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The IBM Thinkpad 755CV
The CV variany of the 755-model range was an extremely unusual beast. The lid housed a removable back panel, which when removed, disconnected some metal plates which switched off the LCD's backlight. The internal LCD panel was then exposed and could be laid flat ontop of an overhead projector so as to show the screen on a large whiteboard or wall.
Sold as a 'presentation computer' at around $6700 - the 755CV comes as a Pentium 75Mhz machine, with a 540Mb hard drive and 24Mb of RAM (likely upgraded) as an IC DRAM card.
Whilst my 755CV was perfect when purchased, the shipper did not insulate it very well and the LCD bezel was smashed en route. Just by pure luck I had both a complete replacement assembly - which actually likely turns out to be a returned screen and another one which is hopefully a new old stock replacement - given to me by a fellow vintage thinkpadder @thinkdan.
I did originally intend to just replace the bezel because otherwise my machines was working great, but the LED bezel was a complete b*tch to remove, so I ended up having to completely disassemble the original display/lid and so it was easier to just swap in the entire lid replacement. Then I discovered the lid replacement has an off-colour band down the right hand side of the screen. So I'll have to swap back the original LCD panel at some point shortly.
Anyway for anyone needing this as a reference, here are some pics of the original parts.
Here is the original press-release:
Additional IBM ThinkPad 755CV and 755CX Models Featuring Pentium
Processor and 1.2GB Hard Disk
Product Announcement 195-251
Announced on September 5, 1995
In Brief . . .
Key Features of the ThinkPad 755CV
o Intel** Pentium 75MHz processor
o ThinkPad 755CV featuring a choice of 810MB* or 1.2GB* hard disk
(ThinkPad 755CX featuring a 1.2GB hard disk as standard)
o LCD display subsystem adaptable for overhead presentations
o VGA resolution with 64K color support
o Standard cooling fan
o Infrared DSP
o Innovative technology, instant productivity with preinstalled
software, and outstanding service and support
o OS/2(R) Warp 3.0 with selected BonusPak applications, IBM PC
DOS 7, and Windows+ 3.11 preinstalled with SelectaSystem(TM) and a
suite of applications
Technical Support
o ThinkPad EasyServ warranty o International Warranty Service o
HelpCenter(R) (800-772-2227)
* MB = million bytes and GB = 1000 million bytes when referring
to hard files or hard disk drives.
----------------------------------------
New color models of the popular ThinkPad(R) 755 family of notebook
computers feature the Pentium** 75MHz processor and a new solution
for presentations.
An innovative LCD display subsystem highlights the ThinkPad 755CV
systems. By removing the cover from the back of the display panel, the
panel becomes transparent. By opening the panel to 180 degrees and
placing the system on an overhead projector, you can display images
just as they appear on your ThinkPad screen -- in over 64,000 colors.
The ThinkPad 755CV is equipped with a wireless remote controller that
uses the Infrared (IR) capability of the system, and advanced
presentation software that helps you generate impressive presentations
and navigate through them. For example, with a touch of a button on a
remote controller, you can magnify, spotlight, or highlight the screen to
emphasize important information.
As with other ThinkPad models, the 755CV is a light-weight, battery- or
AC-operated computer designed to fit into a briefcase. The
ThinkPad 755CV should appeal to business, education, and government
professionals who can benefit from a portable system while traveling or
at a conference, office, or home.
A ThinkPad 755CV system, combined with any one of the four IBM
docking solutions, can easily become your primary personal computer,
providing an alternative to a desktop system unit.
The new model of the ThinkPad 755CX features a 1.2GB hard disk and
the Mwave(R) Digital Signal Processor (DSP) as standard. The 755CX
has an SVGA Black Matrix TFT display, and gives you 65,536 colors at
800 x 600 resolution. This means more spreadsheet columns on the
screen, crisper, sharper display of text and graphics, vibrant color for
presentations, and easier viewing of complex images, such as CAD
drawings, schematics, and maps. Note: Refer to Hardware
Announcement 195-131, dated May 9, 1995, for the preinstalled
software, technical information, and other details about the ThinkPad
755CX models that have the DSP as standard.
Single Unit Price Range: $5,699 to $6,399
Availability Date: September 5, 1995
(R) Registered trademark of International Business Machines
Corporation
** Company, product, or service name may be a trademark or service
mark of others.
+ Trademark of Microsoft Corporation
(TM) Trademark of International Business Machines Corporation
DESCRIPTION
ThinkPad 755CV at a Glance
These new additions to the ThinkPad 755 family, through the integration
of the following functions, provide function and performance unmatched
anywhere in the industry.
o Intel** Pentium 75MHz processor o Hard disk: Choice of 810MB or
1.2GB (755CV); 1.2GB (755CX) o Large memory capacity (8MB to 40MB
using DIMM memory modules and
the Memory Module Adapter) o NiMH battery pack (optional Li-Ion
battery pack) o Local bus video with acceleration o Mwave(R) DSP
subsystem o 14.4K data/fax modem o Built-in microphone and speaker
o Dial volume control o Infrared (IR) transceivers on front and back o
TrackPoint III o Full complement of ports for peripheral connections o
240-pin docking connector o Removable 1.44MB floppy diskette drive o
Type III PCMCIA slot o Large 10.4-inch (maximum viewable area when
measured diagonally)
active matrix displays
- 640 x 480 resolution VGA
o Preinstalled software -- operating systems and applications:
- OS/2 Warp 3.0 with selected BonusPak applications
- IBM PC DOS 7 and Windows 3.11 preinstalled with SelectaSystem,
allowing you to select the operating system of your choice
- A suite of applications preinstalled
o Compatibility with 755CE, 755CSE, and 755CD ThinkPad systems and
IBM docking options o On-screen electronic personalization
ThinkPad 755CX -- Additional Information: Refer to Hardware
Announcement 195-131, dated May 9, 1995, for the preinstalled
software, technical information, and other information about the
ThinkPad 755CX models that have the DSP standard.
