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Request: your opinion on a semi-vintage IBM ThinkPad's price

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Pepinno

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Hello all.

I've been offered an semi-vintage IBM ThinkPad laptop, model 755CE, for 30 euros.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:755CE

Intel 486DX4 100MHz CPU
WD90C24 video controller with 1MB
10.4" TFT display with 640x480 resolution
Removable LCD cover to support overhead projectors
8MB memory standard
340, 540 or 810MB HDD
IBM Mwave Audio and Modem controller
IrDA 1.0
UltraBay with 1.44MB FDD
(2) Type II, or (1) Type III PCMCIA slot
Click to expand...

This particular one I've been offered, has a 486/100mhz CPU, 16MB RAM, and an unknown capacity hard disk. It's fully functional, and it comes with its original power adapter.

I've found a Youtube video featuring this Thinkpad model (but the one in that video has 24MB RAM):


So what do you think? Is the price right?
 
I suppose it depends on what you'd use it for.

My general rule is that I'll buy a computer I have to tinker with and clean up as opposed to a "museum piece", but I never pay more than $40 for it either way. I collect them for the hobby of tinkering and as the sum of it's actual components, it's not really worth more than that. :) Maybe the gold on the CPU at this point...
 
33black said:
I suppose it depends on what you'd use it for.

My general rule is that I'll buy a computer I have to tinker with and clean up as opposed to a "museum piece", but I never pay more than $40 for it either way.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's my point: 30 euros is about 39 US$. So this particular laptop at 30 euros is at the very threshold of buy/not-buy...

I do have projects for it: DOS games revival, parallel port ZIP drive, Linux + PCMCIA networking + basic XFree86 + Netscape Navigator, Windows 3.1 + pocket ethernet adapter + trumpet TCP/IP stack + Internet Explorer 3.0, Xenix / SCO Unix 4.2, DOS + kermit serial communications, the list is endless.

It bothers me a little that I will not be able to network Xenix with TCP/IP in this machine, as Xenix never supported PCMCIA nor pocket ethernet adapters, only 8 bit ISA ethernet cards were ever supported on Xenix... bummer!
 
Like all of the early TP lappys, the 750 series is an excellent choice in a (semi?)-vintage machine. I've had a couple plus a few of the 760x models, and I still own my 360PE, which I do love dearly and play with often. They're built like a tank and take a lickin etc...

Not sure how much 30 euros is in real money, (is anyone these days?), but if I were selling one, fully functional, I'd be asking about $50.00 US for it.
BTW, if you do pick it up, I have an extra (4mb? mebbe 8mb) RAM card you're welcome to if you need it. I just saw it the other day, so it shouldn't be too hard to locate it again. Also have a few other spare parts, but they're harder to locate right now.

--T
 
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If it has a CDROM and floppy and works then it would probably do what you want. If it's not breaking the bank it's probably a fine system to play with. Newer operating systems sorta suck on it with VGA limitations but if it does what you want then whats the concern? Just curious anyway, are you thinking there is a better solution for what you want or some other hesitation?
 
I think that is not a bad price,especially if you can obtain it locally..if you ask me my if I would buy it the answer is yes!
 
Just went and pulled the PE off the shelf and she fired right up, as usual, complete with the ob dead cmos battery. ya just can't kill 'em! NEways, now I know what I'm doing this afternoon...

-T
 
The 750/760/770 series thinkpads were top of the line back when they were introduced (I have stacks of all types of those models). The best 75x is the 755cd. As far as what they are worth, that depends on you realy and their condition.
 
Terry Yager said:
Like all of the early TP lappys, the 750 series is an excellent choice in a (semi?)-vintage machine. I've had a couple plus a few of the 760x models, and I still own my 360PE, which I do love dearly and play with often. They're built like a tank and take a lickin etc...
Click to expand...
angel_grig said:
I think that is not a bad price,especially if you can obtain it locally..if you ask me my if I would buy it the answer is yes!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think you are right: this machine is a little piece of fine art, I'm gonna buy it. I've sent an email asking for place, day and time to exchange it for said 30 euros, yeah I got this laptop offered locally.

