handled things manually. I reran the patched SP2141 setup program and decided to reset everything to factory defaults. I noticed a few things changed, including a slight adjustment to the hard drive settings. I once again created the setup/diagnostic partition. Using a Windows 95 boot disk (matching version 4.00.950a on the Restoration CD), I partitioned and formated the remaining 3.8GB on the disk. Luckily, Compaq compressed the restoration image using the standard ZIP format, so, on another computer, I unpacked the contents of the file. I then inserted the compact flash card into the other computer and copied all the files to the card. Finally, I reinserted the compact flash card into the Presario 3060. After many failed attempts, I was thrilled to see a colorful Compaq startup screen.

The Presario had a pleasant surprise. Upon starting Windows, it loaded a special introductory video. Hosted by actor John de Lancie (best known as the Star Trek character Q), he walks you through the registration process and introduces you to the special features of the Presario.

The system comes loaded with software. Skirting perilously close to bloatware, Compaq included: Windows 95; the Compaq SmartQ help system; specialized telephony software (fax, address books, speakerphone, and voicemail); a suite of multimedia software; Netscape Navigator, PointCast, and SurfWatch internet tools; trials for American Online and CompuServe; Microsoft Works and Quicken. The original packaging also included CDs for Corel Draw 5, Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia 1996, Ultimate Human Body 2, and the games Pod and The Yukon Trail.

I was able to pair the system with a period-appropriate Compaq keyboard, but the original system came with a pioneering three-button wireless mouse. While I couldn’t source a replacement, I found a wired Compaq-branded three-button Logitech MouseMan that looks comparable.

The Compaq Presario 3060 is a rare Pentium-based all-in-one. Though Presarios were often considered budget PCs, this relatively high-end system was innovative, feature-rich, and loaded with software. Today, it has been all-but-forgotten, so I’m thrilled to have stumbled across the unique example of daring design released during the boring beige-box PC era.

Presario is a discontinued line of consumer desktop computers and notebooks originally produced by Compaq. The Presario family of computers was introduced in September 1993.

In the mid-1990s, Compaq began manufacturing PC monitors as part of the Presario brand. A series of all-in-one units, containing both the PC and the monitor in the same case, were also released.

After Compaq merged with HP in 2002, the Presario line of desktops and laptops were sold concurrently with HP’s other products, such as the HP Pavilion. The Presario laptops subsequently replaced the then-discontinued HP OmniBook line of notebooks around that same year.

The Presario brand name would continue to be used for low-end home desktops and laptops from 2002 until the Compaq brand name was discontinued by HP in 2013.

The 1X25 monitors were paired with the Compaq Presario 4500, 4600, 4800 and a few other Series 2 designed Presarios, which featured a spaceship or rocket ship design on the front casing of the towers. The towers also had smoked-black CD bezel covers. These monitors all shared the same design cues from the towers they were meant to match: all of them had a split lower bezel which ran down the middle. The monitors had dials for brightness and contrast, plus a volume dial for speakers, which also acts as a power button when pressed. It also has a mute button for the volume on the left side of the monitor, and featured a few digital controls located behind the bottom panel. The monitor also has a built-in microphone, located on the top of the monitor.

There is also a very rare set of monitors (the FX series) which have built-in speakers and a subwoofer, plus three extra USB ports. These are designed to go with the 4800 series Presario multimedia towers (specifically the 4830 to 4882), as they were all black like the FX monitor.

The MVX00 and FPX00 monitors were designed to be sold with the Series 3 designed Compaq towers. They retained the original spaceship design of the second generation Presario towers, except most had smoked-black plastic "easy access" flip-up doors on the bottom containing USB and audio ports behind it, and a slightly squatter design that was more rounded. Like the previous monitors before it, these monitors were designed to match the design cues of the Series 3 Presarios. These monitors had their brightness and contrast dials of the previous monitors removed in favor of digital controls accessible by a button on the monitor. The volume dial (which acted as a power button) and mute buttons were also removed, with a standard power button in place of the volume dial.

The MVX20 monitors were designed for use with Series 4 designed Presarios. They retained the spaceship form factor of previous generation Presarios but in a more curvature shape, and most of them had translucent purple plastic flip-up doors that provided access to USB and/or FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports. Like previous Presario monitors, these were designed to match with the Series 4 Presarios as they shared the same design cues. The monitors featured on-screen display digital controls instead of six LED lights on previous monitors that indicated the type of control being used.

The MVX40 and FSX40 monitors were used with the Compaq Presario 5000 and 7000 series, as well as some Series 5 designed Presarios. Both the 5000 and 7000 series of towers had a brand new front case design that moved away from the spaceship-derived design of previous generation Presarios in favor of a more sleek and stylish design that featured removable translucent colored plastic faceplates, which were offered in five colors. These monitors were mostly similar in design with the previous MVX20 monitors, but with a refreshed design that featured a more curvature exterior instead of the boxy-styled angular design of previous monitors, fitting in with the design cues of the 5000 and 7000 series.