New IBM ThinkPad 755CV Models -- Features and Characteristics
The ThinkPad 755CV with a Pentium processor is a new addition to the
IBM ThinkPad family offering advanced function.
LCD Displays: These models have the 10.4-inch (maximum viewable
area when measured diagonally) Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display with
VGA resolution. These are bright active matrix displays. The TFT
display provides superior viewing capability and lessens the glare
indoors.
The 755CV features the new LCD technology providing data projection
capability. By removing the LCD cover and putting the computer on an
overhead projector, information on the LCD screen is projected on a
larger screen. When the LCD cover is installed, this LCD serves as a
regular IBM 10.4-inch (maximum viewable area when measured
diagonally) TFT screen. With the appropriate display driver installed, up
to 65,536 simultaneous colors can be displayed.
Depending on work surface area of the overhead projector and
projection-table design, it may be difficult to put the 755CV on the
overhead projector so that information is projected right-side-up.
It is possible to rotate information on the LCD screen by using a video
driver setup. Information can be projected right-side-up by rotating the
information 180 degrees on the LCD, and putting the
ThinkPad on the overhead projector on the side with more space on it.
This rotate function is supported for Windows. OS/2 Warp Version 3
support for a rotate video driver is available through the IBM
Personal Computer Company Bulletin Board Service (PCC BBS).
Cooling Fan: Now a standard feature, the fan provides more cooling if
the ThinkPad 755CV is going to be used on overhead projectors that
have bulbs greater than 400 watts or 3,000 lumens.
Processor: At the heart of these systems is the Pentium 75MHz
microprocessor with an internal cache and floating-point processor,
providing exceptional performance.
Memory: These new models of the ThinkPad 755CV are designed to
use non-parity memory. The systems come standard with 8MB RAM,
upgradeable to a total of 40MB using DIMM memory modules with the
Memory Module Adapter. The system memory is 24MB when using most
IC
DRAM cards. Larger than 16MB IC DRAM cards may be available from
ThinkPad Proven(TM) vendors. This high-capacity and fast memory
(70ns) can handle almost any application the mobile professional may
have to execute.
PCMCIA: The Type III slot can accommodate either two Type I or Type
II, or one Type III PC card. If additional PCMCIA cards are required, the
optional ThinkPad PCMCIA cartridge may be placed in the
ThinkPad 755CV ThinkPad UltraBay providing an additional Type III slot.
The ThinkPad UltraBay not only can accommodate this option, but it can
also house the optional 2.88MB FDD, or CDPD module. IBM
PC Card Director software is preinstalled and provides support for
the latest PCMCIA standard, 2.1. This software enables many PCMCIA
cards, allowing the user to simply plug in the card.
PC Card Director with Auto Configurator and Memory Device Driver: PC
Card Director helps you get status and other information on PCMCIA
cards installed in the system. In addition, on OS/2 and on
Microsoft** Windows, PC Card Director can register an application
program for PCMCIA cards and execute them automatically.
Auto Configurator and Memory Device Driver enable supported PCMCIA
cards by sensing them automatically. PCMCIA cards supported by Auto
Configurator and Memory Device Driver are listed in the Compatibility and
Supported Products section.
Keyboard and TrackPoint III: The keyboard has the familiar ThinkPad
layout with function key capability, allowing you to quickly access
system functions, like power management control. The keyboard lifts up
to allow access to the FDD bay, memory socket, HDD bay, and battery
for quick upgrades or battery changes. The TrackPoint III is an enhanced
TrackPoint II(TM) with improved non-slip TrackPoint cap and more
accurate pointing capability through improved software. The
"drag and drop" function of the click buttons is enhanced. You can lock
and hold the buttons in without having to keep pushing on them.
Storage: The hard drives are customer-installable and come in
capacities of 810MB or 1.2GB. They are easily removed by lifting up the
keyboard. You can have multiple "systems" by installing a different hard
drive. Systems can also be shared by users who have their own hard
drive but no ThinkPad system unit. A 1.44MB FDD drive comes standard.
The ThinkPad UltraBay, also standard with the system, is an intelligent
bay that switches its pinout signals to allow the installation of an FDD or
PCMCIA cartridge in what would normally be just the floppy diskette drive
bay.
IBM Mwave Digital Signal Processor (DSP): The Mwave MDSP2780
operates at up to 60 million operations per second for integrating audio,
games, music, data/fax modem, and telephony into a DSP.
Features and benefits include:
o 44.1KHz MPC-2 16-bit audio with real-time compression o
Simultaneous audio play and record o Digital audio mixing with up to
eight open .WAV sources o General MIDI-compatible, 32-voice
wavetable synthesizer o Sound Blaster** (Creative Labs, Inc.) support o
14.4 Kbps data/fax modem o Full-featured telephone
- Answering machine with variable speed message playback and
voice compression
- Hands-free, full-duplex speakerphone
This feature set can be enhanced simply by upgrading the DSP
software.
Audio: The audio capability on the system board (DSP) and the
integrated microphone allow voice annotation and audio capability.
The systems are equipped with audio in/out jacks for stereo
speakers/headphone and external microphone. A separate dial volume
control is located to the rear of the keyboard on the system. (Refer to
the IBM Mwave Digital Signal Processor section for more information on
audio capability.)
Video: The systems have the VESA local bus support with video
acceleration providing exceptional video performance.
