Nan Tan 8100
The Nan Tan 8100 (also known as the FMA8100) is a very large 386 luggable-style laptop, similar in size to a Toshiba T3200 from what I'm able to tell. This laptop uses many desktop-standard parts internally, including the hard drive, floppy drive, CPU, RAM, and more. It's got a handle on the front and weighs a ton. The keyboard is also desktop-style, and uses mechanical Cherry Blue clicky switches. It has a pretty strange layout unfortunately.
The 8100 has an internal expansion bay in the back right side, which has a standard 8-bit ISA card. This in theory means that you could add something like an Ad Lib card to one of these, which is pretty cool.
If you are thinking of buying one, make sure it comes with the power supply. It uses an 8-pin mini-din connector, so you can't just use something modern without knowing the pinout of the original. I have one of these, and got it without the power supply. I was lucky enough to find the PSU for sale on eBay, but I got lucky. It might be a while before another shows up for sale. The model number of the PSU is KTX-8912A.
This laptop was sold as the Dataworld LP320/LP325, and I've also seem them sold by Highscreen (European brand from the looks) in a gray case.
These had an internal NiCad battery that was not easily removable. I believe it was located inside of the large metal DC/DC module, but my unit had it missing.
The BIOS does not support any sort of autodetect or user type selection for the hard drive. However, you can install large drives using an overlay software such as Ez-Drive. I was able to use a 6GB hard drive in my own unit using this software.
Specifications
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | CPU Type: PGA132 Intel 386SX @20MHz |
| Chipset | Unknown |
| RAM | Type: SIPP, 6 slots Standard: Unknown Maximum: Unknown |
| Hard Disk | 3.5" IDE Uses proprietary adapter?: No Standard: 40MB in one example |
| Display Options | Passive Matrix Grayscale LCD @640x480 |
| Graphics Chipset | Cirrus Logic GD610/GD620 VRAM: Unknown |
| Audio | PC Speaker |
| Main Battery | NiCad, 10.8V 4.5AH. Gallopwire Enterprises Model GLW9718ED9P |
| CMOS Battery | GP NiCad barrel battery, soldered |
| Power Supply | 8-pin Mini-DIN - PSU model KTX-8912A |
| Disk Drives | 3.5" 720k Floppy Drive (desktop standard) |
| PC Cards | 1x 8-bit ISA Slot |
| Networking | None |
| Other I/O | - 1x Parallel - 2x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 1x external FDD port - 1x DIN keyboard port - 1x Num Pad port |
| BIOS | Phoenix 386 ROM BIOS Plus, 4.03 01 |
| Pointing Device | None |
Common Faults & Maintenance
Main & CMOS Battery Leaks
This is said big issue. The FMA8100 uses a GP-branded NiCad Barrel Battery for CMOS backup. These types of batteries are extremely prone to leaking and will ruin your FMA8100's motherboard if you don't get it removed. I was lucky with mine. It had leaked a bit but didn't do any lasting damage to the board. You may not be. Get it out!
The main battery is also NiCad and also is prone to leaking. Remove the main battery (if present) if you have one of these. It is located inside of the metal DC/DC module inside the laptop. This does require disassembly.
Hard Drive Failure
My unit came with a 40MB drive manufactured by Conner Peripherals. This hard drive in particular (CP-3044) has internal rubber bumpers in the head mechanism that melt with age and get the heads stuck. Replacing these bumpers at a minimum will be required to get one of these drives going again, should your unit come with the same model drive.
Caps?
At least for my unit, I haven't had any bad capacitors. There are several in the large internal DC/DC unit, but they all still work for me. As always, your mileage may vary.
Gallery
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 11/07/2024
Update Reason: page converted to php
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