Flat-screen CRT displays were introduced alongside the MVX40 monitors and are designated with the letters FS. Flat panel LCD displays were also available, designated with the letters FP.

Simply Office. Simple mainstream notebooks with a 15.6 inch display and low entry prices are very popular. Plain design, glossy display and AMD hardware promise a good value for money ratio. Convincing office device or second choice?

Hewlett Packard (HP) releases a simple mainstream notebook without many frills onto the market with its Compaq Presario CQ62. The test device is equipped with a 15.6 inch display, which has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels and a high-gloss surface. A simple, but usually sufficient, standard is also given in case and connectivity. It"s aligned for simple office work, whereby ambitions for multimedia and gaming are covered to a small extent.

We"ve taken a closer look at the HP Compaq Presario CQ62-A04sg, a low price entry model with AMD Athlon II P320 (dual core, 2.1 GHz) and ATI Radeon HD 4250. A fast 2.5 inch, 320 GB hard disk, 3 GB of DDR3 RAM, WLAN standard 802.11 b/g/n and Windows 7 Home Premium as the 64 bit version also belongs to the specs. Our test device is available for 499 euro (RRP). Are workmanship, battery life and processing performance convincing? We"ve checked the CQ62"s qualities in our detailed review.

The Compaq Presario"s case strikes with a plain design and proves to be an unobtrusive eye-catcher. The device is both suitable for the office as well as for the lecture theater in university or college. The prism texture on the display lid and inside area provides a pleasant feel. Overall, a plain design in matt black. Nevertheless, we ask ourselves why the inside display bezel have been given a high-gloss finish. It doesn"t fit into the concept and is susceptible for dust and scratches. The color options are limited and HP doesn"t offer other color alternatives.

The display hinges hold the desired position well, whereby it teeters evidently. A protective cover isn"t mandatory, even if recommendable, due to the matt and very solid exterior. The notebook weighs 2.6 kilograms with the 6 cell battery at a size of 37.4 x 24.6 x 3.2 - 3.7 centimeters (w x d x h). This weight and dimensions are acceptable for this configuration and construction size.

The given mobile technologies are quite extensive, whereas the latest standards aren"t quite met. The notebook has an RJ45 network socket and 10/100 Mbit LAN via a Realtek controller for cabled communication. The Presario bids a cutting edge Broadcom BCM 4313 controller for mobile data transfer. It supports WLAN standard 802.11 b/g/n and is thus up-to-date. Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR is also part of the alignment, however it lags a bit behind the latest Bluetooth 3.0 +HS. A model with UMTS module isn"t intended for this device category and there is no dummy slot in the case.

HP uses a 15.6 inch screen with a high-gloss surface for the display. It has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels in a 16:9 format. Higher resolutions (interpolated) can"t be selected. A glare-type screen isn"t the best requisite for outdoor use. The display"s good rates might compensate this flaw.

The entire display surface is illuminated by small LEDs. They allegedly supply an even and bright illumination. The screen is in the wide midfield with a maximum rate of 198 cd/m2. The average of 188.2 cd/m2 is also average and higher quality devices, such as the Apple MacBook Pro (13 inch, glare-type), stand out clearly with over 270 cd/m2. Beside the reflective surface, the low brightness is another point that speaks against outdoor use.

The intense brightness decrease on the display"s left is striking. It has a difference of about 30 cd/m2 to the brighter area. Thus, the illumination sinks to only 83 cd/m2. Fortunately, this fluctuation isn"t visible during use. Another negative point of this screen is the increased black value of 1.23 cd/m2, which prevents a saturated black. It looks more like gray and lets the contrast decreases to weak 155:1. Subjectively, the reproduced colors and focus are convincing.

In order to assess the screen accurately, we checked the reproducible color spectrum with X-Rite i1Display 2 (hardware + software). HP"s Presario, colored in the comparison, can only convince to a part. This notebook isn"t suitable for professional users because the sRGB color space can"t be reproduced completely. In comparison to the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15, Hewlett Packard"s device is impressive though.

Outdoor use is very restricted because of the display"s glossy surface and the average up to poor assessed rates. Use in direct light incidence is hardly possible because intense reflections develop. Working in indirect light is possible with restrictions. Reflections can"t be avoided, however they can be partly intercepted by the display"s light.

The viewing angle stability is only convincing in horizontal rendering. The image remains stable in flat angles during this movement and color rendering is valid. The display hardly allows a deviation on the vertical plane. The slightest change causes the image to invert and colors falsify, respectively bleach intensely.

