Toshiba Libretto 110CT

The Toshiba Libretto 110CT is a neat compact subnotebook released in 1997 that squeezed full PC functionality into a pocket-sized form factor. The computer measures 5" deep x 8" wide x 1.5" thick when closed. It features a 7.1-inch TFT display with 800x480 resolution, powered by an Intel Pentium MMX 233 MHz processor and 32 MB of RAM (expandable to 64 MB). Storage was handled by a 4.3 GB hard drive, and graphics are supported by a NeoMagic NM2160A GPU. It also includes essential connectivity options like CardBus, VGA, serial, and parallel ports. The mouse trackpoint is positioned on the lower right corner of the screen and designed for right-thumb operation. The two mouse buttons are located on the backside of the screen, directly behind the trackpoint, allowing you to click using your index and middle fingers while navigating the cursor with your thumb.

I was given this example around 2005 from a friend of my parents. It originally came with Windows 95 but was later upgraded to Windows 98. About 20 years later, the hard drive failed, so I replaced it with a 64GB IDE SSD that works very well with nearly instantaneous boot times. Notably, if no hard drive is present, the Libretto doesn’t power on; the screen remains black, and there’s no BIOS startup screen at all.