Infrared (IR): The use of IR is greatly enhanced by the incorporation of
Mind Path** Presentation F/X** Pro software on all models and the
inclusion of the IR Mind Path Remote Control with the
755CV. During presentations, this combination of Mind Path products on
the 755CV allows the system to be controlled remotely through the use
of the wireless IR capability. It also enables the use of effects such as
magnify, spotlight, and telestrator to be added to the screen during
presentations.
The system has IR transceivers in front and back for wireless file and
data transfer. The ThinkPad 755CV is designed for compliance with the
IrDA (Infrared Data Association) IR data link specification
Version 1.0. The system supports three modes of operation:
o IBM mode (from 57.6 Kbps to 1.15 Mbps) o HP** mode (from 9600 bps
to 115 Kbps) o Sharp** mode (9600 bps)
Preinstalled software provides wireless file transfer, file
synchronization, and clip board data transfer. With the infrared feature,
data can be exchanged with the following systems by using the
following vendor software packages:
System Software
Omnibook 300** LapLink Remote Access**
HP 100LX** Connectivity Pack for the
HP 100LX**
Sharp Wizard** PC Interface Software,
9000 Link for PCs
OZ-990(W)**
When using the infrared feature to communicate with these systems,
the communications distance may be shorter than when communicating
with another ThinkPad 755CV, 755CE, 755CSE, or 755CD, depending on
the capabilities of the other systems.
The ThinkPad 755CV is shipped with the IR Mind Path Model 55 Wireless
Remote Controller Kit and Presentation F/X Pro software. The remote
mouse controller communicates with ThinkPad native IR ports (115 Kbps
modulation). The remote controller has mouse disk and click buttons to
provide full mouse-compatible movement and clicking operation.
Special buttons of the remote controller are useful to perform special
effects -- highlight, magnify, spotlight -- on projected presentation.
Special effects are performed by Presentation F/X Pro software
preinstalled on the hard disk drive. It is possible to change the selection
of effects and characteristics by using the setup screen of the
Presentation F/X Pro software.
At the time of shipment, mouse function is supported for DOS,
Windows, and OS/2. Special effects by the Presentation F/X Pro are
supported for Windows. Presentation F/X Pro upgrade to the OS/2 is
presented by Mind Path Technologies in Dallas, Texas. For more details,
call 214-233-9296 for customer support sponsored by Mind
Path Technologies.
Warranty service for the Mind Path Remote Controller is provided by
Mind Path Technologies and the controller is a customer-direct return
item. Refer to the information included in the 755CV shipping carton or
contact Mind Path Technologies at the above number.
Other Features: The use of system memory by BIOS is significantly
reduced. BIOS uses 96KB of system memory (video, 32KB -- all other,
64KB). The system has the full complement of ports (enhanced parallel
port, SVGA, pointer-keyboard, serial). In addition, a
240-pin connector that supports the four IBM docking solutions:
o Dock I -- portable docking with a slot and bay o Dock II -- desktop
docking with slots, bays, and PCMCIA slots o Port Replicator I -- cable
manager with a Type III PCMCIA slot o Port Replicator II -- cable manager
only
An RJ11 jack is also included because the DSP provides data/fax modem
capability with speeds up to 14.4Kbps.
The ThinkPad 755CV systems, combined with any one of the four IBM
docking solutions, can easily become your primary personal computer,
providing an alternative to a desktop system unit. Even without the
docking solution, the ThinkPad 755CV easily serves as a primary system
with its large color display, high-capacity hard disk, large
RAM capability, local bus video, high-performance microprocessor, and
two Type II or one Type III PCMCIA slots. Host connectivity is attained
with PCMCIA PC cards.
Options for ThinkPad 755CV
The new ThinkPad 755CV models support most of the options that were
announced with the ThinkPad 755CE/CSE/CD.
PRODUCT POSITIONING
The new ThinkPad 755CV systems are positioned as one of the highest
full-function notebook computers in IBM's family of mobile portable
systems.
PUBLICATIONS
The IBM ThinkPad 755CV User's Guide is shipped with each system.
The following publications and diskettes are available for separate
purchase. To order, call the IBM Software Manufacturing Solution
Hotline at 800-879-2755.
Order Part
Publication Number Number
IBM ThinkPad Technical
Reference 755CX/CV S19H-1158 30H1652
IBM ThinkPad 755CV
User's Guide S30H-1653 30H1653
IBM ThinkPad 755CV
Diskettes S30H-1654 30H1654
- Utility
- PCMCIA Features
- Video Features
- Infrared Features
IBM ThinkPad 755 Mwave
DSP Diskette S30H-1734 30H1734
- Mwave DSP Features
IBM ThinkPad Maintenance
Diskette S82G-3891 82G3891
The Technical Reference is for programmers, engineers, and others
who want to understand the ThinkPad 755CV system unit in greater
detail.
The publication includes functional specifications, hardware
specifications, and pinouts for peripheral connectors.
Service Publications (Manuals and Diskettes)
Order Part
Publication Number Number
Hardware Maintenance Manual
Volume 2: ThinkPad Computers S82G-1502 30H2357
Hardware Maintenance Diskette S82G-3891 82G3891
The Hardware Maintenance Manual contains service and reference
information for IBM ThinkPad computers. The service section includes
procedures for isolating problems to a field replaceable unit (FRU),
related service procedures, and an illustrated parts catalog. The
reference section includes safety information, product description, and
general information about system functions.
Publications may be ordered from an IBM Authorized Dealer, an IBM
representative, or through the Technical Directory. A complete listing of
IBM ThinkPad and IBM Personal Computer hardware publications is
available by calling the Technical Directory at
800-IBM-PCTB (426-7282).