3 GB of DDR3 RAM from Elpida (2 GB) and Samsung (1 GB) (1066 MHz, DDR3-10600S) and a 2.5 inch hard disk with 320 GB also belong to the HP Compaq Presario CQ62-A04sg"s configuration. Replacing these components is made easy by two large maintenance covers. The RAM is limited to a maximum of 8 GB on two banks. All standard 2.5 inch drives (hard disk or solid state drive) with a construction height of 9.5 millimeters can be used for the hard disk. You can"t access the other components directly.

As expected, the installed graphics chip set in the Presario isn"t astronomically strong and places itself in the entry division. An acceptable 1435 points (3DMarks) are achieved in 3DMark06 in a resolution of 1280x1024 pixels. HP"s EliteBook 2740p with an Intel Core i5-540M and Intel GMA HD or Asus" U50VG with an older Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 and Nvidia GeForce G105M is on a similar level.

HD videos on the internet or stored locally, on the computer, are becoming more and more popular. The Presario CQ62 doesn"t have any problems rendering smoothly in 480, 720 and 1080p due to the ATI graphics unit. We looked at a current HD cinema trailer and a locally stored H.264 video in the three resolutions for a quick check.

When all system reserves are used for computing intensive applications, the battery is put under high demand. This situation can be simulated by "Classic Test" in the BatteryEater tool. An OpenGL calculation with maximum display brightness is executed for this. The mobile technologies and Windows 7"s high performance profile are selected as additional consumers. The battery is drained after poor 84 minutes (1 hour and 24 minutes) and an electrical outlet has to be targeted. You have an acceptable 3 hours and 24 minutes for checking your emails and surfing on the internet.

CQ62"s charged battery is sufficient for two movies without extra length. In opposition to the "Classic Test", the Reader"s Test determines the maximum possible battery life. For this, all mobile technologies are disabled, Windows 7"s energy savings options are enabled and the display"s minimum brightness is selected. The battery is also drained fairly fast with 4 hours and 5 minutes in this situation. Unfortunately, it"s not possible to use a battery with 8 or 9 cells because they aren"t available. They wouldn"t fit in the intended compartment on the bottom either.

HP"s Compaq Presario CQ62-A04sg is a simple office notebook without reserves for complex applications. The AMD Athlon II P320 (2x1.10 GHz) and the ATI Radeon HD 4250 do a good job for the entry level, whereby current 3D games can only be presented smoothly in minimum settings. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 or the Nvidia GeForce GT 330M is recommendable for higher demands.

The 15.6 inch display is a big disadvantage of this device. The glossy surface and average to poor display rates aren"t convincing and outdoor use is hardly possible. A good and especially matt display would definitely have been a better solution. The "little" 6 cell battery seems to beoverburdened by the installed components" requirements and the battery life is restricted. The Compaq Presario from Hewlett Packard hasn"t earned any kudos with 2 hours and 30 minutes in realistic use.

You"ll get a simple office notebook with a 15.6 inch screen for 499 euro including value added tax (RRP). However, you have to compromise on gaming performance and a superior mobility. Due to this requisite, the HP Compaq Presario CQ62-A04sg is rewarded with a round 80 percent in the overall rating.

15.4 inch 1280x800 WXGA Laptop TFT LCD Screen Display Back Cover Assembly 432302-001 Compatible Replacement Spare Part for HP Compaq Presario V6000 Series.Part Number:432302-001Compatible Part Numbers:432302-002Compatible Models:HP Compaq Presario V6000 RX951AV V6000 V6000TX V6101US V6105NR V6107US V6110CA V6110US V6171CL V6205NR V6216CA V6030US V6048CL V6202EA V6210BR V6220BR V6225BR V6230BR V6399XX V6000AU V6001AU V6002AU V6003AU V6012EA V6014EA V6016EA V6024EA V6025EA V6057EA V6065EA V6066EA V6101EU V6102EA V6102XX V6103EA V6103NR V6103TU V6104NR V6104TU V6104US V6109AU V6109OM V6112EU V6113TU V6114TU V6115EU V6115OM V6117EU V6125TU V6126TU V6131EU V6133EU V6199XX V6200 CTO V6200XX V6201TU V6202AU V6202TU V6204EA V6204US V6208AU V6208TU V6211TU V6215AU V6215BR V6221EU V6223EU V6239EU V6302EU V6306TU V6316TU V6317TU V6402AU V6406AU SeriesScreen Size:15.4"Maximum Resolution:1280x800Refresh Rate:60HzAspect Ratio:4:3Backlight:CCFLColor:BlackType:Laptop LCD Screen Assembly

Compaq was founded in 1982 along with their first product, the Compaq Portable. They were notably the first company to legally reverse-engineer an IBM computer, and the Compaq Portable was one of the first non-IBM computers that was compatible with the software on an IBM computer. Compaq continued to produce both portable and desktop computers, but they struggled with financial issues in the 1990s, and the company was bought by HP in 2002. Compaq computers made up the lower end of HP personal computers until 2013, when the brand was discontinued.

