IBM ThinkPad 310 Series
IBM Type 2600
The ThinkPad 310 Series consisted of four models (the 310, 310D, 310E, and 310ED), which were lower-end consumer laptops. These were rebadged Acer laptops (Acernote Light 370PCX or similar), not actually made by IBM. The photos I've shown here are Japanese, but that's just because those are the only ones I could find. The 310 Series was sold in all major markets, but I do think some of the models in the series were only sold in some markets.
They initially released the 310 and 310D in June of 1997. The 310E and 310ED released in November of the same year, and then the E and ED models received a minor spec-bump in March of 1998. The initial 310 and 310D models were discontinued in January of 1998. The original 310E and 310ED models were discontinued in July of 1998, and the updated March models under the same names were discontinued in September of 1998, ending the series' life after a little over a year of total life on the market.
Specifications
| Spec | ThinkPad 310 | ThinkPad 310E | ThinkPad 310D | ThinkPad 310ED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | June 1997 | November 1997 | June 1997 | November 1997 |
| CPU | CPU Type: Unknown Intel Pentium @133MHz | CPU Type: Unknown Intel Pentium @133, 150, or 166MHz | CPU Type: Unknown Intel Pentium @133MHz | CPU Type: Unknown Intel Pentium @133 or 166MHz |
| Chipset | Unknown | |||
| RAM | Type: EDO, 2x 144-pin Slots Standard: 16MB Maximum: 64MB | Type: EDO, 2x 144-pin Slots Standard: 16 or 32MB Maximum: 64MB | ||
| Storage | 2.5" IDE Requires Adapter: Unknown Standard: 1.08GB | 2.5" IDE Requires Adapter: Unknown Standard: 1.6 or 2.1GB | 2.5" IDE Requires Adapter: Unknown Standard: 1.08GB | 2.5" IDE Requires Adapter: Unknown Standard: 1.6 or 2.1GB |
| Display Options | - 11.3" Passive Matrix LCD @800x600 - 11.3" Active Matrix LCD @800x600 | - 11.3" Active Matrix LCD @800x600 - 12.1" Passive Matrix LCD @800x600 - 12.1" Active Matrix LCD @800x600 | 11.3" Passive Matrix LCD @800x600 | 12.1" Passive Matrix LCD @800x600 |
| Graphics Chipset | Chips & Technologies 65550 VRAM: 1MB | |||
| Audio | Yamaha YMF715 | |||
| Main Battery | NiMH (non-intelligent) | |||
| CMOS Battery | CR1220 Lithium | Unknown | ||
| Power Supply | Barrel Jack | |||
| Media Drives | 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive | 10X CD-ROM Drive (external floppy available) | 10 or 20X CD-ROM Drive (external floppy available) | |
| PC Cards | 2x PCMCIA/CardBus Slots - ZoomVideo Support | |||
| Networking | None | |||
| Other I/O | - 1x Parallel - 1x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 1x PS/2 - 3x Audio Jacks | |||
| BIOS | IBM BIOS (Acer-based) | |||
| Pointing Device | TrackPoint | |||
Resources
| Link | Details |
|---|---|
 |
IBM ThinkPad 310E/310ED User Manual |
 |
IBM ThinkPad 310/310D/310E/310ED Hardware Maintenance Manual |
 |
IBM ThinkPad 310 Product Brochure (Japanese) |
|
IBM ThinkPad 315D Product Brochure (Japanese) - Missing page 1 |
|
IBM ThinkPad 385ED/315D Product Brochure (Japanese) |
 |
IBM ThinkPad 310/315D Specifications (Japanese) |
|
IBM ThinkPad 1992-2001 Personal Systems Reference (PSREF) |
Common Faults & Maintenance
Brittle Plastic and Hinge Failure
The plastics on the 310 range are very brittle with age, which often leads to cracks forming near the display hinges, where they are under stress. I've heard reports that this was already a problem in the 2000s. Epoxy will be required to keep one intact.