Toshiba Satellite Pro 400 (1995)

400CS · 400CDT · 1995–1996 · laptop

Specifications

Cpu: Intel Pentium, 75 MHz (soldered TCP package), 64 KB L1 cache
Ram: max: 40 MB via proprietary memory expansion module · base: 8 MB (400CS) or 16 MB (400CDT) EDO DRAM, non-removable
Ports: Parallel (Centronics) · Serial (RS-232C) · VGA output · PS/2 (keyboard/mouse) · Docking/port replicator connector · External floppy drive port · Audio line-in/line-out · Microphone input · Infrared (IrDA)
Battery: Removable lithium-ion main battery, roughly 2 to 3 hours typical; separate internal NiMH backup cells for CMOS and hibernation, notorious for leaking with age
Display: 10.4" display, 640x480: passive matrix color (STN) on the 400CS, active matrix color (TFT) on the 400CDT; Chips and Technologies 65546 graphics with 1 MB VRAM
Storage: base: 2.5" IDE hard drive, 810 MB standard · options: Larger IDE drives up to the interface's practical limit via later replacement · 3.5" 1.44 MB floppy in the modular expansion bay · Optional Toshiba XM-1202B 5.25" 4x CD-ROM in the expansion bay
Weight: 3.2 kg
Os Support: latest: Windows 95 (community-confirmed upgrade path on period drivers) · shipped: MS-DOS 6.22 with Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Release Price: $3,299 (400CS)

Variants

Revisions

400CS400CS1995, dual-scan STN color display, 810MB HDD

400CDT400CDT1995, active-matrix TFT color display, 810MB HDD

Upgrade paths

RAM

40 MB via Toshiba's proprietary memory expansion module · Base memory is soldered to the board; the single expansion slot takes only Toshiba's own module, no generic SO-DIMM substitute existed at the time.

~$200 for a period 32 MB module

MODERATE

storage

Replacement 2.5" IDE hard drive up to a few GB, limited by period BIOS geometry translation · Standard 2.5" IDE bay, no caddy or adapter needed; the practical ceiling is whatever the BIOS's LBA/CHS translation will address, not the interface itself.

~$50-$150 for a used period-correct IDE drive today

MODERATE

other

Swap the modular expansion bay module between floppy drive, CD-ROM, secondary hard drive, or secondary battery · The bay is hot-swappable in most configurations, a genuinely flexible feature for 1995 and one many contemporaries lacked.

EASY

battery

Replacement lithium-ion main battery pack · The internal NiMH backup cells are soldered and prone to leaking after 30 years; removing them is a common preservation step, but doing so kills CMOS/hibernation memory retention.

~$40-$80 for a NOS or rebuilt pack

MODERATE