Jetta Jetbook E1 & E2 Series
Known Model Numbers: 486E1DX2-66C, 486E1DX4-75C, 486E1DX4-100C
The Jetbook E1 Series laptops are late 486-era machines. All of the information I have on these comes from just three sources - An eBay seller who parted one out, an individual who owns one that sent me information via email, and a bit from Jetta's archived website.
The E2 was only referenced on Jetta's website and I have nearly nothing about it. There's an FCC record from Jetta for an "E586" which is what I'd guess the E2 is. So it likely had either a Cyrix 5x86 or a Pentium in it. The E1 and E2 used the same drivers so they're very similar.
The design of the E1 bears a resemblance to the older SLC and C2 models, which are most commonly seen branded as WinBooks, but the E1 design does look newer. Internally, the E1 supports faster processors, includes a fan, a sound card, and could come with TFT/Active Matrix displays.
The Jetbook E1 unfortunately uses a proprietary 4-pin power connector. The charger likely output two voltage rails - one for running the computer and another for charging the battery. The connector is the same as the one that the Alpha-Top Green753, Green755, and several Nan Tan laptops used, but the voltage and pinout is different. The E1 needs 18V, and according to the person I was speaking with over email, the TOP LEFT pin on the laptop is ground. The Alpha-Top supply is 19V, which is close enough, but the pinout is different. The Nan Tan supply may or may not have the same pinout, but the voltages are likely too far off for it to work. The main rail is 20V which would probably work, but the battery rail is 25V which would likely fry something in the E1.
At this time I do not know what the proper charger for this computer is, and I will not know until one shows up for sale with the charger. I looked for a long tume, but could not find any power supply for sale with that connector that outputs 18V.
Specifications
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | CPU Type: Socket 3 - Intel 486DX2 @66MHz - Intel 486DX4 @75 or 100MHz - Other options likely available |
| Chipset | Unknown |
| RAM | Type: Unknown Standard: Unknown Maximum: Unknown |
| Hard Disk | 2.5" IDE Uses proprietary adapter?: No Standard: Unknown |
| Display Options | - Passive Matrix Color @640x480 - Active Matrix Color @640x480 (GoldStar) |
| Graphics Chipset | Chips & Technologies VRAM: Unknown |
| Audio | ESS AudioDrive 688 - Mono speaker |
| Main Battery | NiMH (10 4/3A cells, 12V, 2600mAH) - P/N 790512699A |
| CMOS Battery | 3-cell Varta NiCad |
| Power Supply | 4-pin proprietary - Jetta Computers Model 860519999A |
| Disk Drives | 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive (Mitsumi) |
| PC Cards | PCMCIA |
| Networking | Modem |
| Other I/O | - 1x Parallel - 1x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 1x PS/2 - 1x Dock Connector - 2x Audio Jacks |
| BIOS | Unknown |
| Pointing Device | Trackball |
Resources
 Drivers |
|---|
Common Faults & Maintenance
I can't give the full picture of what can go wrong with one of these without owning one myself, or having any other online documentation on them for that matter. Still, two things are noticable with the info I have.
Hinge Failure
The hinges on the E1 are just as prone to plastic cracking as the SLC/C2 Jetbooks are. The one in the eBay listing had the right hinge broken at the base, and the one from the person emailing me was stress cracking on the display side, and they mentioned that the hinge gave out shortly after. Heavy reinforcement with epoxy will be needed.
CMOS Battery Leaks
The Jetbook E1 uses a 3-cell VARTA NiCad battery for backing up the CMOS. It appears to be mounted in the lower case between the hinges. These batteries leak and will need to be removed from any Jetbook E1 to avoid damage.
That's all I've really got. Also possible that ones of the LCD options will need to be recapped, or that the power board will need it. The DC/DC power board in this unit has a few electrolytics on it, visible in the photos, so it's possible that they can go bad.
Gallery
Main Images
These were emailed to me by Libin Zhang. Thank you for providing these, along with additional information about the E1. If you would like to provide me with information or images on a laptop you own, see here.
Click on an image to view the full-size version of it.
eBay Images
All images used with permission from recyleit_ny on eBay. Thank you very much for providing me with additional photos of the laptop from before you parted it!
Click on an image to view the full-size version of it.
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 11/12/2024
Update Reason: page converted to php
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