website/content/museum/compaq-portable-386.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Compaq Portable 386	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1987	Intel 80386	name image company company_name specs tabs photos adverts links docs comments related oc_id source Portable 386 /media/museum/photos/compaq_portable386_running_s1.jpg /companies/compaq Compaq label value NAME Portable 386 label value MANUFACTURER Compaq label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR October 1987 label value END OF PRODUCTION Unknown label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Typewriter type 92 keys with 12 function keys and numeric keypad label value CPU Intel 80386 label value SPEED 20 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR Socket for an Intel 80387 math coprocessor label value RAM 2 MB up to 10 MB label value ROM 16 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES Up to 640 x 400 pixels - CGA resolution (640x200) in DOS mode label value COLORS Monochrome orange label value SOUND Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT 41 (W) x 19.2 (D) x 24.8 (H) cm / 11 kg label value I/O PORTS Serial, Parallel, Video RGB, expansion bus label value BUILT IN MEDIA 1 x 1.2 MB FDD, 40 or 100 MB HDD label value OS MS-DOS 3.3 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit - No battery label value PERIPHERALS Expansion box with two IBM-AT card slots label value PRICE From $12,000 to $14,000 photos adverts links docs title subtitle text image LARGE VIEW The Portable 386 is running GEM OS and its graphical user interface. /media/museum/photos/compaq_portableiii_running_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SAME CASING Only the Compaq logos allow to distinguish a closed Portable III from a Portable 386. /media/museum/photos/compaq_portableiii_twosystems_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/compaq_portable386_topview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD Although the mainboard was the same size and had same connectors as the Portable III, the design was radically different. **(1)** Intel 80386-20 and socket for a 80387 math coprocessor\ **(2)** 2 x 1 MB RAM modules. Up to 4 MB RAM could be installed. See the Compaq III's motherboard picture for more information. /media/museum/photos/compaq_portable386_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image US ADVERT NOV. 1987 Advert said:\ Compaq has long been recognized as the world leader in both 80386 technology and portable computing. Si it's not surprising that we would combine the two.\ But no one expected the new Compaq Portable 386 to run at 20 MHz. And no one even dreamed that it would offer 100 MB of storage, disk caching, and much, much more... /media/museum/pubs/compaq_portable386_pub_1.jpg title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com title url cover text MAINTENACE & SERVICE GUIDE http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManual&lang=en&cc=us&docIndexId=179111&taskId=101&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=96333 /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif [**MAINTENACE & SERVICE GUIDE**](http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManual&lang=en&cc=us&docIndexId=179111&taskId=101&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=96333)written by Compaq  compiled/archived by Compaq\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Compaq Support Center](http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?lang=fr&cc=fr&taskId=135&prodClassId=-1&contentType=SupportManual&docIndexId=179821&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=96333) author date text Gerhard Polster (Vienna, Austria) Sunday 21st October 2012 If you need the BIOS/Boot-disc for this Computer, search Google for sp0308.zip (includes sp0308.exe, 3,5" 720k disc image) or sp0316.zip (includes sp0316.exe, 5,25" 360k disc image). Works for:\ COMPAQ Portable, COMPAQ DESKPRO, COMPAQ DESKPRO 286,\ COMPAQ PORTABLE 286, COMPAQ PORTABLE II, COMPAQ PORTABLE III, COMPAQ PORTABLE 386, COMPAQ DESKPRO 386, COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/20, COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/25, COMPAQ SLT/286, COMPAQ LTE, COMPAQ LTE/286,\ COMPAQ DESKPRO 286e, COMPAQ DESKPRO 286n author date text David (USA) Saturday 1st September 2012 I am looking for a bootable 5.25” diagnostic disk, also a disk with the bootable 5.25” MS – DOS 3.3 this is for a Compaq 386 portable 2670 I am doing a school project and don’t have a lot to spend but I am willing to pay reasonable compensation. author date text Christopher Havel (US - North Carolina) Tuesday 31st July 2012 Kerry Dunn, if you see this, please send me an email. laserhawk64-NOSPAM $at$ gmail $dot$ com $ take out the -NOSPAM. I''m interested in your compaq, but I don''t have much money. Thanks! author date text Ev (BC Canada) Thursday 10th May 2012 Looking for a boot disc for the Compac 386.\ It was working fine but is now asking for a boot disc.\ Any suggestions?