The Presario series of computers contained laptops, desktops, and desktop monitors. This brand was first used in 1993, and continued until the Compaq line was discontinued in 2013. The Presario CQ62 is part of the laptop line, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘notebook’ line. There are several variations of the CQ62. Their model numbers will always begin with CQ62, and then continue with another three numbers and two letters, like this: CQ62-###xx. Since all Compaq computers made after 2002 are owned by HP, they should follow HP model number conventions that can give more information on where the computer was made and what components it has.

The Compaq Portable 486 was the last portable computer in Compaq’s original “Compaq Portable” line. By the time of its release in 1992, Compaq and other portable manufacturers knew that the days of the portable/luggable were numbered. This news was not new – portable sales had been declining with luggables fighting a losing battle as most people flocked to the much more portable and increasingly more powerful laptops.

Prior to 1992, laptops were significantly underpowered compared to luggable portables (and desktops). Still, by the mid-1990s, as computer development accelerated, the performance & price gap between laptops and portables had disappeared. The rationale to carry an 18 LBs. sewing box-style computer also vanished. Compaq Portable 486’s made after this time were relegated to more specialized use cases, such as being a network sniffer.

This is not to say that the rise of laptops took Compaq by surprise at all – Compaq knew laptops would be the wave of the future. However, they were late to the market, as they refused to follow the competition and release a more basic laptop. Though this “wait and over-deliver” strategy paid off – in 1988, they finally gave in and released the Compaq SLT/286, Compaq’s first laptop computer that was a commercial success.

As the 1990s progressed, laptops continued to get more and more powerful, and battery life improved. This article below from 1993 foresaw the future where the “luggable” portable computer would be transformed into a niche product, if not disappear altogether.

Specific use cases were definitely there; for example, to give multimedia presentations on-the-go – as video & sound presentations need large, bright, (and power-hungry) displays with accompanying speakers. People looking for portable, true desktop-class power with full-length ISA / EISA card expandability found that the Compaq Portable 486 would fit the bill.

As you can see, this computer is a bit of an oddity. It was the last of it’s kind and seemed to struggle slightly with an identity crisis. Everyone, including Compaq, knew this would be the last “computer with a handle” they would make. Compaq approached this computer with a 2-in-1 approach of “portable desktop” than other previous portable luggables. There is a clear emphasis on performance and display technology, making the Compaq Portable 486 comparable to mid-to-high-end desktops of its release year. In fact, this computer goes beyond a traditional desktop of its time and replaces the CRT with a state of the art LCD – likely a significant contributing factor to its high price. It is, however, a bit disappointing that the LCD does not support SVGA.

Here’s how the last Compaq Portable and the first Compaq Portable stack up against each other. It’s amazing how far computer technology advanced in 10 (or so) years:

Looking at the comparison above, the most obvious thing that stands out is the price of the Compaq Portable 486 (it’s another one of Compaq’s computers that cost the same price as a car at release, like the Compaq Portable 386). Though, if you take a closer look at the specs and see that for 1992, it’s a mighty computer – packing a decently clocked 486 with up to 32 MB (!!) of RAM.

Weighing in at 17 lbs, the Compaq Portable 486 was relatively light, retaining the lunchbox/suitcase form factor (with the keyboard folding up to lock over the screen), a feature that echoes throughout the design of all Compaq Portables. The Compaq Portable 486 line was the only Compaq Portable to be offered with a color screen (Model 486c – the alternate non “C” model was a monochrome TFT). It also came in 2, 486-CPU varieties, a 33 Mhz, and 66 Mhz, the latter marketed as 486/66 or 486/66c. Both variants were socketed and easily upgradeable.

The Compaq Portable 486 came stock with 4MB of RAM but could be expanded to accommodate up to 32 MB of RAM, the largest amount of RAM in any portable at the time. 32 MB of RAM in 1992 is excessive. Perhaps this RAM expandability coupled with the socketed 486 CPU was a selling point of “future-proofing” the computer to justify its relatively high price. The socketed CPU and support for a large amount of RAM meant that, when maxed out with 32 MB of RAM and an AMD 5×86 CPU running at 133 MHz, the Portable 486 can run Windows 98 (albeit a bit slowly) – but is very responsive in Windows 95.

The Active Matrix TFT LCD screen was and still is impressive – the first thing you notice about it is how bright it is (at the max setting, you get immediate eye strain). Thankfully the brightness can be dialed down through the brightness dial on the right of the display panel. The screen is backlit with a compact TFL bulb, the shape of which causes a slight shadow on-screen but is not too noticeable. I’m sure in 1992, it was a non-issue since LED backlighting was still 10 years away.