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Specified Operating Environment
ThinkPad 755CV: The NiMH battery is shipped as standard with these
models. Approximate operation hours and charging hours are:
Function Hours
Power off/suspend charging 1.2
Charging during operation 1.7
Travel Quick Charger 2.0 to 3.0
Battery operation (range)(1) 2.0 to 3.0
Optional Feature Battery Pack: The Li-Ion battery approximate operation
hours and charging hours are:
Function Hours
Power off/suspend charging 1.5 to 2.02
Charging during operation 2.0 to 2.5
Travel Quick Charger 2.0 to 3.0
Battery operation (range)(1) 3.2 to 10.0
(1) The actual range may vary based on power management,
applications used, frequency of keystrokes, options used, or
system configuration.
Physical Specifications
Approximate(2) Dimensions/Weight
o Width: 297.0 mm (11.70 in) o Depth: 210.0 mm (8.30 in) o Height:
49.8 mm (1.96 in) o Weight: 3.0 kg (6.6 lb) with battery pack and
diskette drive o Li-Ion battery pack: 400 g (0.88 lb) o NiMH battery pack:
540 g (1.19 lb) o FDD: 213 g (0.47 lb)
(2) Actual specifications may vary based on features, vendor
components, or manufacturing process.
Electrical Specifications
o Universal AC adapter: 100 to 240 V AC, 2.0 A, 50/60Hz o NiMH
battery pack: 8.4 V, 3.5 AH, 1800 mAH/cell, 14-cell/pack
Heat Dissipation
o 136 Btu/hr maximum
Air Temperature for Shipping and Storage
o -20(degs) to 60(degs)C (-4(degs) to 140(degs)F)
Relative Humidity for Shipping and Storage
o 5% to 95%
Acoustic Noise Level: Class 3D (office environment)
o Sound pressure level (operator position): 40 dB (operating) o Sound
power level: 5.1 Bels (operating); 4.8 Bels (idling)
Note: The noise emission level stated is the declared (upper limit) sound
power level, in Bels, for a random sample of machines, typically
configured, and operating in idle mode; for example, powered on, but no
DASD read/write or other I/O activity. All measurements are made in
accordance with ANSI S12.10, and reported in conformance with ISO
9296.
Operating Environment
Air Temperature: 0 to 8,000 ft
o Operating: 5(degs) to 35(degs)C (41(degs) to 95(degs)F) (without
diskette) o Operating: 10(degs) to 35(degs)C (50(degs) to 95(degs)F)
(with
diskette inside unit) o System off: 5(degs) to 43(degs)C (41(degs) to
110(degs)F) o Storage/shipment: -20(degs) to 60(degs)C (-4(degs) to
140(degs)F) o Wet bulb (maximum): 29.4(degs)C (85(degs)F)
Air Temperature: 8,000 to 10,000 ft
o Operating: 5(degs) to 31.3(degs)C (41(degs) to 88(degs)F)
(without diskette) o Operating: 10(degs) to 31.3(degs)C (50(degs) to
88(degs)F) (with
diskette inside unit) o System off: 5(degs) to 43(degs)C (41(degs) to
110(degs)F) o Storage/shipment: -20(degs) to 60(degs)C (-4(degs) to
140(degs)F) o Wet bulb (maximum): 25.7(degs)C (78(degs)F)
Note: The maximum temperature with system on is linearly decreased
>from 8,000 feet to 10,000 feet.
The ambient temperature when using the 755CV on an overhead
projector should be within the following range:
Ambient temperature: 0 to 8,000 ft
o Without diskette operation: 5(degs) to 30(degs)C (41(degs) to
86(degs)F) o With diskette operation: 10(degs) to 30(degs)C
(50(degs) to
86(degs)F)
Ambient temperature: 8,000 to 10,000 ft
o Without diskette operation: 5(degs) to 26.3(degs)C (41(degs) to
79(degs)F) o With diskette operation: 10(degs) to 26.3(degs)C
(50(degs) to
79(degs)F)
Relative Humidity
o Operating: 8% to 95% (without diskette) o Operating: 8% to 80%
(with diskette inside unit) o Storage/shipment: 5% to 95%
Altitude
o 10,000 ft maximum (3,048 meters)
Agency Approvals
o System Unit Approvals
- FCC Class-B Certified to comply with FCC Rules, Part 15 FCC ID
is ANO85G169 (755CV)
- VCCI CLASS 2 (0 db)
- CISPR22B
- UL-1950
- CSA C22.2 No. 950
- SEMKO
- NEMKO
- DEMKO
- SETI
- UK-PTT
- JATE
- SASO
o AC/DC Adapter Approvals
- UL-1950
- CSA-C22.2 No. 223
- SEMKO
- NEMKO
- DEMKO
- SETI
- SA
- SEV
- OVE
- DENTORI
- NOM
Software Requirements: The following operating systems support the
new ThinkPad 755CV systems. Refer to the Limitations section for
support issues unique to each operating system.
o IBM PC DOS 7, IBM PC DOS J7.0V o IBM PC DOS J6.3/V o IBM OS/2
Warp, Version 3 o IBM OS/2 Warp, Japanese Version 3.0 o IBM OS/2
2.11 o MS-DOS** 6.22 o Microsoft Windows 95 supported (as tested by
an independent
laboratory) o Microsoft Windows 3.11/J3.1 o Microsoft Windows for
Workgroups 3.11
Systems software supported:
o IBM OS/2 LAN Server Entry Version 4.0(3) o IBM OS/2 LAN Server
Advanced Version 4.0(3) o IBM Communications Manager/2 Version 1.1
o IBM Database 2(TM) OS/2 Version 1.0
(3) Client function portion only was tested.
Compatibility and Supported Products
Refer to the 9545 Sales Manual pages, or contact your IBM
representative, for a complete list of supported features and options and
compatible IBM and vendor software. The Sales Manual is updated
periodically.