\ Thanks\ Ev author date text Kerry Dunn (US - Pennsylvania ) Friday 6th January 2012 If anyone is interested in one still in working order, I have one that boots and has the keyboard. unsure of the value but one in wroking order was going for $500 on ebay. Obviosuly with no use for it I would not ask that much. Send me an offer. author date text Kerry Dunn (US - Pennsylvania ) Friday 6th January 2012 If anyone is interested in one still in working order, I have one that boots and has the keyboard. unsure of the value but one in wroking order was going for $500 on ebay. Obviosuly with no use for it I would not ask that much. Send me an offer. author date text Bobr (Czech) Saturday 25th June 2011 Hi, please there is no info on HP. Can I download service manual etc from somewhere ? I have 386 machine on 20 MHz Compaq Portable..... author date text MURTWITNESSONE (USA) Wednesday 26th January 2011 I have several of these and they still work. I used to run a BBS of of them. I alternated between the Compaq units and my Commodores. MURT author date text AL Sunday 28th November 2010 I picked up on of these last week and just finished resurrecting it. Works great! Thanks for the diagnostic disks! author date text John Mahoney (Minneapolis) Wednesday 3rd November 2010 Thanks for posting the diagnostic disk! I have one of these machines, and it is a very unique part of my collection. author date text Jonathan Roberts (USA) Monday 20th August 2007 I ran AutoCAD on one of these in the late '80s/early '90s as a jobbing engineering contractor. The spec I ran included 2MB RAM, 40MB disk, Maths Co-processor, extansion box with graphics card and an additional 17" monitor. It ran faultlessly apart from the C-pro coming loose in its socket once. author date text Good Ol' Dave (USA) Friday 2nd June 2006 Back in the 80's I was a repair technician for MicroAge, and we sold and serviced this PC. I recall that although the service panel was in the rear, the screws holding the power supply was attached to the computer chassis at the front, behind the integral monitor where you couldn't get at them. To remove the power supply a clueless Compaq technician rudely notified us that we needed to buy a specialized (and expensive) tool to remove the integral monitor first before we could remove the power supply. We figured out that there was enough space between the computer chassis and the rear of the monitor to insert a pair of pliers, with which we could slowly undo the seating screws. This was probably the last time in history that service technicians knew more about how to service computers than the manufacturers did. author date text Richard Hogue (USA) Monday 30th May 2005 I carried one of these for years on end. The LCD screen often failed but an external color CRT could be connected. The first one I had was a 286 8Mhz or 16Mhz and later a 386DX at 40Mhz. I used it to connect through a the serial port to Industrial Programmable Controllers called PLC's. The system supported MSDOS 6.22 and Win 3.11 for Workgroups. I even may still have one somewhere on my stored in my brother's barn. The neat thing was you could install many standard AT motherboards as I was responsible for repairing other engineers systems. I think in the end I hand one modified using a 486 100Mhz system board. They all had a actual 5 1/4 drive bay that could support support many types of IDE hard drives of the time. Also there were two bays so I could have a 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 inch floppy drives. The power supply was solid and as long as the box was blown out once a year, it would hold up very well It was actually very realiable and ruged. Of course in time laptops and notebooks would evolve and become much more practical. I have not yet seen a laptop that could take the physical abuse these units took year after year. /museum/compaq-portable /museum/compaq-portable-ii /museum/compaq-portable-iii 1065 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230601075306/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1065 2023-06-01

Apart from the Compaq logo, the Compaq Portable 386 was externally identical to the Portable III, but the inside was a true revolution in the portable computers field of the time. Its Intel 386-20 processor offered more speed, power and capabilities than ever before.

About the Portable 386, PC Magazine said in its review:
Its the hottest thing you can pick up with a handle. At 20 MHz, it outperforms everything else on the market but its deskbound sibling . Yet it's rugged enough for on-the-go computing, takes standard PC cards in an elegantly engineered span-on expansion chassis, and weighs less than 20 pounds. Some folks may not like the styling, but everyone loves the way it performs.

The portable 386 and Portable III had great success around the world, as well as the desktop versions, Compaq Deskpro 286-12 and 386/20. At about the same time as the 386 launch, Compaq announced having manufactured its 1- millionth personal computer.

Later, this robust machine was upgraded by third companies up to 486/80 CPU, 10 MB RAM and 9 GB hard-disk.

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.