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Difference between revisions of "AT&T Globalist 200S"
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*Western Digital WD90C24A video chipset 1MB VRAM (1024x768 256 colour capable) | *Western Digital WD90C24A video chipset 1MB VRAM (1024x768 256 colour capable) | ||
*540MB standard, 1.2GB maximum PATA HDD (unofficially 4GB) | *540MB standard, 1.2GB maximum PATA HDD (unofficially 4GB) | ||
*1.44MB FDD | *1.44MB FDD (unreliable, belt driven platter rotation system) | ||
*ESS 1488 Audio Card, SoundBlaster 2.0/Adlib capable emulation (mono) | *ESS 1488 Audio Card, SoundBlaster 2.0/Adlib capable emulation (mono) | ||
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| Durable keyboard and trackball || Very slow key travel, clumsy keyboard | | Durable keyboard and trackball || Very slow key travel, clumsy keyboard | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Great harddrive access || Proprietary power supply connector | | Great harddrive access || Proprietary power supply connector, unreliable floppy drive | ||
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A low-end, somewhat compact, consumer laptop, released in 1995. It had a somewhat average mix of parts for a 486. AT&T was not known as a laptop manufacturers and this product has been clearly built to spec by another more knowledgeable facility, although the design seems to originate from the USA. Compared with other laptops, the design is well suited for mobile applications, not being a desktop CPU housed in a laptop case. The model is somewhat odd as it is the high-end designation a basically consumer laptop lineup with faster processor, an active matrix screen vs. the passive matrix of the 200 typical model and more RAM installed by default. Overall, the laptop was still obsolete at the time of the release, but a reasonable budget alternative to pricier Toshiba and IBM laptops. | A low-end, somewhat compact, consumer laptop, released in 1995. It had a somewhat average mix of parts for a 486. AT&T was not known as a laptop manufacturers and this product has been clearly built to spec by another more knowledgeable facility, although the design seems to originate from the USA. Compared with other laptops, the design is well suited for mobile applications, not being a desktop CPU housed in a laptop case. The model is somewhat odd as it is the high-end designation a basically consumer laptop lineup with faster processor, an active matrix screen vs. the passive matrix of the 200 typical model and more RAM installed by default. Overall, the laptop was still obsolete at the time of the release, but a reasonable budget alternative to pricier Toshiba and IBM laptops. | ||
While the CPU is good for a 486, the sub-par video chipset position this laptop as a budget multimedia laptop. The inclusion of a soundcard is welcome but there are other features that make the laptop less recommended. This laptop, however, holds the distinction of being in the fastest 486 processors class, as the 100MHz CPU speed was uncommon. While the 75 to 100MHz clockspeed jump is noticeably good, the CPU architecture was obsolete and even the first Pentium processor generations, at 50 to 66 MHz clockspeed, offer higher performance. | |||
The Western Digital branded video chipset was already obsolete by the time of the laptop's release. The lack of most acceleration functions means that even running Windows 3.1 in 640x480 feels sluggish and Windows 95 operation feels slow. It is very difficult to understand why many laptop manufacturers (IBM included) insisted on using such video chipsets that do not even expose full VESA capabilities. In comparison with the IBM 370, however, it is not required to load a special VESA TSR to be able to run Windows in 640x480 resolution. Although resolutions such as 1024x768 at 256 colors are possible, they are clearly beyond the user's patience. | The Western Digital branded video chipset was already obsolete by the time of the laptop's release. The lack of most acceleration functions means that even running Windows 3.1 in 640x480 feels sluggish and Windows 95 operation feels slow. It is very difficult to understand why many laptop manufacturers (IBM included) insisted on using such video chipsets that do not even expose full VESA capabilities. In comparison with the IBM 370, however, it is not required to load a special VESA TSR to be able to run Windows in 640x480 resolution. Although resolutions such as 1024x768 at 256 colors are possible, they are clearly beyond the user's patience. | ||
<youtube width="500" height="281">Z1t8xWVFzvs</youtube> | |||
The inclusion of a relatively modern TFT screen, having a good contrast ratio and response time is one of the few saving graces in terms of technical prowess as most laptops of its era either had poor color LCDs or good but monochrome ones. RAM capabilities are mixed. The lack of standardization means that memory upgrades are quite difficult to find, as the laptop require a proprietary memory module standard, the so-called memory module adapter, that also requires care when memory is upgraded, due to multiple side sockets. | The inclusion of a relatively modern TFT screen, having a good contrast ratio and response time is one of the few saving graces in terms of technical prowess as most laptops of its era either had poor color LCDs or good but monochrome ones. RAM capabilities are mixed. The lack of standardization means that memory upgrades are quite difficult to find, as the laptop require a proprietary memory module standard, the so-called memory module adapter, that also requires care when memory is upgraded, due to multiple side sockets. | ||