The ThinkPad 755CV systems are designed to be compatible with the
PS/2(R). The ThinkPad 755CV systems contain BIOS/Easy
Setup/Diagnostics in their Flash ROM and also provide a graphical user
interface to set up the system and power management features for
OS/2 and Windows users. BIOS provides the hardware instructions and
interfaces designed to support the standard features of the ThinkPad
755CV systems and to maintain compatibility with many software
programs currently operating under DOS and OS/2 on the Personal
Computer XT(TM), Personal Computer AT(R), and the PS/2 family.
Devices Supported -- PCMCIA: ThinkPad 755CV systems conform to
the
PCMCIA PC Card Standard Release 2.01 and the PCMCIA Card and
Socket
Services Specification Release 2.1, dated July 1993. Other PCMCIA
adapters that comply with the PCMCIA PC Card Standard Specification
Release 2.01 may also function, but have not been tested by IBM.
Feature Part
Description Number Number
IBM 3270 Emulation Credit Card
Adapter 2812 0933315
IBM Token-Ring 16/4 Credit Card
Adapter II 8072 0933931
IBM Token-Ring 16/4 Credit Card
Adapter III
IBM Ethernet Credit Card
Adapter II for 10BaseT 3290 0934331
IBM Ethernet Credit Card
Adapter II for 10Base2 3280 0934330
IBM 5250 Emulation PCMCIA
Adapter 2808 92F3808
IBM 2.4/9.6 Data/Fax
Modem Multipack 87G8988
IBM 14.4/14.4 Data/Fax
Modem Multipack 87G8989
IBM RS-232 PCMCIA Serial Card 87G9250
IBM Infrared (IR) Wireless Adapter
Tethered Transceiver 87G9740
IBM Infrared (IR) Wireless Adapter
Integrated Transceiver 87G9743
IBM Mass Storage Card 5MB 70G7344
IBM Mass Storage Card 10MB 70G7345
IBM Mass Storage Card 15MB 70G7346
IBM 1MB SRAM PCMCIA
Memory Card 92G7229
Feature Part
Description Number Number
IBM 2MB SRAM PCMCIA
Memory Card 92G7230
IBM Solid State File Card 5MB 40G3166
IBM Solid State File Card 10MB 40G3167
IBM Solid State File Card 20MB 40G3168
IBM Solid State File Card 30MB 40G3169
IBM Solid State File Card 40MB 40G3170
IBM 40MB PCMCIA Hard Disk
Drive (Type III) 7559 70G8495
IBM 105MB PCMCIA Hard Disk
Drive (Type III) 1901 32G4199
Limitations
o The 180-degree rotation function of the video device driver is for
256-color and 640 x 480 resolution only.
o DOS programs are not supported by the 180-degree rotation video
driver. The 180-degree rotation video driver support is only
available when using applications under OS/2 Warp Version 3.0 or
Windows 3.11. The 180-degree rotation driver for OS/2 Warp (with
or without WIN-OS/2(TM)) will be provided through the IBM Personal
Computer Company Bulletin Board Service (PCC BBS) by calling
919-517-0001.
o The OS/2 version of Mind Path Presentation F/X Pro can be obtained
by calling Mind Path Technologies, Inc., at 800-736-6830, or the
PCC BBS at 919-517-0001.
o Either the Mind Path IR remote controller device driver or the IBM
IR device driver can be enabled at any time in the Windows
SYSTEM.INI file. It is necessary to disable the Mind Path IR
remote controller device driver when the ThinkPad IR port, or an
application that uses the COM1 port for data transmittal is used,
as this port is used by the Mind Path Remote Controller. In the
Infrared panel of the Mind Path Presentation F/X Pro setup
program, click the "off" button in the Infrared box to disable the
IR remote controller and enable the IBM IR driver. To use the
remote controller, click on the ThinkPad Internal button.
o If the ThinkPad enters suspend mode while a video is playing, when
using Video for Windows and Presentation F/X Pro and the Mind Path
Remote Controller, the ThinkPad may not resume properly. Close
the Presentation F/X Pro software prior to suspending the system,
if a video is playing.
o Some optional features or applications may use the COM1 port.
OS/2 Warp Version 3 will not load COM.SYS if the COM1 port is
already in use. Only one such feature or application that uses
the COM1 (for example, communications or PCMCIA) can be used at a
time. For example, the Mind Path IR Remote Controller uses the
COM1 port and this controller must be disabled to use another
application that also uses COM1.
o Some special effects of the Presentation F/X program are not
effective during motion pictures and digital video playback that
frequently access the video buffer.
o A wavy pattern may appear in the LCD and/or projected information
if the lamp circuit noise of certain overhead projectors
interferes with the 755CV LCD display. If this occurs, use an
alternative overhead projector.
o Do not use the 755CV on an overhead projector that is specifically
designed for very large magnification using an extremely bright
light source (greater than 575 watt bulb or 6,000 lumens). The
high temperature may cause hardware problems. Do not use
overhead
projectors with greater than 3,000 lumens, or a light source
greater than a 400 watt lamp without using the cooling fan.
(Refer to the Using the ThinkPad 755CV with an Overhead Projector
section.)
o The WARP fixpak XR0W005 is required for audio, modem, and printer
support if OS/2 Warp Version 3 needs to be reinstalled.
o Fixpak XR_A087 is required for audio, data fax modem, and
telephony functions under OS/2 2.11. Call 800-992-4777 to get
these APAR fixes.
o The 65,536 color driver is available in OS/2 Warp Version 3.0.
The 65,536 color display driver for OS/2 2.11 or OS/2 for Windows
can be obtained from the IBM OS/2 Bulletin Board.
o Installation of the software update named WIN311.ZIP is required
to use a WIN-OS/2 session when OS/2 for Windows is used under
Windows 3.11.
