IBM Announces PS/2 Laptop Computer

Laptop Computing Without Compromise

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 26, 1991 -- PRNewswire -- IBM Corporation (NYSE: IBM) today announced a powerful laptop computer designed to meet the demanding needs of salespeople, accountants, financial planners and other traveling professionals.

The IBM Personal System/2 L40 SX is a lightweight, durable, battery- operated 386SX computer that gives customers desktop function anywhere it's needed -- on the road or in the air.

The PS/2 Laptop is designed and manufactured to be the most usable laptop on the market today. It features a full-size keyboard virtually identical to that found on other IBM PS/2 personal computers; a standard memory of two megabytes (MB) and maximum memory of 18 MB, the most of any laptop on the market today; a powerful 60 MB hard drive; a 10-inch Video Graphics Array (VGA) display; and a unique monitoring system that displays the status of vital internal functions, such as remaining battery life. All this comes in a slim 7.7-pound package.

"Our customers told us they want a light, portable, battery-operated system as powerful and familiar as the PS/2s sitting on their desks," said James A. Cannavino, IBM vice president and general manager, Personal Systems. "It was a lot to ask, but the PS/2 Laptop delivers what they wanted and more."

Powerful and Easy to Use

The PS/2 Laptop is designed to provide customers with the same power, performance and ease-of-use found in desktop personal computers. The quiet, full-size keyboard, plus the standard external numeric keypad, provides a full 101-key layout. The IBM-designed keyboard is sloped to help make typing smooth, comfortable and productive.

The laptop also features a powerful 20 megahertz (MHz) Intel 80386SX microprocessor, along with a standard 60 MB hard drive, two MB of memory, expandable up to 18 MB, and a 1.44 MB 3.5-inch diskette drive. The PS/2 Laptop is based on an AT-bus architecture and can handle the same demanding programs used on desktop systems today, including DOS, Windows and the versatile Operating System/2 (OS/2).

The 60 MB hard drive provides enough disk space to store 30,000 typewritten pages, the equivalent of a 10-foot-high stack of paper.

This laptop has a 10-inch diagonal, sidelit, VGA liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, capable of addressing 32 shades of gray. The display has the same aspect ratio as standard desktop displays -- so a circle looks like a circle, not an oval. The unit also has a standard VGA port, allowing users to connect a color VGA display for applications enhanced by color.

The IBM PS/2 Laptop also features a "suspend/resume" function that allows users to close the unit without needing to save a current application or information. When the laptop is opened again the system powers up in seconds to where the user left off -- allowing for day-long computing without the need to exit an application between sessions.

Suspend/resume also allows for battery exchange without having to shut off the unit, save files, or exit programs. A user just closes the cover, exchanges the battery, and then reopens the cover. Within seconds the user will be back to the same screen that was being viewed before the battery exchange.

Sophisticated "power management" features also help customers get the most out of the machine's battery. Users can choose processor speeds at the flick of a switch and program the unit to automatically turn off the display and hard drive. The system also will alert users to low battery status through both sound and an LCD indicator.

PS/2 Laptop customers can also purchase an optional Internal Data/Fax Modem. This is a combination 2400 BPS data modem and 9600 BPS fax modem that makes moving information between the laptop and other computers or facsimile machines a snap.

Ten LCD indicators appear below the large LCD screen that graphically display vital system functions -- including remaining battery life, temperature, humidity, data/fax modem connection indicator, suspend/resume mode, number lock, capitals lock, scroll lock, hard drive and diskette drive in use, and a visual "system beep" indicator for the hearing-impaired.

In the future, IBM also intends to provide an AC-powered expansion unit for the PS/2 Laptop. The unit would provide connections to IBM 3270, 5250, and Token-Ring networks using IBM Personal Computer AT half- sized adapter cards. Other half-size adapters may also be available in the future.

Dimensions for the PS/2 L40 SX are 2.1-inches high, 12.8-inches wide and 10.7-inches deep -- the unit weighs 7.7 pounds with the battery installed. Charged L40 SX batteries can last up to three hours during use, depending on system use and set up configurations. The PS/2 Laptop comes standard with a leather slip-on carrying case.

International Hardware Warranty

PS/2 Laptop customers will have the added advantage of IBM's 12-month warranty -- good in more than 80 countries and thousands of locations worldwide where the product is sold. This international warranty adds yet another dimension to the sales and service support customers have come to expect from IBM and its business partners.

Positive Early Reactions

"The good news for our customers is the PS/2 Laptop is shipping today," said Dave Thomas, IBM vice president and president of the National Distribution Division. "We have every indication from customers who've had an early look at the PS/2 Laptop it was worth waiting for and that it's clearly a winner. Our business partners are projecting very strong demand for this product."

Price and Availability

The suggested retail price for the PS/2 L40 SX with two MB of internal memory and the 60 MB hard drive is $5,995. The new IBM laptop is available from IBM Business Partners and directly from IBM in the United States and Canada today.

L40 SX Options

Options available for the PS/2 Laptop with suggested retail prices include:

-- Trackpoint -- combines the convenience of a trackball and a mouse pointing device in a single unit -- $159.

-- Quick charger -- can recharge the L40 SX within 2.5 hours -- $219.

-- Car Battery Adapter for use in automobiles -- $249.

-- Deluxe carrying case -- soft-sided and large enough to hold the L40 SX, a portable printer, charger and accessories -- $199.

-- Travel Case -- made of molded plastic and features wheels, a hide-away handle and a cushioned interior for easily transporting the L40 SX with a portable printer, charging unit, cable and accessories -- $369.

-- Extra rechargeable battery packs -- $129 each.

Dealer-installable options include:

-- Internal Data/Fax Modem -- a combination 2400 BPS data modem and 9600 BPS fax modem allowing for easy transfer of information between the L40 SX and other computers or facsimile machines -- $659.

-- Internal memory available in two, four and eight megabyte memory modules. Total internal memory can be brought up to a powerful 18 MB -- 2 MB, $899; 4 MB, $1995; 8 MB, $3595.

-- Serial Adapter -- allows connection of a second serial device to the unit -- $149.

A math coprocessor socket is also available for installation of Intel-compatible 80387-20 math coprocessors to increase the processing speed of the PS/2 Laptop for numerically-intensive applications such as spreadsheets and graphics programs.

NOTES:

Personal System/2, PS/2, AT, Operating System/2 and OS/2 are registered trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation.

i386SX is a trademark of Intel Corporation.

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

/NOTE TO EDITORS: Photo available on INS Network/

CONTACT: Kevin Clark, 914-642-4664, or Tara Sexton, 914-642-4662, both of IBM