IBM ThinkPad 710T Tablet
Released:1993
Price:US $2,999 - $3,699
Size:xxx
Weight5.5 lb with battery
CPU:Intel 80486SLC @ 25MHz
RAM:4-12 MB
Display:9.5 inch diagonal monochrome
 backlit; 480X640 16 greyscales
Input:Wacom stylus
Storage:internal 60MB hard drive or PCMCIA SSD
 Optional external floppy drive
Expansion:PCMCIA slot(s)
OS:CIC PenDOS 2.2 with IBM DOS 6.3
 GO PenPoint
Power:20VDC, tip+
IBM ThinkPad Tablets


IBM ThinkPad 730T from 1994




As IBM president 1914 to 1956, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. enjoyed using the phrase "THINK!" to motivate and inspire his employees. This simple word has become deeply embedded in IBM's corporate culture ever since.

Decades later in 1991, the phrase became a product, as the ThinkPad - IBM's new pen-based tablet running the incomparable PenPoint Operating System.

Strangely enough, the ThinkPad name was extended to also include IBM's new, immensely successful notebook line of computers, which were not "pads".

Anyway, back to the tablets - Joining the likes of Linus, GRiD, NCR, EO, Amstrad, Dauphin, and Apple, IBM made a concerted effort to create a successful tablet computer. With constant improvements, the ThinkPad tablets eventually included the 2521, 700T, 710T, 730T, and 730TE models. The earliest model 2521 wasn't really for sale to the public, it was apparently only offered to developers and other IBM customers on a "test this thing out" basis. The 700T was the first model actually available to the public. When the upgraded 710T became available, 700T owners could just trade-in their old 700T model for the new system with no additional cost.

The model 730TE is identical to the 730T, with just a faster CPU.

The IBM ThinkPad logo and all of the symbols on the IBM 710T are designed for "landscape" mode,
but the PenPoint operating system works in either "landscape" or "portrait" mode.
The handle can be removed, or replaced with a carrying strap.


While an external floppy drive was available, non-volitile data storage is via built-in hard drive, or PCMCIA slots, which are accessible without opening the main unit. Earlier systems utilized the then-new SunDisk "Solid State Mass Storage System" SSD (Solid State Drive) cards, but the 730T and 730TE systems had an actual removable spinning disk hard drive, but still using the PCMCIA interface. The first SunDisk SSD cards were available in 5MB ($649), 10MB ($1,099), and 15MB ($1,499) sizes. SunDisk soon changed their name to SanDisk however, to avoid problems with Sun Microsystems.

All of the systems have a magnesium-encased, shock-proof, rubber-coated body, with a back-lit VGA 480x640 resolution screen, with the only human interface being the Wacom EMR (electro-magnetic resonance) pen/digitizer/stylus, which needs no batteries to operate.

While the first ThinkPad tablets ran only the GO PenPoint operating system, which was originally created for the EO 440 tablet, later IBM ThinkPad tablets were able to run other operating systems. IBM wanted a pen-based operating system that could run existing applications, and the application development tools for Windows and DOS were more advanced, even though they are not pen-centric - IBM was just covering their bases. Later systems offered PenPoint only as a special order from the factory.

ModelCPUPriceData StorageOSPortsWeight
1992: 2521 (2521)20MHz 80386SX developer series4-8MB RAM
10MB SSD X2		GO PenPoint  floppy
  parallel
  serial
  keyboard
  modem		2.8kg / 6.3lbs
1992: 700T (2521)20MHz 80386SX $4,795-$5,3954-8MB RAM
20MB SSD		GO PenPoint  floppy
  parallel
  serial
  keyboard
  modem		2.8kg
1993: 710T (2523)25MHz 80486SLC$2,999-$3,6994-12MB RAM
60MB HD
or SSD cards		CIC PenDOS
GO PenPoint		  floppy
  parallel
  serial
  keyboard
  mouse
  video		2.5kg / 5.5lbs
battery: 0.7kg / 1.5lbs
1994: 730T (2524)33MHz 80486SX $2,569-$3,4298-24MB RAM
105MB HD
or SSD cards
(3 PCMCIA, 1 DRAM)		CIC PenDOS
Pen for OS/2
Windows for Pen
GRiD PenRight!		port replicator1.8kg / 4lbs
batteries: 0.5kg / 1.0lbs
1995: 730TE (2524)75MHz 80486DX4$2,849-$3,4998-24MB RAM
260MB HD
or SSD cards
(3 PCMCIA, 1 DRAM)		CIC PenDOS
Pen for OS/2
Windows for Pen
GRiD PenRight!		port replicator1.8kg / 4lbs
batteries: 0.5kg / 1.0lbs


The 730T and 730TE tablets don't have any built-in communications ports - these ports instead reside on the optional port replicator which doubles as stand, as seen below.

IBM 730T port replicator

IBM 730T port replicator



IBM 710T motherboard "front"

IBM 710T motherboard "back"



IBM 730T motherboard "front"

IBM 730T motherboard "back"


Related Links

  • The Original IBM ThinkPad
  • women-and-dreams blog
  • http://www.komotch2.com
  • Lenovo: withdrawn systems
  • http://pencomputing.com
  • https://ardent-tool.com
  • http://ohlandl.ipv7.net
  • YouTube: "The History of the Original ThinkPad Tablet"
  • http://dankpads.com
  • Some files on dropbox
  • "Rare and Old Computers"
  • "IBM ThinkPad 700T Available"
  • PC Mag Jun 29, 1993



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