Dual SKD 5
The Dual SKD 5 is a 486-based generic/ODM laptop. It shares a very similar design to the SKD-4000 III (aka SKD 3) but lacks the SKD-4000 expansion bay, instead having PCMCIA slots in the space where it would have been. According to an archived Dual web page, these laptops are labelled as SKD-4003. That being said, some SKD-4000 III units are also labelled as SKD-4003, so the model number is not a reliable way to identify an SKD 5. Instead, look to see if it has that expansion bay above and to the right of the keyboard.
If the SKD 5 launched at the same time as the SKD-4003 FCC ID was registered, then it would have been released in early 1995 (shortly after February). However, there is some evidence to suggest that it didn't release until the end of 1995. The Dual Australia site had technotes and troubleshooting documentation up for all their laptops, which included defect reports from their resellers. There were only two listed for the SKD 5, both from the first half of 1996. They also list BIOS changelogs on these troubleshooting pages, which normally went back to the first revision of the BIOS. For the SKD 5 though, there was only one revision listed, from October 27th, 1995. This references fixing bugs though, meaning that it likely isn't the first revision.
I've seen a Dual laptop on eBay with an identical design to the SKD 5, but with SKD-4100 as the model number, along with FCC ID G3LSKD-4100, which dates to February 1996. This combined with the dates of the defect reports could suggest that these are the same laptop. The Dual Australia site made no mention of an SKD-4100 model number, not even on it's "How to tell what notebook you have" page.
To sum it all up: the SKD 5 is a bit of a mystery right now.
I don't have this model's specifications yet, but they may be nearly identical to the SKD-4000 III. It does appear at the very least that these laptops also added support for 10.4-inch displays.
Resources
BIOS Files
| File/Link | Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fs.zip | -- | -- | BIOS Flash Program for the SKD 5 |
| 4707p.zip | 4707P | 1995/10/27 | Latest BIOS for the SKD 5 - Solve the probelm AUTO-SUSPEND can not work when using resolution higher then 640x480x256 color in Windows or WIndows '95. (C-MOS/power management/moniting VGA access in P.M.) - Solving the LCD screen working improperly (shift down) on SKD5 with NEC 9.4" TFT when runing WTS31.exe |
CPU Switch Settings
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 03/04/2025
Update Reason: added bios update
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