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Blast from the Past: Toshiba Libretto 100CT

Image via www.squit.co.uk/computers/libretto.html

I’ve just added a new netbook to my collection. The 100CT is a 10 year old, 2.5lbs brick, but mine isn’t in nearly as good cosmetic condition as the one above.

It’s running Windows 2000 on a 166MHz CPU with 64MB RAM, 4GB hard disk, and a 7.1” screen. It also has 2 PC card slots, a small speaker, and mike and headphone jacks. Mine came with an external floppy drive and a docking station (which provided access to a VGA, a serial, a parallel, and a PS2 port). The screen is 7”, which should give you an idea of the general dimensions.

If you look at the photo you’ll see a small circle to the right of the screen. It’s a trackmouse. There are also a pair of mouse buttons on the backside for the screen. If you put your thumb on the trackmouse and grip the screen then the mouse buttons should be right under your fingers.

It is surprisingly zippy for such an old system. I’m not going to try to install anything new, but it’s a little surprising how much WinXP software will work on such a limited CPU. So far I’ve installed Mobipocket Desktop, MSReader, and a few other basics. Lucky for me it came with a lot of the usual apps you’d expect to see on a laptop (Opera even), which saved me from having to go looking for them.

I got it because I didn’t have a Win2k system nor did I have one of the old Librettos. I wanted to get it so I can use it as proof of how bloated modern OSes are. I’ve got a full desktop OS running on a 166MHz CPU and it’s only slightly more out of date than WinXP. Can you imagine what would happen if I tried to run Win7 or Android on this? *snicker*

 

 

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Comments


Mike Cane May 25, 2011 um 3:31 pm

How are you going to have money left over to buy an HP TouchPad and the new all-touch Kindle if you keep this up? You need a gadget intervention!

Nate Hoffelder May 25, 2011 um 6:13 pm

I don’t want the Touchpad.

Mike Cane May 25, 2011 um 7:50 pm

Tasteless Philistine.


Leo Bocaya June 1, 2011 um 2:06 pm

Looks ancient!!..definitely a blast from the past… meanwhile this was just roughly 10 years ago. i can’t even imagine what type of technology will come out in 2021..


Andy September 28, 2011 um 9:57 am

If you’re going to use someone else’s photo rather than taking your own, you ought to credit the source!

Nate Hoffelder September 28, 2011 um 10:04 am

Shit. You’re right, I didn’t. I will fix that.


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