IBM ThinkPad 390 Series
The ThinkPad 390 Series were a series of mostly Pentium II-based consumer laptops that were first released in 1998. The series is comprised of the 390, 390E, and 390X. The 390 released first, then the 390E, then the 390X. Each following model was pretty much just a spec-bump of the previous. This rule can be applied in general with many IBM laptops from this time. An "E" is better than one with no letter, and an "X" is better than an "E".
Specifications
| Spec | ThinkPad 390 | ThinkPad 390E | ThinkPad 390X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | November 1998 | March 1999 | September 1999 |
| Discontinuation Date | March 1999 | Unknown | July 2000 |
| CPU Options | - Intel Pentium MMX @233MHz - Intel Pentium II @233 or 266MHz |
- Intel Mobile Celeron @300 or 366MHz - Intel Mobile Pentium II @300 or 333MHz |
- Intel Mobile Celeron @400MHz - Intel Mobile Pentium II @400MHz - Intel Mobile Pentium III @450 or 500MHz |
| RAM | 32 or 64MB Standard 256MB Max |
64MB Standard 512MB Max |
|
| HDD Standard Size | 3.2 or 4.3GB | 3.2, 4.3, 4.8, or 6.4GB | 4.8 or 6.4GB |
| HDD Type | 2.5" IDE | ||
| Uses Proprietary HDD Adapter? | Yes | ||
| Display Options | - 12.1" TFT @800x600 - 14.1" TFT @1024x768 |
- 12.1" TFT @800x600 - 13.3" TFT @1024x768 - 14.1" TFT @1024x768 |
- 12.1" TFT @800x600 - 14.1" TFT @1024x768 - 15.0" TFT @1024x768 |
| GPU | NeoMagic MagicMedia 256AV | ||
| VRAM | 2.5MB | ||
| Sound | NeoMagic NMA2 | ESS 1946 | |
| Battery | NiMH or Lithium Ion | ||
| CMOS Battery | Proprietary Lithium | ||
| Power Supply | External, barrel jack | ||
| Expansion | 2x PCMCIA/CardBus slots, ZoomVideo support. Dock connectors on the bottom. | ||
| Internal Bays | Ultrabay FX - 3 spindle, floppy drive and CD-ROM, DVD-ROM option | ||
| Networking | Modem | ||
| I/O (Other) | 1x USB 1.x, Parallel, Serial, S Video Out, VGA Out, Line Out, Line In, Mic In, Infrared | ||
| BIOS | IBM | ||
| Pointing Device | TrackPoint | ||
Resources
 Drivers (390) |
Drivers (390E) |
Drivers (390X) |
 Service Manual (390) |
Service Manual (390E) |
Service Manual (390X) |
 390E Brochure |
Withdrawn Models PSREF |
|---|
Common Faults & Maintenance
Hinge Failure
The way the display hinges mount to the base on the 390 Series ThinkPads is comedically poorly designed. It relies on a tiny thin piece of the bottom case plastic to hold, which it doesn't of course, and then the hinges will eventually break free from the base and the screen will try to fall off. This sort of thing isn't too unusual to see on laptops from this time, but being THIS bad, and these being ThinkPads, it's something very worthy of criticising.
That aside, these laptops appear to be reliable.
Gallery
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 11/16/2024
Update Reason: pages consolidated
Back-Navigation
Home < Laptop Portal < IBM < ThinkPad 390 Series