WIN311.ZIP is currently available on the PCC BBS by calling
919-517-0001. The PCC BBS is available 24 hours a day on a
toll-call basis with no access charge to the bulletin board.
o When using the redirector feature of the Connectivity Pack for the
HP 100LX to exchange data over an infrared link at 115 Kbps, the
ThinkPad 755CV should be configured as the requestor.
o Telephony and answering machine functions do not support PBX.
o Video performance will be reduced when operating under the 64K
color mode.
o The Mwave MDSP2780 (DSP) does not support cellular phone
connection.
o The system cannot enter the suspend/hibernation mode when the
Sound Blaster emulation mode is enabled in a DOS environment.
o The IBM Enhanced Mouse (92G7457) cannot be used with TrackPoint
III. When using the IBM Enhanced Mouse, TrackPoint III should be
disabled.
o Continuous use of the HDD drive, such as reading long video files,
will impact battery life.
o The fifth PCMCIA slot cannot be identified by the IBM PC Card
Director memory device driver when installing the IBM ThinkPad
PCMCIA cartridge in the FDD bay of the system unit when the IBM
ThinkPad Port Replicator I or ThinkPad Dock II is attached.
o The ThinkPad 755CV systems have one memory slot per system.
- By using 2MB, 4MB, 8MB, or 16MB IC DRAM optional feature cards,
up to 24MB of system memory is possible. Larger than 16MB IC
DRAM cards may be available from ThinkPad Proven vendors and
can be used.
- By using the DIMM technology, the IBM Memory Module Adapter and
the 4MB, 8MB, or 16MB memory modules, up to 40MB of system
memory is possible.
o As the audio and communication features share the hardware
resource of Mwave DSP, their concurrent usage has some
restrictions. For example, when you are using any of the
communication features, you cannot use the MIDI audio capability.
o The system is designed so that you can install or remove the
PCMCIA card without turning off the system, if the PCMCIA card
supports this function. Refer to the instructions that come with
the PCMCIA card.
o When installing two Type II PCMCIA communications cards in the
PCMCIA slot, there may be some cable interference that allows only
one card to be used.
o PC Card point enablers may write directly to the hardware,
bypassing Socket and Card Services Release 2.1. Writing directly
to the hardware may cause problems that cannot be anticipated.
Also, point enablers may interfere with client device drivers th
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I acquired a foreign (to the UK) IBM Thinkpad 755c. Here are some notes I made considering I spent a few hours today.
The machine was in good working order, once the battery was removed. With the main battery fitted, the status LEDs just flashed you when you pushed the power switch and all went out. This is a common issue with drained Ni-Mh batteries.
Also the CMOS battery was dead, so I used the old one's wiring to swap in a new 2032, to save having to set the time every single cold boot.
It had the base/built-in RAM only, which was 4Mb, so I found an older, parity IC-DRAM card to go in, which was 16Mb, giving a total of 20Mb. Much faster W95.
The main issue, which remains is the lid. The hinges are held tight by 3 different screws on each hinge - the middle one on each side screws directly into the lid which is seperate from the front LCD bezel and all the display electronics. Then the outer screw of each hinge passed all the way from the front LCD bezel, through the hinge to the lid and the inside screw the same (but along the bottom of the bezel). This means that when you lift the lid, those 2 inner and 2 outer screws passing front to back, through the hinge are doing a lot of the structural support heavy lifting.
I had two issues - on the left/bottom of my lid, the brass, threaded screw supports had come out of their circular bases in the lid. I superglued these back in position but failed to notice that on the LCD bezel, each of those 4 screw holes obviously has an inner, sunken ring for the screw to bolt-down onto, to secure it's tightness to the lid. The far left one has long since snapped off and gone, so after putting it all back together, whilst I have improved the integrity of my lid, by re-gluing the supports, I'm still down to 75% tightness because my front/left screw isn't bolted tight against anything in the bezel. This means that my left side of the lid is floppy and loose.
I have several 755CX lids and whilst I know the ribbon cables are different, I have not tried swapping the front LCD bezel around, which I may try next.
You could say this was disappointing but at least I know what to do next!
Whilst the lid was off, I investigated the capacitor situation within the LCD assembley. The 755c has 3 different PCBs within which each have their own capacitors.
This is the rear of the assembly, removed from the LCD bezel:
First we have the PCB which is attached to the large white backing and CCFL lighting which has 3 surface mounted caps. 2 of the 3 had leaked and had crustyness all around their bases. This is before:#
And this is after:
The small board which connects to the thin display ribbon has a single surface mounted electrolytic:
And finally, the inverter, with the brightness and contrast controls, which is connected in the middle to another PCB has the most leaking caps:
I replaced all my caps with solid ceramics or tantalums with no problem. Where possible I tried to keep the values as close as possible. Worth noting those two purple blocks are also electrolytic capacitors which are side-mounted.
Finally, this one had a german keyboard and both the plastic tabs which hold it down to the base had snapped and long lost (as they often do). The keyboard generally still holds fast, but I did have a spare UK one which still had a damaged left side but good right side (and correct keyboard layout for me), so i swapped it in.
Some notes regarding the insides. Here are some pictures of the different boards:
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I'm interested in the nuanced release structure of the early 1990s IBM Thinkpads. Whereas the enterprise and business range of 7xx models was fairly sequential and linear (the model numbers from 700 to 770 are chronologically ordered and each machine is a new iteration of the last), the consumer 3xx models have a convoluted, non-linear development and release timeline.
It's also interesting how these two different model ranges interact when it comes to sharing designs, technologies and parts. You can see by some of the tiny details that there were probably lots of very detailed product meetings, where management poured over how one machine might rob sales from another or the unwashed masses might regard a cheaper IBM Thinkpad-branded machine as a 'better deal' than another Thinkpad at twice the price.
