###################################################################################################### # JULY 2015: # # # # The following is a portion of the web page at http://personalpages.tds.net/~ti51/new56-57.htm # # That web page contains information dated September/October 1987. # ###################################################################################################### ==================================================================================== Toshiba T1100 Plus: A Very Personal MS-DOS Laptop Computer -- Eric Clegg ==================================================================================== I'd been using an Apple computer happily at work and at home for years. Suddenly, the portability bug bit. Last summer I had managed to get a Radio Shack Model 100 laptop to talk. It involved converting its parallel output to a serial output so it could work with an Echo GP. The whole lashup was briefcase portable and with its approximately 16 batteries was no lightweight. This system set me back $800. While I nicknamed it "Small Kludge," it did enable me to take notes on the go, then dump the material to an Apple for later processing with BEX. But by February of this year, the desire for an MS-DOS computer had crystallized. I had narrowed my choice to a Leading Edge Model D. Portables seemed to be out of the question. Those that existed were either too expensive, or too limited by their one floppy disk drive, or too confining due to poor battery performance. And most importantly, none of the ones available had an internal speech synthesizer. While visiting with family in Maryland the options suddenly and impressively broadened. I and a bunch of other blind ham radio operators took over a local Baltimore repeater for an evening of good conversation about talking computers and other blindness issues. One of the people on frequency was Randy Knapp of PC Partners, Inc. of Baltimore. I informed him that I'd been considering the purchase of a Leading Edge computer. He responded that there was an interesting portable with a custom-made speech synthesizer that was to come onto the market soon. Later that week he called to describe the Toshiba T1100 Plus, and stated that PC Partners would be selling units for $2395 in late April of 1987. On March 24, 1987, a demonstration was arranged at Associated Services for the Blind in Philadelphia. The equipment was impressive: it actually did what was claimed for it and the demonstrators were knowledgeable and honest. Not surprisingly, three orders for Toshibas were taken that day, including mine. An In-depth Look at the Features -------------------------------- In late April I finally got my hands on my own unit. In addition to the Toshiba with built-in synthesizer, my $2395 got me MS-DOS version 3.20, SideKick, lightweight headphones, and an external speaker. The Toshiba T1100 Plus is a battery-powered fully IBM-compatible MS-DOS laptop portable computer with 640K of RAM. It can run for approximately 8 hours continuously with its built-in rechargable battery. The two 3.5-inch 720K disk drives are the most power-hungry part of the unit, so if you do a lot of disk access, you will get less than 8 hours from fully charged batteries.) With its 80 column by 25 line LCD screen closed, it's roughly the same size as an Apple IIc: 2.6 by 12.2 by 12 inches. The LCD screen can be tilted at an angle for viewing or laid flat against the computer itself when fully opened. When closed it latches shut and completely covers the keyboard. A carrying handle lifts out of the bottom front of the machine; it only weighs 10 pounds. Underneath the power switch and charger jack on the back panel, you will find the built-in Synphonix Speech Synthesizer from Artic Technologies. Its little volume and tone control stems sticking out from the back. There's a little row of holes for the speaker, as well as a mini-stereo headphone/external speaker socket. Also on the back panel are video jacks (both composite and RGB) as well as two ports: one Centronics parallel and one nine-pin AT-style serial. Those accustomed to a full-sized IBM-style keyboard may take a little time to get used to the T1100's smaller keyboard. Toshiba had to squeeze a lot of keys into a small space: the function keys, ordinarily clustered in two columns to the left of the main keyboard, form a fifth row above the number row. The Home, Page Up, Page Down, and End keys form a column on the right hand edge of the machine. The Enter key is fairly large, and they've moved the dreaded backslash key so your lefthand little finger doesn't mistakenly hit it instead of the shift key. The left, down and right arrow keys are on the bottom row of the keyboard, with the up arrow key just above the down arrow key--it looks like a braille letter R lying on its back. Since space was so limited, the Toshiba's designers did not include a separate numeric keypad. Instead, the numeric keys, plus the gray plus and gray minus keys, are mapped on to the regular keyboard. After you press Nums Lock, pressing K gets the digit 2. The Business Vision screen review software includes keystrokes for screen navigation that get around the lack of a separate built in numbers pad. You can change how fast the Toshiba T1100 Plus's 80C86 Microprocessor operates: either 4.77 or 7.16 mHZ. I have been successfully using a variety of word processing packages including WordPerfect, PC-Write and Word-Talk. All programs have worked extremely well with speech, although I must admit that PC-Write is my current favorite. I have also used the Toshiba to do data base work and to play adventure and other games. The Business Vision software is lightning fast in both Application Tracking and Review modes. One can zip around the screen effortlessly just as in BEX or BRAILLE-EDIT. And unlike the Apple, the speech program rarely crashes although it has happened on occasion. The Business Vision program lets you control all aspects of the speech rate, tone pitch and volume. It also lets you set speech windows to selectively read portions of the screen. These configurations can be set from review mode and can be customized to the user's style or application program. Minor Quirks and Problems ------------------------- Probably the Toshiba's weakest parts are the volume and tone control stems that protrude from the bottom of the machine. These loosen occasionally and the stems must be pushed back onto their shafts. Since these controls are mounted directly on the Artic Synmponix circuit board, it's a fragile arrangement to begin with. And since the Toshiba has 3.5-inch disk drives, users must find a way to transfer software from 5.25 to 3.5-inch disks. I purchased the external 5.25-inch disk drive, available for an extra $350, but it was easy enough finding 3.5-inch versions of the programs I wanted to use anyway. Unfortunately, the Toshiba lacks an audible warning when your battery is about to die. One minute you are computing, the next you are dead without power. I sometimes carry a light probe to monitor the status of the LED since it will flash for a while before the battery bites the dust but that's an unnecessary hassle. Dealer support with a new product like this can be crucial. PC Partners have been exemplary in their tech support and ability to field questions--reminding me of a small Midwestern computer company I know that gave the world the NursaBraille. When the time came for me to purchase a modem we had to work together to acquire the RIGHT kind of serial cable. but we all stuck it out and that minor problem too has been solved. In my opinion, the Toshiba T1100 Plus is the finest, most user-friendly MS-DOS portable on the market at this moment. In both the mass media and the blindness media, much controversy has raged over Toshiba's sale to the Soviet Union of sensitive military systems for silencing submarine propellers. I feel that this controversy is besides the point, and it does a disservice to us as blind persons. Access technology that works well and that can deliver on what it promises can be hard to find at any price. A product that can deliver so ably on that promise as the Toshiba T1100 Plus is priceless. When it comes to this sort of thing, false patriotism and neoconservatism should take a back seat. Perhaps we ought to consider contacting our senators and congress critters to strongly suggest that they exempt such important access technology from tariffs and so forth. I would be pleased to provide additional information to Raised Dot Computing Newsletter readers about this computer or they may contact the Toshiba dealers listed in Facts on File. About the Author: An enthusiastic ham radio operator, Eric Clegg works for the US Government and makes his home in Philadelphia.