Recently I've been scrolling around eBay looking for vintage laptops and found many Toshiba laptops in working conditions and within my budget. However, this is my first time looking to purchase a vintage computer so I'm unsure which models are good. So far, I've found a Toshiba Tecra 500CDT and a Toshiba Sattelite 200CDS, both fully operational and for a pretty good price but unsure which would be a better purchase. Any recommendations are appreciated!
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Looking to purchase a Toshiba laptop, but unsure which models are good.
- Thread starter iKazuaki
- Start date
VERAULT
Veteran Member
Id say anything before 2003 was pretty well made. When i worked at Pfizer from the late 90s to the early 2ks they used toshiba laptops exclusively... I got my libretto back then!( Not saying it was good but it sure was need) . The tecra line was great. Protege line was more lightweight soi wasnt interested as much.
I just reatored a 1992 satellite T1960CT. It was well built.
I just reatored a 1992 satellite T1960CT. It was well built.
TH2002
Experienced Member
It helps to have an idea of what you may be looking for. How far do you want to go back? What era of games/software do you plan on running? Are you picky about LCD types? There are so many variables to consider.
If you want to go back to the 80's, most anything from the T3100 and T3200 lineup would be a good choice. Those machines are beautiful, extremely reliable considering their age, and are pretty good for running games made from about 1985 through 1990. However, they can be a pain in the @ss to take apart and work on, and the T3100sx and T3200sxc (but not the other models in those series) do have some capacitor related issues from what I hear.
Jumping to the 90's? Anything from the Toshiba Satellite Pro 4xx series and Tecra 5xx series are great choices. Fun, reliable, and easy to work on machines that can be used for all your DOS and Windows 9x needs. Do note that any of those that end in "cs" (example: the Tecra 500cs) do have passive matrix screens. That's not a problem for me personally, but some people complain about the slower response time of those displays, particularly those who play a lot of games with fast moving objects.
If you want to go back to the 80's, most anything from the T3100 and T3200 lineup would be a good choice. Those machines are beautiful, extremely reliable considering their age, and are pretty good for running games made from about 1985 through 1990. However, they can be a pain in the @ss to take apart and work on, and the T3100sx and T3200sxc (but not the other models in those series) do have some capacitor related issues from what I hear.
Jumping to the 90's? Anything from the Toshiba Satellite Pro 4xx series and Tecra 5xx series are great choices. Fun, reliable, and easy to work on machines that can be used for all your DOS and Windows 9x needs. Do note that any of those that end in "cs" (example: the Tecra 500cs) do have passive matrix screens. That's not a problem for me personally, but some people complain about the slower response time of those displays, particularly those who play a lot of games with fast moving objects.
Thank you for this information! I think I'm going to stick with something from the 90s and I should have no problems with the models that have passive matrix screens.
Noted, definitely going with something with either a Windows 95 or 98 operating system. I'm most likely going to get either a 500/540 CDT or 740 CDT.
TH2002
Experienced Member
I have a Tecra 500CDT. Definitely a brick with more ports than you'll ever need, built well, and a nice system to have around. Windows 98 is a bit sluggish (but still very usable) with the base 16 MB of RAM, which was never upgraded in my machine. I intended to go back to 95 when I first got the computer, but decided to leave the 98 installation as is.
ClassicHasClass
Veteran Member
I have great fondness for the T1950/T1960 as I had one as a work machine for years, but they tend to have capacitor trouble with their power supply boards and the repair is a bit involved.
BoredFish
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2022
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- 5
Most of the satellite series from the mid to late 90s have been good to me. I've personally got a Satellite Pro 430CDT and a Satellite 335CDS. Just be careful though, some models A. have internal batteries for sleep and resume that love to leak and cause damage, and B. the keyboard connectors are EXTREMELY fragile. The big reason is because of the flex cable. There is a little plastic piece that holds the trackpoint and keyboard flex cables together and also provides pressure to make contact with the connector. The adhesive likes to, over time, become, well not adhesive, and the little plastic piece falls off, and trust me, will not go back on. Once it falls off, it's game over for that keyboard. The floppy drives are also a common failure point, as they are belt driven and the belt wears out. To get to the belt too, the entire drive has to come apart. I haven't had good luck doing this, as some of the connectors in these also have the same issue as the keyboard connector, and the heads are very fragile. I haven't had a single successful repair on one, they are just so hard to fix. Also with these laptops, toshiba LOVES proprietary connectors, so just be aware of this. Otherwise the laptops are wonderful, and I seem to keep obtaining more.