The color Active Matrix TFT screen made up a significant portion of the unit’s cost, as the technology was brand new at the time (in 1993, an external consumer flat panel TFT active matrix display cost $1,600 – $2,000). It really does suck, though, that the internal video card is not SVGA compatible. I guess you could work around this by using an external monitor and an ISA / EISA video card, but then that sort of defies the purpose of having a Compaq Portable 486.

Another neat thing about the Compaq Portable 486 was that it featured an audio input jack that allows you to feed the output of an audio card into it, which piped out the sound through its relatively large but mono internal speaker. This meant that you did not have to carry speakers around with you, as mentioned in the ad snipped above, highlighting the benefits of this computer for use in giving mobile presentations on the go.

The first laptop computers that ran DOS arrived in early 1986 - I am of course not including those that came before it that were more luggable in nature, like the original Compaq Portable launched in November 1982. Skip forward to the first of the then new clamshell-design laptops - the Toshiba T1100. By "laptop" I"m referring to something that can be battery-powered and be around 4.5 to 5.5 kg (10 to 12 pounds) in weight.

Until 1989, these all came with monochrome displays, using either Gas Plasma or STN display technology, which for gaming was awful due to very slow refresh frequencies that would cause "ghosting" effects. Even for general application use it was preferable to connect the laptop to an external monitor when not on the road, since CRTs were just a lot kinder to the eyes!

By late 1989 and 1990 we saw the first colour laptops hit the shelves. At this time, five manufacturers were vying to corner the laptop/portable market: Zenith was in 1st place with 23.9%, followed by Toshiba with 21.1%. Then Compaq in third place with 11.7%, NEC with 9% and Tandy/GRiD with 7.8%. A bunch of smaller players filled the remaining 26%.

Moving on to 1992, we started to see Pentium-based systems with VGA colour graphics. These would have a better active-matrix colour LCD screen using TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology. Sadly, it was still too early to get a laptop with a sound card integrated, but there are now ways around that (see parallel port sound cards).

The first laptops came with CGA-compatible graphics (displayed in shades of grey) and a 640x200 maximum resolution. Later laptops supported EGA and VGA graphics, and would typically have a native resolution (the screen width and height in pixels without stretching or compressing the image) of 640x480. Also common was that you could connect an external monitor and the laptop could display a higher resolution image, such as 1024x768 on that monitor.

During the DOS era, laptop screen technology evolved from LCD monochrome to early amber-tinted Gas Plasma(also monochrome) to STN (Supertwist Nematic) and Dual-Scan STN (DSTN) monochrome which could show something like 64 shades of grey. DSTN eliminated the green and blue tints that were often visible with STN displays. TFT monochrome, then later we got colour DSTN (the first colour laptop launched in October 1989 - it was the NEC ProSpeed CSX). Eventually we got TFT colour and we started to see laptop screen resolutions increase to 800 x 600 and then 1024 x 768.

STN and DSTN screens suffer from a very low refresh rate, resulting in "ghosting" whenever anything moves on the screen, including a mouse pointer! Whether it"s monochrome or colour, our recommendation is to avoid these at all costs. They also suffered from very poor constrast ratio - typically 15:1 compared to 40:1 average for TFT. You can usually tell if a laptop has an STN or DSTN display because it has both a brightness and a contrast dial. TFT screens only need a brightness control.

Most DOS games ran at a resolution of 320x200, and since most TFT colour laptops of the time ran natively at 640x480, these 320x200 games scale up nicely on such displays with no noticeable black borders. If you have a more advanced laptop that natively supports Super VGA resolution (800x600), this is less able to correctly scale one of these older 320x200 games, so you would tend to just have a big black border around the game. Therefore, for DOS gaming, we would recommend choosing a laptop with a native resolution of 640x480 and has a TFT colour display. Due to the time these were prevalent, they tend to have a minimum of a 486DX-33 CPU, so should be fast enough for a lot of DOS games up to around 1992. There"s even a Pentium 75 that meets this spec - the Compaq LTE 5000.

in this roundup, the Portege 610CT. The $5,378 Satellite Pro 410CDT has the same travel weight as the 400CDT but offers an increase both in processing power, to a 90-MHz Pentium, and in screen size, to 11.3 inches. (This display also supports 800-by-600 SVGA resolution.)" PC Magazine, Jan 1996

Take care to ensure it has the TFT colour display, as this same model number was also sold with the older DSTN colour display (check for both contrast and brightness dials - if it has both, don"t buy it!). Likewise, the Model 510 only has the DSTN display.

Brand new in 1995, the Compaq retailed for $4,999. There was also an optional Expansion Base, which included its own battery charger and monitor stand, and provided the following ports: serial, enhanced parallel, monitor, numeric keypad, keyboard, mouse, and optional Ethernet. The basic "Docking Base" was $175 while the one with Ethernet too was $295. Alternatively you could buy the MultiBay Expansion Base which allowed devices to be shared between the Notebook and the base. It supported up to two additional hard drives or CD-ROM drives, and an additional floppy disk drive. It could also charge up to 2 batteries. The MultiBay retailed for $489.