Terry Yager said:
Not sure how much 30 euros is in real money, (is anyone these days?), but if I were selling one, fully functional, I'd be asking about $50.00 US for it.
BTW, if you do pick it up, I have an extra (4mb? mebbe 8mb) RAM card you're welcome to if you need it. I just saw it the other day, so it shouldn't be too hard to locate it again. Also have a few other spare parts, but they're harder to locate right now.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the offer, but unless some of the current RAM on it suddenly dies, I think 16MB is going to be enough for my projects (it even bothers me a little that at 100MHz its CPU is too much to get a full retro flavour out of it, but oh well...).

barythrin said:
If it has a CDROM and floppy and works then it would probably do what you want. If it's not breaking the bank it's probably a fine system to play with. Newer operating systems sorta suck on it with VGA limitations but if it does what you want then whats the concern? Just curious anyway, are you thinking there is a better solution for what you want or some other hesitation?
Click to expand...
No CD-ROM, the Thinkpad 775CE only has floppy drive and HDD. There is a Thinkpad model 775CD which does have a CD-ROM drive built-in.

The hesitation comes from the fact that if I pay too much for it (or if I later come to that realization), I just will not enjoy it as much: the joy for me comes from getting something "special and unique" out of something apparently passè which was not special to anyone else, not out of something you just put down the money-no-matter-what for it to outbid all the rest of the fellow hobbyists just throwing money at it (anyone can do that, that's not special).
 
Unknown_K said:
The 750/760/770 series thinkpads were top of the line back when they were introduced (I have stacks of all types of those models). The best 75x is the 755cd. As far as what they are worth, that depends on you realy and their condition.
Click to expand...

I'll second that opinion. And they're as common as dirt, so easy upgrading memory and HDD size (and getting docks/port replicators, and other accessories). Just be sure that what you are getting works for all components.
 
They enjoyment of the device should be for what it means to you, not how cheap or how overpriced you got it. People who spend more then market rates are not just throwing money at stuff, sometimes they want to have the most complete or perfect example of something they realy wanted for a long time and will spend accordingly. "Special and unique" mean little when something was mass produced and can still be found in major quantities cheaply. I have multiple models because I like them and spares are cheap.
 
Pepinno said:
Hello all.

I've been offered an semi-vintage IBM ThinkPad laptop, model 755CE, for 30 euros.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:755CE



This particular one I've been offered, has a 486/100mhz CPU, 16MB RAM, and an unknown capacity hard disk. It's fully functional, and it comes with its original power adapter.

I've found a Youtube video featuring this Thinkpad model (but the one in that video has 24MB RAM):


So what do you think? Is the price right?
Click to expand...


Man, 30 euros? If you have the money, buy it... nice price for a nice machine. In next years those things will be super expensive, buy while the price is good. I buy as much as I can/need, I'm deciding to buy a few Sound Blasters 8 bit that I will only use in 2014/2015, just for the opportunity...
 
Well, posting here just to let you all know I finally did buy the Thinkpad, for 30 euros, local pickup.

The machine ended up coming full-equip, with plenty of accessories, 40 MB RAM (not 16 MB as seller said), a 500 MB HDD IDE, a 486DX4/100MHz CPU, and a color TFT screen. Turns out the machine is not exactly "vintage", as it clearly is a machine built to run Windows 95/NT3.51 (as per the specs).

Nontheless, the machine is in great shape and I don't regret at all buying it. Thanks to all who said I should buy it, they were exactly right.

I have uploaded a Picasa album with all the photos I've taken of this little precious:

https://picasaweb.google.com/100392977041325984150/IBMThinkPad755CE

I hope you like it.
 
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Terry Yager said:
Just a wild guess but, could the "unknown adapter" (29H9467) be for a PCMCIA SCSI card<- ->drive, (neither of which is present)?

--T
Click to expand...

PCMCIA SCSI card <--> drive? never heard of that, looks like a very cool device :cool:

By the way Terry Yager, are you Kung Lao?
 
PCMCIA SCSI cards were pretty standard fair for the Iomega Jaz drives. The drive is long gone but I still have the SCSI card.
 
Wow!I'm jealous!I think it's a better buy than expected considering all these accessories and parts that are included!I also like that design in which all the components are accessible under the keyboard!And with 40MB of memory you can even run win98!Have fun with it!
 
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