Cool... PC-DOS preload, Thinkpad 701CS

[Medessec]

Guys, have you seen this?

http://www.medessec.info/m/701CS/IMG_1047.JPG
http://www.medessec.info/m/701CS/IMG_1048.JPG
http://www.medessec.info/m/701CS/IMG_1049.JPG

I just kinda watched it while eating dinner and left it playing on loop, it has so much information of the 701C/CS and all of it's optional extras... it looks like this 701CS was wiped clean and this is what you're supposed to see when you take your 701C/CS out of the box?

I just got this 701CS in the mail, it's in fair condition with some gashes in the rubberized coat on the lid, the cover panel for the PCMCIA card slots missing, and the battery hatch and battery gone(although that's more of a good thing) the X key has a piece under that's broken off, but the keyboard mechanism, as always, strong and smooth as ever.

Because this is a 701CS, it has the DSTN screen instead of the nicer TFT LCD, but it has no scratches, lines or spots on it. It seems to have come with it's original power brick too, which is awesome.

Here are some more pics of it:
http://www.medessec.info/m/701CS/IMG_1050.JPG keyboard
http://www.medessec.info/m/701CS/IMG_1051.JPG errors on startup

[jayton4]

Very cool indeed!

[Ereinion]

Awesome Butterfly and awesome preload, never seen before!

About error 201 - actually it is not about memory, but CMOS battery.
If you replace or just remove battery (it is soldered to mobo and you will need to complete disassemble your Butterfly) it will disappear.

[RealBlackStuff]

Micro$haft probably saw pictures like that years ago, and based their infamous Metro interface on it!

[DRobinson]

My 701C has the same presentation, but it is running Windows 95.

edit - just looked, I also have PC-DOS available on the machine. The application is called "ThinkPad Advisor."

[Theokretes]

Do you think you would be able to make an image of that? I'm in the process of archiving 701C software as there seems to be a great lack of it anywhere in terms of availability. I made images of the diagnostic diskettes that I got, and other stuff...

It'll be on an upcoming IBM site I'm working on.

Also, I have a 701C keyboard with a broken trackpoint stem. If you're interested in some keys, I may be able to ship some out when the weather's warmer and I'm not super-busy.

[Medessec]

I may have to take you up on that offer... it's just the X-key I might need.

But as for the software, I might be able to archive or image it. I'll have to take a closer look.

[goldeneagle]

Years ago, someone sent me a copy of the preload. I would be happy to stick it on dropbox for anyone who wants to download it.

There are actually two versions - for the 486DX2 model (that nobody seems to have), there is a version with PC-DOS and Windows 3.1. The demo program is different (and in my opinion, more refined).

For the 486DX4-75, that came standard with PC-DOS 6.3/Win 3.1 and OS/2 Warp 3 (red box, no networking). That demo is also different than the previous image. I believe all is in a zip file, so you can just extract the demo and the required DLL/VBX files to run it.

[fultontech]

Years ago, someone sent me a copy of the preload. I would be happy to stick it on dropbox for anyone who wants to download it.

I would be interested in a copy.

[micrex22]

Years ago, someone sent me a copy of the preload. I would be happy to stick it on dropbox for anyone who wants to download it.

There are actually two versions - for the 486DX2 model (that nobody seems to have), there is a version with PC-DOS and Windows 3.1. The demo program is different (and in my opinion, more refined).

For the 486DX4-75, that came standard with PC-DOS 6.3/Win 3.1 and OS/2 Warp 3 (red box, no networking). That demo is also different than the previous image. I believe all is in a zip file, so you can just extract the demo and the required DLL/VBX files to run it.

I would also be interested in a copy

[Hierax_ca]

I'm also interested in a copy of this!

[RealBlackStuff]

Try a PM, goldeneagle was last on this forum on Sep. 11, 2014, and only ever made 3 posts.
Getting an email that there is a message might get his attention!

[goldeneagle]

Try a PM, goldeneagle was last on this forum on Sep. 11, 2014, and only ever made 3 posts.
Getting an email that there is a message might get his attention!

I apologize; things have been hectic with grad school and moving around the country.

Here is the file on dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1t1cinbr23uji6b/701.zip?dl=0

I believe it was originally intended to be loaded through a Backpack parallel CD-ROM (if any of y'all remember those) through DOS and then imaged onto the hard drive, preserving the appropriate attribute flags. The nested zips in 701.zip is mobile1.zip and mobile2.zip, of which one has the image intended for the 701 with the DX2, and the other (with OS/2 Warp 3) for the 701 with the DX4. Strangely, I remember the DX4 model benchmarking substantially slower than a desktop with a DX2-50, and still slower than a comparable 755 with a DX2 or DX4. Oh, the memories...

[fultontech]

Thank you for the opportunity to finally get some of the files I've only read of in IBM product notices.

[Hierax_ca]

THANK YOU!

[fultontech]

So just fun, I put it on a CD and tried it following the readme instructions. Worked without a hitch.

[goldeneagle]

So just fun, I put it on a CD and tried it following the readme instructions. Worked without a hitch.

Very nice. I didn't personally get that far, but glad it's working. I still have my 701's - a 701CS and a 701C, but both of them have issues (not to mention the battery terminals corroded). Personally, my heart lies with my 755CE.

[goldeneagle]

Oh, and you're welcome to fultontech and hirax_ca. And you're welcome to anyone else in advance who downloads this. And for the usual legal mumbo jumbo, I'm sure that this is abandoneware, but if it isn't, then we're all installing it on our 701s, for which we had a license to use it anyways and so on and so forth.