■ 15.0-inch XGA (1024 × 768) TFT display with over 16.7 million colors ■ 80-, 60-, or 40-GB high-capacity hard drive, varying by notebook model ■ 256-MB DDR2 synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) at 400 MHz, expandable to 1.0 GB ■ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional, varying by notebook model ■...

Product Description The external components on the front of the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook are shown below and described in Table 1-2. Front Components, Compaq Presario M2200 1–8 Maintenance and Service Guide...

Item Component Speakers (2) Wireless light (select models only) Power/standby light IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) drive light Battery light Display release button Audio-in (microphone) jack Audio-out (headphone) jack Maintenance and Service Guide Table 1-2 Front Components Compaq Presario M2200 Function Produce stereo sound.

Product Description The external components on the right side of the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook are shown below and described in Table 1-4. Right-Side Components, Compaq Presario M2200 1–12 Maintenance and Service Guide...

Product Description The external components on the left side of the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook are shown below and described in Table 1-6. Left-Side Components, Compaq Presario M2200 1–16 Maintenance and Service Guide...

The external components on the rear panel of the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook are shown below and described in Table 1-8. Rear Panel Components, Compaq Presario M2200 Item Component Battery bay Exhaust vent Ä To prevent overheating, do not obstruct vents. Do not allow a hard surface, such as a printer, or a soft surface, such as pillows, thick rugs, or clothing, to block airflow.

Product Description The notebook keyboard components on the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook are shown below and described in Table 1-10. Keyboard Components, Compaq Presario M2200 1–22 Maintenance and Service Guide...

Item Component Function keys (12) caps lock key Fn key Windows logo key Windows applications key Arrow keys Keypad keys (15) num lock key Maintenance and Service Guide Table 1-10 Keyboard Components Compaq Presario M2200 Function Perform system and application tasks. When combined with the Fn key, the function keys perform additional tasks as hotkeys.

Product Description The top components on the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook are shown below and described in Table 1-12. Top Components, Compaq Presario M2200 Item Component Left and right TouchPad buttons TouchPad Caps lock light Display switch 1–26 Table 1-12 Top Components Compaq Presario M2200 Function...

Compaq Presario M2200 (Continued) Item Component Wireless light (select models only) Power/standby button Volume down button Volume up button Volume mute button Mute light Num lock light 6-in-1 Memory Reader light (select models only) TouchPad vertical and horizontal scroll regions Maintenance and Service Guide Table 1-12 Top Components...

Product Description The external components on the bottom of the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook are shown below and described in Table 1-14. Bottom Components, Compaq Presario M2200 Item Component Battery bay Battery pack release latch Memory module compartment 1–30 Table 1-14 Bottom Components Compaq Presario M2200 Function...

Compaq Presario M2200 (Continued) Item Component Exhaust vents (4) Ä To prevent overheating, do not obstruct vents. Do not allow a hard surface, such as a printer, or a soft surface, such as pillows, thick rugs, or clothing, to block airflow. Optical drive Label area Mini PCI compartment...

Spare Parts: Notebook Major Components Item Description Display assemblies (include wireless antenna boards and cables) 15.0-inch, XGA TFT, for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models 15.0-inch, XGA TFT, for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models Display hinge brackets (not illustrated)

Spare Parts: Notebook Major Components (Continued) Item Description Keyboards For use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models in: Belgium Brazil Denmark Europe and The Netherlands France French Canada Germany Greece Israel Italy Korea Norway For use on Compaq Presario M2200 models in:...

Spare Parts: Notebook Major Components (Continued) Item Description Top covers (include TouchPad) For use on full-featured HP Pavilion ze2200 models For use on defeatured HP Pavilion ze2200 models For use on full-featured Compaq Presario M2200 models For use on defeatured Compaq Presario M2200...

Intel Centrino technology For use on defeatured models, 852GM PC Card cage (not illustrated) Base enclosures For use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models For use on Compaq Presario M2200 models Hard drives (all 4200-rpm, include frame and connector) 80 GB...

Spare Parts: Notebook Major Components (Continued) Item Description Miscellaneous Plastics Kit For use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models For use on Compaq Presario M2200 models Includes: Hard drive cover (includes two captive screws) Memory module compartment cover (includes 2 captive screws)

Spare Part Number Information Item Description Miscellaneous Plastics Kit For use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models For use on Compaq Presario M2200 models Includes: Memory module compartment cover Mini PCI compartment cover Hard drive cover PC Card slot space saver...

Spare Parts: Sequential Part Number Listing (Continued) Spare Part Number Description 367777-AB1 Keyboard for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models in Taiwan 367777-AD1 Keyboard for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models in Korea 367777-B71 Keyboard for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models in Sweden/Finland 371693-001 Wired headset with volume control...