This makes restoring and preserving machines quite difficult, fraught with traps and gotchas.
What led me down the path of the title of this article is that I encountered a somewhat unusual 750 (9545-006/8) machine with a monochrome STN panel. I suspect this machine was not popular as by the time this machine was released in September 1993, both DSTN and TFT colour screens were considered infinitely more cutting-edge and quickly became de-facto standard of portable machines. I'm generally not happy to own a machine that doesn't work - unless it really really has tested me to the limit of writing the whole model off as a lost cause - and so I set about trying to make this machine work.
The 750 was really when the 7xx series got goooooood. The 700 and 720 machines are blighted with a terrible hinge design which is destroying every last one of them. And whilst some of the design ideals of the 700 and 720 are lost in the 750, it's certainly an revelation. Inside the circuit boards have clearly moved on a generation from the somewhat 'mechanical' look and feel of the 700 and 720. We have lost the front-loading floppy, battery and hard drives hot-swap ports, but these have now been almost as conveniently moved underneath the lifting keyboard design - retaining the idea of not elbowing your fellow passenger on a bus, train or plane whilst switching out your battery or HDD - a concept which would remain for many more generations.
In this case of this particular 750, this is how the machine looked on ebay - bloody awful. So I suspected I would get it for what it's worth - not a lot. And I did - about £21 and shipping fees from across the Atlantic. Vintage laptop aficionados will instantly recognise the vinegar syndrome LCD - a problem where early LCDs use a formula of adhesive to affix the two layers of polarising film inside and outside the glass LCD screen, which breaks down and fails - particularly in warm and humid environments. Secondly, it had no guarantee of actually working.
I received the machine and quickly checked the machine powered on - which it did, booting via the external SVGA port to a few error codes. I decided then to see if the rare monochrome STN LCD panel was salvigable. There are very few resources which give -true- details on what panel was used in what machine. It's clear that through the evolution of the IBM thinkpad, they uses a wide range of manufacturers - Sharp, Toshiba, Hitachi, Epson and others - so often the only way to know is to look.
It's a Toshiba display which cannot be found anywhere. So a direct replacement was out of the question and I set about Plan B - to remove the spunky dried up adhesive and replace the two polarising films. This takes about 3 hours of applying IPA, letting it soak for 30 seconds and then scraping as much of the glue into the centre of the screen and then lifting it off. After doing this for hours, you've left with what looks like a simple pane of glass, which you can insert polarising films either side (usually at 45 degree angles) to get the mono display working again. And after all this, it was totally dead.
So, Plan C. I knew that the 360 was a cost-reduced, consumer-end alternative to the 750, sharing lots of the same design and technology, However, there was also no clues online as to which display this used either. And I didn't own one. So, Plan D - the 340-series was released the same year as both the 750 and 360, and whilst it shares almost none of the same technology of those machines, it did have a mono display which was the same size. And crucially I owned 3 of them! So I took apart one of my 340 machines and the display was the exact same dimensions, connector, inverter, but a completely different make and model:
So would it work?
YES! It did! These LCDs are actually much more readily available, except at a higher cost than a 340. Much as it pains me to turn a working 340 into a non-working, no-display 340, this project is to restore a rarer 750 to working condition.
However, it would be worth noting that the 340 has a completely different internal video connector (specifically not via an interposer as used by the modular 750 and 360-series machines) and therefore whilst the ribbon connector from the mainboard to the LCD and Inverter is almost exactly the same, the connector onto the mainboard is completely different and cannot be used.
I believe the inverter is interchangable.
I'm also happy to report that the Optiplex 340 panel shared all the same dimensions and fit quite easily as a replacement for the 750's Toshiba panel. The only difference was that the 340 LCD had a thick, bendy RF shield all around it which could not be accomodated in the 750 lid as it has plastic strengthening strips preventing the RF shield laying flat.
The inverters only had 1 small side-mounted electrolytic cap on them which didn't appear to have been leaking but if you can be bothered, it might be worth replacing with a new one.
With the 750 lid back to full working order, I decided to crack on with the mainboard. The first oddity is that it would show the usual memory count and 161/163 (cmos dead) errors, but would not allow me to hold F1 to enter easy setup. I tested the F1 key and it was definitely working.
So I tried booting from an early IBM utility disk (used to update the BIOS) and it worked. However if you didn't have an IBM utility disk in, it would not enter easy-setup and would not boot off any drive, just showing an error I9990303 error.
There have been quite a lot of people over the years asking about this error, which is certainly related to the system board, but nobody ever appears to have fixed it.
I thought I would update the BIOS to see if that might fix it, but when you try, even with a charged battery, you get an error saying that 'power management has been disabled' preventing the BIOS update to take place.
The closest we have to an answer is "Bank–2 flash ROM check sum error." as described here.
So the machine has been parked. Waiting for a busted up 750 to come on the market, with a working system board.
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I originally intended to spend the morning finishing restoring a 755CD which has been 'on the shelf' for about 2 years with an on-board 00201 memory issue. It ended up taking exactly 12 hours even after last night I'd already dismantled and resolved the issue with the memory.
The 755CD is quite different from all the other 755 machines because it is a fatter chassis - to incorporate the CD-ROM drive and, I think more so the massive video and digital sound processing hardware that accompanied this 'multimedia' expansion. Due to the battery and HDD being standard across all 755 machines, the 755CD has a plastic 'spacer on a hinge above these two bits, to keep everything in place.
The 486 755CD and 486 CE were released in October 1994, the Pentium CX, 486 CV and 486 CDV were released in May/July 1995, the Pentium CD, CDV and CV in Sept/Oct 1995. A Pentium 755CD with the SVGA CX screen would be the ultimate 755+ model. The 755CD & CDV were the only ones with the thick chassis.
