IBM ThinkPad A21 Series
The ThinkPad A21 Series (comprised of the A21e, A21m, and A21p) were desktop replacement laptops sold from September 2000 through April 2002.
Specifications
| Spec | ThinkPad A21e | ThinkPad A21m | ThinkPad A21p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | October 2000 | September 2000 | |
| Discontinuation Date | September 2001 | April 2002 | May 2001 |
| CPU Options | Type: Socket 495 Intel Mobile Celeron @600, 650, or 700MHz |
Type: Socket 495 Intel Mobile Pentium III @700, 750, or 800MHz |
Type: Socket 495 Intel Mobile Pentium III @850MHz |
| RAM | Type: PC100 SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: 64MB Maximum: 256MB |
Type: PC100 SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: 64 or 128MB Maximum: 512MB |
Type: PC100 SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: 128MB Maximum: 512MB |
| Hard Disk | 2.5" IDE Uses Proprietary Adapter: No Standard: 10 or 20GB |
2.5" IDE Uses Proprietary Adapter: No Standard: 32GB |
|
| Display Options | - 12.1" TFT LCD @800x600 15.0" TFT LCD @1024x768 |
- 12.1" TFT LCD @800x600 - 14.1" TFT LCD @1024x768 - 15.0" TFT LCD @1024x768 |
15.0" TFT LCD @1600x1200 |
| GPU | ATI Rage Mobility-M VRAM: 4MB |
ATI Rage Mobility-M or Mobility-M1 VRAM: 4MB (M) or 8MB (M1) |
ATI Rage Mobility 128 VRAM: 16MB |
| Sound | Intel Chipset Audio - Stereo Speakers - Microphone | Crystal CS4624 - Stereo Speakers - Microphone |
|
| Battery | Lithium Ion (6-cell) | Lithium Ion (9-cell) | |
| CMOS Battery | Proprietary Lithium | ||
| Power Supply | Barrel Jack | ||
| PC Cards | 2x PCMCIA/CardBus Slots (1x Type I/II/III) | 2x PCMCIA/CardBus Slots (2x Type II/1x Type III) | |
| Media Drives | Fixed 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive (Optional) Ultrabay 2000 supporting the following: - CD-ROM Drive - CD-RW Drive - DVD-ROM Drive - DVD/CD-RW Drive - DVD Burner - 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive - ZIP Drive - LS-120 Drive - 2nd HDD - Second Battery |
Fixed 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive Ultrabay 2000 supporting the following: - CD-ROM Drive - CD-RW Drive - DVD-ROM Drive - DVD/CD-RW Drive - DVD Burner - 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive - ZIP Drive - LS-120 Drive - 2nd HDD - Second Battery |
|
| Networking | - 56k Modem - 10/100 Ethernet (Optional, 3Com or Intel) |
||
| I/O (Other) | - 1x Serial - 1x Parallel - 1x VGA Out - 1x USB 1.x - 1x PS/2 - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Mic In - 1x Line In - 1x Line Out |
- 1x Serial - 1x Parallel - 1x VGA Out - 1x USB 1.x - 1x PS/2 - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Mic In - 1x Line In - 1x Line Out - Infrared |
- 1x Serial - 1x Parallel - 1x VGA Out - 1x USB 1.x - 1x PS/2 - 1x S-Video Out - 1x S-Video In - 1x Mic In - 1x Line In - 1x Line Out - Infrared |
| BIOS | IBM BIOS | ||
| Pointing Device | TrackPoint | ||
Resources
 Service Manual |
PSREF |
|---|
Common Faults & Maintenance
Blink of Death
The most common fault on A21 laptops is the "blink of death". This failure cases the laptop to fail to power on, instead just blinking a couple lights briefly. This failure is caused by the failure of one or more power regulator chips - mainly the Analog Devices ADP3421, but sometimes also the ADP3410 and the Maxim MAX1631/1632. If your A20 has this problem, you can fix it by replacing these chips. Of course, this is a difficult repair, as the chips are tiny surface mount parts, so not everyone will be able to perform the repair. If you can, first, try replacing only the ADP3421. This will almost always bring one back, but if the other two mentioned chips are also bad, the new ADP3421 will fail after only a short time and the issue will come back. If this happens, replace the ADP3421 again along with the other two mentioned. The laptop should then be reliable.
Gallery
Nothing here yet. If you own a ThinkPad A21 Series laptop and would like to contribute photos, see here.
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 01/15/2025
Update Reason: page created
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