Display assembly, 15.0-inch, XGA TFT, for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models (includes wireless antenna boards and cables) 381068-001 Keyboard for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models in Asia Pacific, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, and the United States 381068-031...

Keyboard cover for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models with wireless capability (includes wireless button and light) 382408-001 Keyboard cover for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models without wireless capability (includes wireless button and light) 382409-001 Keyboard cover for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models...

Spare Parts: Sequential Part Number Listing (Continued) Spare Part Number Description 382417-001 Display hinge brackets for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models 382418-001 Hinge covers (for use only on Compaq Presario M2200 models) 382905-001 Top cover for use on defeatured HP Pavilion ze2200 models...

5.22 Bluetooth Board 5.23 System Board 5–4 # of Screws Removed HP Pavilion ze2200 = 4 Compaq Presario M2200 = 6 HP Pavilion ze2200 = 23 Compaq Presario M2200 = 25 1 loosened HP Pavilion ze2200 = 2 Compaq Presario M2200 = 4...

✎ The hard drive cover is included in the Miscellaneous Plastics Kits, spare part numbers 382400-001 (for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models) and 382401-001 (for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models). Removing the Hard Drive Cover Maintenance and Service Guide Removal and Replacement Procedures 5–7...

✎ The memory module compartment cover is included in the Miscellaneous Plastics Kits, spare part numbers 382400-001 (for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models) and 382401-001 (for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models). Removing the Memory Module Compartment Cover 5–14...

✎ The Mini PCI compartment cover is included in the Miscellaneous Plastics Kits, spare part numbers 382400-001 (for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models) and 382401-001 (for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models). Removing the Mini PCI Compartment Cover Maintenance and Service Guide Removal and Replacement Procedures 5–17...

4. Turn the notebook display-side up with the front panel toward you. 5. Open the notebook as far as possible. 6. Insert a flat blade tool into the keyboard cover notches behind cover disengages from the notebook. 7. Remove the keyboard cover. Removing the Keyboard Cover Reverse the above procedure to install the keyboard cover.

Removal and Replacement Procedures 5. Turn the notebook display-side up with the front toward you. 6. Open the display. 7. Disconnect the display cable 1 from the system board. 8. Remove the wireless antenna cables from the clips 2 in the top cover.

Failure to follow this caution can result in damage to the display assembly. ✎ Steps 9 and 10 apply only to HP Pavilion ze2200 models. See steps 11 and 12 in this section for information on removing the display assembly on Compaq Presario M2200 models.

Removal and Replacement Procedures Ä CAUTION: Support the display assembly when removing the following screws. Failure to follow this caution can result in damage to the display assembly. ✎ Steps 11 and 12 apply only to Compaq Presario M2200 models. 11.

Removal and Replacement Procedures ✎ Steps 3 through 5 apply only to HP Pavilion ze2200 models. See steps 6 through 8 in this section for information on removing the base enclosure screws on Compaq Presario M2200 models. 3. Remove the three PM2.0×8.0 screws 1 and the two PM2.0×4.0 screws 2 that secure the base enclosure to the...

Removal and Replacement Procedures ✎ Steps 6 through 8 apply only to Compaq Presario M2200 models. 6. Remove the six PM2.0×8.0 screws 1 and the PM2.0×4.0 screw 2 that secure the base enclosure to the notebook. Removing the Base Enclosure Screws, Part 1, Compaq Presario M2200 Models Only 5–36 Maintenance and Service Guide...

7. Turn the notebook upside down with the front panel toward you. 8. Remove the three PM2.0×4.0 screws 1 and the fifteen PM2.0×8.0 screws 2 that secure the base enclosure to the notebook. Removing the Base Enclosure Screws, Part 2, Compaq Presario M2200 Models Only Maintenance and Service Guide Removal and Replacement Procedures...

Removal and Replacement Procedures ✎ Steps 9 and 10 apply to both HP Pavilion ze2200 and Compaq Presario M2200 models. 9. Lift the rear edge of the base enclosure 1 until it disengages from the notebook. 10. Slide the base enclosure 2 back and remove it.

1. Prepare the notebook for disassembly remove the following components: a. Hard drive b. Optical drive c. Keyboard cover d. LED board e. Keyboard f. Display assembly g. Base enclosure h. Speaker assembly i. Battery connector board j. Power connector board k.

4. Turn the top cover upside down with the front toward you. ✎ Step 5 applies only to HP Pavilion ze2200 models. See step 6 in this section for information on removing the system board screws on Compaq Presario M2200 models.

Removal and Replacement Procedures ✎ Step 6 applies only to Compaq Presario M2200 models. 6. Remove the four PM2.0×4.0 screws that secure the system board to the top cover. Removing the System Board Screws, Compaq Presario M2200 Models Only 5–62 Maintenance and Service Guide...

