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Zenith ZWLl-0300-04 Supersport SX vintage 386 laptop, + power supply + Rhino bag
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Zenith ZWLl-0300-04 Supersport SX vintage 386 laptop, + power supply + Rhino bag
Price: US $79.99
In my first test of the laptop, long before photographing it, the computer was able to power up and the screen showed two error messages at startup. I think they were saying that the main battery and BIOS battery were dead [or maybe it was about CMOS and date. It was either BIOS or CMOS, but I can’t remember for sure]. The computer didn’t do anything else at that point, but I didn’t know the commands to get any further anyway.More recently, while setting up to photograph it while running, the laptop powered up and displayed the usual error messages on screen. After a minute or so I noticed an electronic burning smell, so I turned it off immediately. I do not plan to turn it on again because I think it could risk damaging the computer.Specifications: 386SX 16MHz CPU. There may or may not be an OS on the hard drive, and I don’t know that the hard drive functions, or the capacity. On the other hand, in the first test it also didn’t report a hard drive failure, so maybe it’s just empty, or nothing was happening because I never got beyond the initial error messages. The drive size option for this model was originally 40MB or 100MB, so it’s most likely one of those two. The label on the bottom of the laptop says, “Drive Part 181 /1108 Type 44.” The “44” probably refers to the 44 pins on the connector. Tried Google for the other info, didn’t find anything that seemed relevant.When running, the text was visible enough to read the error messages once I had adjusted the contrast to maximum, but it wasn’t very good. The backlighting was on, yet it seemed to do a slow-cycle flicker. The screen itself, physically, looks great. The protruding frame around the LCD may not be as sleek as modern laptops, with their almost edge-to-edge screens, however the old style does a fantastic job of protecting the screen.The laptop almost certainly has RAM, as it would either beeped or shown an error message if it were missing, just don’t know how much. Standard for this model was 1MB, upgradable to 8MB.Other than the yellowing of the plastic (see photo of laptop with piece of standard white printer paper to compare color), and a couple of tiny darker spots (it may clean up?), the exterior of the laptop and the keyboard looks to be in very good physical condition. It seems to be very clean, few scratches, and the keys all feel good. Didn’t test the floppy drive, any of the ports in back, or really anything else beyond what I’ve mentioned. The port cover on the side, over the “LINE” and “TEL” is only a cover, otherwise the ports would be visible instead of the small plastic inserts. NOTE: the two rectangular plastic covers on the underside no longer stay in place by themselves, the tabs are broken (yeah, my fault. Was looking for the RAM. Instead I found two EPROMs and an empty square chip socket (math co-processor?)) but the covers can be held on with tape or even glued down. Interesting thing I noticed, the SupersPort SX came out in 1989, but the EPROMs in this laptop have a 1991 date on them, so either this laptop was bought pretty late into the SX line, or somebody upgraded/replaced the EPROMs later.Main battery is dead, I assume it’s probably a NiCad, and as far as I can tell it’s a completely internal battery. Not to be confused with the extended external battery that was an available option back when the laptop came out (don’t have one of those).The power supply seems to work OK, at least enough to run that initial test.The Rhino bag is quite nice. Even if you don’t plan to use the bag, it’s specific to vintage laptops of this age so I don’t have any other use for it. Besides, it helps protect the laptop during shipping. Big, as required for this type of laptop, well padded, has a lot of pockets for accessories, etc. Has a should strap, handle, and retaining strap, in addition to the main zipper.Handle! It has a built-in handle. . . and that makes sense considering the weight. That said, using the handle made me wish that my 2022 Dell laptop had one too. Not that the 2022 laptop weighs more than a pound or two, it would just be nice to have a safer way to hold on to the thing when carrying it around without having to put it in a bag. Newer really isn’t always better. Same can be said for the keyboard, I really like the Zenith keyboard far more than my Dell’s.Funny fact, the product name is, “SupersPort” not “SuperSport.” See Wikipedia entry. I had assumed it was Sport, as in “sporty” or because it’s a workout to carry the thing around all day [still, far lighter than an Osborne]. I guess they just thought the accessories ports were a big selling point? Or, more likely, it’s “port” as in “portable” though that still doesn’t explain the grammar of making “super” plural. The lettering on the laptop itself emphasize it even more, because it says, “SupersPORT SX.”If you’re nearby and you want it faster, option of Free Local Pickup available (10536 zip code).US SALES ONLY. I simply don’t want to deal with potential shipping/customs problems.


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