Help... Looking for a 386 or 486 DOS AA palmtop to do all this:
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:18 pm
Hello fellow Palmtop lovers!
I just subscribed to this forum, because despite visiting the list of DOS-based PCs for ages, I never realized the forums were active again!
Well, actually I'm looking for a 386 or 486 DOS-based Palmtop that runs on AA batteries. So if anyone has one for sale or if anyone knows of one being sold, please let me know.
The reason for being so "picky" about the type of processor is that I would like to be able to do the following with it:
1. Be able to play Nethack (Version 4.2.4 or 3.6.0[latest]) If you don't know this old game, well. you should! It is awesome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetHack.
2. Be able to use QuickBasic or GW-Basic with a comfortable (CGA minimum) resolution.
3. Be able to use a C compiler, without the machine stuttering.
I know I should be able to run any of these if I lower my overall performance expectations and probably bump down to early software versions, but in reality all I want is a:
-Off the grid (Non doomed-to-die batteries)
-Portable (as in AA batteries liberty).
-Small (Clamshell Palmtop).
-Unobtrusive (non flashy CGA or low comsumption VGA Monochrome LCD?).
-Reasonably powerful for its age (386 or 486 processor).
In other words; all the same reasons you probably all love about these pocket machines.
Now, I do have a HP Omnibook 425 running DOS 7.1 and I simply love it, because it fulfills many of the "requisites" mentioned above, except I can only get like maybe 30 minutes on 4 AA batteries, and it is definitely a Sub-notebook and not a (Hand-held) Palmtop.
I was thinking maybe one of the many Tidalwave clones mentioned on the wonderful Tankraider list would do
http://www.tankraider.com/DOSPALMTOP/list.html, but unfortunately I've never seen anything besides HP LXs, Atari portfolios, Poqet PCs and Sharp 3000s...
Finally, I am open to other OS, like Linux-based or Windows, provided I can run DOS (I do own a Psion 5, but no DOS)but unfortunately they normally require much more power and therefore no AA batteries are utilized, but if you know of any that does use regular (off the shelf) dry batteries I would be glad to hear about it. I have a Libretto 50 as a DOS gaming machine and it goes to DOS nicely, but I prefer the old school fuzzy feeling of monochrome and the main problem is the defunct battery (meaning it is doomed to run plugged-in). I also know the IBM PC110 has an alternatively cheap compromise (and widely available) battery source, but unfortunately can be sometimes found on Ebay prohibitively expensive, therfore it is out of my price range. Heck i'm even willing to try the phone Nokia Communicator 9110, but will it run my dos programs? Anybody tried?
Thank you for any future feedback, and just excited to be able to post again.
Let me know your what you think.
I just subscribed to this forum, because despite visiting the list of DOS-based PCs for ages, I never realized the forums were active again!
Well, actually I'm looking for a 386 or 486 DOS-based Palmtop that runs on AA batteries. So if anyone has one for sale or if anyone knows of one being sold, please let me know.
The reason for being so "picky" about the type of processor is that I would like to be able to do the following with it:
1. Be able to play Nethack (Version 4.2.4 or 3.6.0[latest]) If you don't know this old game, well. you should! It is awesome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetHack.
2. Be able to use QuickBasic or GW-Basic with a comfortable (CGA minimum) resolution.
3. Be able to use a C compiler, without the machine stuttering.
I know I should be able to run any of these if I lower my overall performance expectations and probably bump down to early software versions, but in reality all I want is a:
-Off the grid (Non doomed-to-die batteries)
-Portable (as in AA batteries liberty).
-Small (Clamshell Palmtop).
-Unobtrusive (non flashy CGA or low comsumption VGA Monochrome LCD?).
-Reasonably powerful for its age (386 or 486 processor).
In other words; all the same reasons you probably all love about these pocket machines.
Now, I do have a HP Omnibook 425 running DOS 7.1 and I simply love it, because it fulfills many of the "requisites" mentioned above, except I can only get like maybe 30 minutes on 4 AA batteries, and it is definitely a Sub-notebook and not a (Hand-held) Palmtop.
I was thinking maybe one of the many Tidalwave clones mentioned on the wonderful Tankraider list would do
http://www.tankraider.com/DOSPALMTOP/list.html, but unfortunately I've never seen anything besides HP LXs, Atari portfolios, Poqet PCs and Sharp 3000s...
Finally, I am open to other OS, like Linux-based or Windows, provided I can run DOS (I do own a Psion 5, but no DOS)but unfortunately they normally require much more power and therefore no AA batteries are utilized, but if you know of any that does use regular (off the shelf) dry batteries I would be glad to hear about it. I have a Libretto 50 as a DOS gaming machine and it goes to DOS nicely, but I prefer the old school fuzzy feeling of monochrome and the main problem is the defunct battery (meaning it is doomed to run plugged-in). I also know the IBM PC110 has an alternatively cheap compromise (and widely available) battery source, but unfortunately can be sometimes found on Ebay prohibitively expensive, therfore it is out of my price range. Heck i'm even willing to try the phone Nokia Communicator 9110, but will it run my dos programs? Anybody tried?
Thank you for any future feedback, and just excited to be able to post again.
Let me know your what you think.