8088 chip does not include FPU, does this laptop has one, otherwise it is going to be very slow.
That's what the 8087 coprocessor option is for.
A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
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Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#42A "real hardware" approach to retrocomputing like displayed here appeals to me because it much better captures parts of the experience lost to emulation. Things like insanely low latency thanks to there not being a fractal spiral of hardware and software abstractions sitting between everything. It's much more simple, and you can feel that. That said I'd also like to see some modern advancements brought in… for exampl…
One of the nicest screens I have ever used was on a monochrome ega laptop.
Sure, the pixels were huge and slow, but the contrast ratio was really good without it being too bright. It’s hard to explain why it was so good. I suspect it was a bit transflective.
Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#43Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
I never heard of Jetpens before but I'm excited to see they sell what is essentially colossal, unbranded Altoids tins https://www.jetpens.com/Velos-Tin-Pen-Case-Wide/pd/14193
lol, not a bad price, what excites you about it tho?
Altoids tins are pretty strong, small enough to be handy and cheap. This makes them the ideal container for a lot of small electronics projects, but a pi doesn't quite fit. I see it as a perfect small electronics container which you can pull out and use on the go.
Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#45Do they still manufacture 8088 ? Or perhaps someone found some new old stock and got entrepreneurial; I'd love to know the story behind this
Intel may not but I suspect someone somewhere still is. It’s a powerful microprocessor.
Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#46Why 8088? All the good DOS stuff requires at least a 286. You’re pretty much limited to extremely early 80s software with that.
Not true. Millions of dollars was spent on 8086 compatible software. Lotus 1-2-3 for example, and many programs bought new were 8086 compatible until windows finally took over.
Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#47I’m convinced that just like how humans are attracted to little kittens and puppies, some technophiles easily feel the same attraction to small, harmless looking little computers running tiny software on tiny processors. I feel like buying this even though I have zero need for it.
Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#48Would be cool if there was a video out... Would be cooler if it was a 386.
Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#49Curious. Why do we need an actual 8088? Aren't all x86 processors backwards compatible with 8088/8086? Also last time I checked VGA cards supported legacy modes such as CGA, and EGA (this may not be the case anymore). Any modern Intel laptop should be able to run the same software, without emulation.
Any modern Intel laptop should be able to run the same software, without emulation. Unfortunately not, UEFI-only BIOSes and locked-down bootloaders are a thing today.
This is x86, not ARM.
If you aren't booting quite literally whatever the hell you want you aren't x86'ing right.
Re: A $200 mini-laptop with a Intel 8088 chip and 640KB
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
I never heard of Jetpens before but I'm excited to see they sell what is essentially colossal, unbranded Altoids tins https://www.jetpens.com/Velos-Tin-Pen-Case-Wide/pd/14193
fyi these kinds of pen cases have been popular in asia and asian communities worldwide for decades, usually for carrying mechanical pencils and their accessories (extra lead, erasers, protractors, rulers, mini notebooks, sticky pads, whatever) western equivalent would be trapper keepers with their pencil pouches.
You can also probably get little pencil boxes at an art store or some place like that.
Would recommend. A little plastic box that prevents me from having to fish around in my backpack possible get poked when I want my pencil is great, and they are pretty cheap.