Dimensions Height Width Diagonal Number of colors Contrast ratio Brightness Pixel resolution Pitch Format Configuration Backlight Character display Total power consumption Viewing angle Maintenance and Service Guide Table 6-2 15.0-inch, XGA, Display 22.9 cm 30.0 cm 38.1 cm Up to 16.8 million 250:1 150 nits typical 0.264 ×...

All screws listed in this appendix are available in the Miscellaneous Screw Kits, spare part numbers 382402-001 (for use on HP Pavilion ze2200 models) and 382403-001 (for use on Compaq Presario M2200 models).

Phillips PM2.0×7.0 Screw (Continued) Where used: 4 screws that secure the display assembly on the HP Pavilion ze2200 notebook (documented in Section Phillips PM2.0×7.0 Screw Locations Maintenance and Service Guide Table C-3 Color Qty. Black 5.12) Screw Listing Length Thread 7.0 mm...

Screw Listing Phillips PM2.0×7.0 Screw (Continued) Where used: 6 screws that secure the display assembly on the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook (documented in Phillips PM2.0×7.0 Screw Locations C–6 Table C-3 Color Qty. Length Black 7.0 mm Section 5.12) Maintenance and Service Guide Head Thread Width...

Screw Listing Phillips PM2.0×8.0 Screw (Continued) Where used: 6 screws that secure the base enclosure on the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook (documented in Phillips PM2.0×8.0 Screw Locations C–10 Table C-4 Color Qty. Length Black 8.0 mm Section 5.13) Maintenance and Service Guide Head Thread Width...

Phillips PM2.0×8.0 Screw (Continued) Where used: 15 screws that secure the base enclosure on the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook (documented in Phillips PM2.0×8.0 Screw Locations Maintenance and Service Guide Table C-4 Color Qty. Length Black 8.0 mm Section 5.13) Screw Listing Head Thread Width...

Phillips PM2.0×4.0 Screw (Continued) Where used: One screw that secures the base enclosure to the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook (documented in Phillips PM2.0×4.0 Screw Location Maintenance and Service Guide Table C-5 Color Qty. Length Silver 4.0 mm Section 5.13) Screw Listing Head Thread Width...

Screw Listing Phillips PM2.0×4.0 Screw (Continued) Where used: 3 screws that secure the base enclosure on the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook (documented in Phillips PM2.0×4.0 Screw Locations C–16 Table C-5 Color Qty. Length Silver 4.0 mm Section 5.13) Maintenance and Service Guide Head Thread Width...

Phillips PM2.0×4.0 Screw (Continued) Where used: 4 screws that secure the system board on the Compaq Presario M2200 notebook (documented in Phillips PM2.0×4.0 Screw Locations Maintenance and Service Guide Table C-5 Color Qty. Length Silver 4.0 mm Section 5.23) Screw Listing Head Thread Width...

Index RJ-45 jack location 1–15 pin assignments A–2 Screw Kit, spare part number 3–18 3–25 screw listing C–1 security cable slot 1–11 serial number 3–1 service considerations 4–2 speaker assembly removal 5–41 spare part numbers 3–7 3–25 3–26 speakers 1–7 specifications battery pack 6–5 display 6–3...

"A breakthrough in PC design to best fit your home and lifestyle! Get all the power, performance, and upgradability of a full-sized desktop. State-of-the-art features deliver total satisfaction like the Intel 200 MHz Pentium processor with MMX™ technology and a DoubleBright TFT display for crisp vibrant images, 4-Disc Autoload CD-Changer offers one touch access to CDs, Cordless Mouse for hassle free setup and use, JBL Pro speakers for outstanding sound performance, Video Phone -Receive capabilities for the latest in communication features, a 33.6K modem for fast Internet access. A friendly, elegant design that�s compact and mobile makes this PC fit into any home decor."

Compaq was one of the first companies to successfully reverse engineer IBM technology and market it to the masses. The August 1993 release of the Presario family of PCs is an excellent case study.

At the time, manufacturers were eyeing home users as the fastest growing segment in the industry. The Presario made PCs easy for computer novices and did so at an affordable price (approximately $1,400). The all-in-one machine featured a 14-inch monitor, an Intel 486 25-megahertz microprocessor and a 200-megabyte hard disk, and it was bundled with a variety of consumer-friendly software, including games for all ages and the ubiquitous America Online startup CD.

Compaq was founded by a group of former Texas Instruments employees. The company was first publicly traded in 1983, the same year it shipped more than $111 million in portable PCs — surpassing any other first-year company to date. Compaq made the Fortune 500 in only four years. In 1987, it became the youngest company to achieve $1 billion in annual sales.

So, what happened to Compaq? Competitor HP acquired the company in 2002, and the brand was gradually discontinued, resulting in a 404 page when you visit Compaq.com — a bleak end to one of the industry’s former heavy hitters.