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Help to identify a vintage portable

gorca

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
6
Hello,

I'm new here and I would like to know how to find out about this vintage protable computer that I have. I think it is a Kingtech KS-700-A but, it is not exactly the same as the picture that I found on the web. I would take a picture of what I have if someone could help me identify it. Please let me know how to post a picture here.

Thank you,
Gorca
 
On the posting page, below the editing box, there is a button marked 'Manage Attachments'. If you click there, you can post (small) images directly from your computer. Otherwise, you can have the images hosted on a server somewhere and just include the url in the post.

--T
 
Hi Terry,

I'll take a picture tomorrow and attach it so that all can see and hopefully comment.

Gorca
 
Hello detectives,

Please find attached several views of the mystery PC. It's presently running DOS 6.2 I believe and it crunches along just fine. All the expansion cards work too! The front panel view shows the only markings on the outside. I've taken the skins off but, there are no clues to the manufacturer anywhere to be found.
Please help identify this machine.

Thanx,
Gorca
 

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Perhaps this is at least a small piece of the puzzle- I have a 'similar looking' computer (though it's 486 so not exactly vintage) Anyhow the marking on it says AirLink Communications. Perhaps you have some earlier(?) model, or it could just be a similar design... :confused4: If a picture would help I could post it
 
Could be made by a major manufacturer and re-badged, or (more likely) assembled from off-the-shelf components by some Mom&Pop computer operation. My friend Mark used to get similar cases from a company in Germany, then assemble them from his choice of components (usually the cheapest he could find). The case would come complete with the power supply, LCD & keyboard, but nothing else. The ones he was building at the time were assembled with '386SX baby boards, a cheap VGA card, I/O card, small IDE drive, etc. The final touch on each unit would be to put his own custom badge with the DC (DiscountComputers) logo on them. I've even seen a couple of units around town here with a different local computer store's badging.

--T
 
Yeah, we used to brand that sort of "lunch bucket" portables when I ran my first company and, I believe they came in 286, 386 and 486 flavours over time.

That particular machine in the link is a 286 and I also believe that the cases switched from a light grey to a charcoal grey somewhere in there.

They were, basically, just clones.
 
Yeah, DC quit making 'em when the 486s began to appear on the retail shelves for less money than it was costing (wholesale) to build the '386 ones. IIRC, the case alone was in the >$200.00 range.

--T
 
Hi there,
It's identical top the badged Dolch 386 (look at the fcc declaration label on the back) I found at the dump a few weeks back.
I was always under the impression that Dolch were super-high-spec machines, this one looks like I put it together, the lcd driver board is just floating about bolted to an old random board, and the case layout is pants!
Build quality just can't be compared to similar compaq lunchboxes.

However it is quite pretty!
 
It may be a contraction of "Pants Pie" first heard by me in the early nineties cult kids film "Drop Dead Fred" with Rick Mayall... but later heard all over. It means "rubbish" but in a kind of "slightly pathetic attempt" way.
 
Gentlemen,

Excellent sleuthing! Although there are no FCC stickers to be found I am sure you have uncovered just what it is and determined that it's new home will be at the local landfill. It was a good door stopper though.

Thanx for your input,
Gorca
 
Gentlemen,

Are you then the White Knight who will save the damsel in distress?

Gorca
 
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