All the other 755 machines came with floppy drives by default. Other things i've learned...
The 755CD was obviously the most advanced 755 machine, but it wasn't the highest specification by any means. Only the 755CX (which lacks the CD, DSP and other video enhancements) was the only 755 machine offered with an SVGA screen. This really surprised me that the 755 (out in 1994) was still defaulting to 640x480.
After much deliberation I decided to upgrade this 755CD to an SVGA panel from a CX. I always try to keep these machines 'original' but if you put it back to VGA then I guess it is.
As I said at the start, the onboard memory was duff. All 755 machines came with either 4 or 8Mb onboard, but later models had the onboard RAM removable via a little daughterboard which is only accessible by completely dismantling every. single. component. of the machine. Luckily I had a couple of spares and a replacement sorted that. Here is what it looks like:
This is the spacer only found in the 755CD:
If you look at the shield over the system board(s), though, you'll see that the innards are at normal height, but for the upstand at the back increased - is that green/white bit the switch so it knows when the keyboard is lifted? That would need to be higher to touch still, like the volume wheel projecting higher.
And here is my 'restored' machine. It's not exactly perfect - mainly because the plastic on these machines doesn't get brittle but the coating does not fare well.
Here is the difference in thickness between the 755CD on the right and a 755C on the left:
The internals of the 755CD is made up of about 5 different boards sandwiched together with the CPU attached to a wide flat heatsink right at the bottom. Each layer above that has a variety of surface mount caps which were all a bit dodgy and I replaced with ceramics. About 20 in total, including a couple of through-hole caps on one of them.
The LCD as well had 3 surface mounted electrolytics - the type that are harder to spot initially because they're encased sideways inside a plastic box. I replaced them too because the screen was a bit flickery.
Note the keyboard, trackpoint and mouse buttons do not run off their own unique seperate interposer board and instead are combined into the large multimedia chipset card on the top of all the sandwiched boards.
One aspect that slowed me down was that the audio board (with the rolling volume control) has about 5 surface mounted caps and one of them pulled the pad off. I managed to botch wire the missing pad but then decided to swap it with a spare audio which looks visibily the same which did not need the botch. Then after re-assembling I noticed that due to the whole chassis being taller, they'd made the whole stand which the volume wheel sits on about 5mm taller! So I then had to desolder both wheels and switch them.
Upgraded with a 16Mb IC DRAM card, giving 24Mb RAM and a clean installation of Windows 95. Drivers were a pain to get from a variety of breadcrumbs around dead links on the internet - but they are there.
I tried to use the archive.org ISO of the original restore CD (which would have brought back a dual boot OS2/Win3.1 installation on a 320Mb partition, but despite considerable resources it wouldn't work. You have the option to use the built-in CD-ROM but you are required to use a floppy boot disk - but obviously you can only have one in the drive bay at once, and you can't hot swap. Usually this would be no problem as the 755CD does have an external FDD connector but it's unlike almost every other thinkpad I've seen. It's small and fat and I couldn't find that cable anywhere.
So the alternative was to boot using a massive Selecta Dock II, which has a built-in CD-ROM drive, which I have and I tried using but it would not detect the CD-ROM drive in the dock.
I also tried copying the files from the boot floppy to the HDD and then running those from a bootable HDD, with the built-in CD-ROM to work but no-go - the bootable floppy uses some hidden magic formula that only IBM know about so you definitely need both.
Still Windows 95 looks rather 'charming' on this machine and it would have been the obvious 'upgrade' for most owners to make. And all the drivers are there so. Yeah.
Oh and for some reason, only the right speaker works. Kinda annoying but we can't exactly allow perfection to be our enemy here.
Anyway, this is the only 755CD I've ever come across. I'm sure they aren't that rare but some of them did burn up on MIR's re-entry, so a few less.
The 755CD actually incorporates TWO of those little green & white switches to know when they keyboad is raised - the second one sits ontop of the first one (first one found in all the other 755CDs) keeping the first one pressed down and, my guess was replacing it at a higher level. Quite Heath Robinson, but it works.
From memory, the aluminium cage that surrounds most of the innard is different on the 755CD to all the others too. In other words, on all the other 755 machines the interposer for the LCD is just a 'dumb' looking riser, but on the 755CD it's a huge PCB, covered in big fat chips taking up the whole top of the chassis.
The 755CD came in both 486 DX4 100Mhz and Pentium 75Mhz variants. The Pentium one is more common. The 486 had a 9545-9Bx designation and the P75 had 9545-FBx designation.
Couple of new notes... 201 Error on Boot
So, I was trying to restore a second 755CD - this time a rarer 486 DX4 100 version. The first issue was that it would not turn on and just blink some of the indicator LEDs at me. This was resolved by taking it all apart and recapping 3 of the daughterboards inside - each has about 2-6 different electrolyics onboard - mainly surface mount. Recapping solved this and the machine would boot. Then it started throwing a 201 error at me - which is described as a 'memory error'. And sometimes it is, but in this case it was not. Turns out I had exposed perhaps a glitch in the 486 755CD by replacing the CMOS battery and then doing something to cause this 201 error - which mostly seemed to be using a hard drive which had been working in another 755 variant. Once it got the 201, it could not be cleared without removing the power and the CMOS battery - at which point, it would disappear and we could do what we want.
Anyway - for anyone out there with a 201 error on a 755CD, I would suggest removing your IC DRAM card, removing your hard drive and removing your CMOS battery - leave it unplugged for a minute and then try again. If whatever you're doing keeps occasionally throwing the 201 just keep the CMOS battery out until you've sorted the issue with the hard drive, because cold booting the machine will almost always clear the 201.