Alpha-Top Green740
The Alpha-Top Green740 is a 486-based generic/ODM laptop released in 1995. These were sold in the US, but they're far, far more common in Eastern Europe and Russia.
The photo you're seeing to the right actually came from the Green740's box. I was previously unable to confirm that the box and image were of a Green740, as no model number was written on the box, but I eventually found a a few Green740s for sale on European auction sites which confirmed that it was. The box is mine, but I only have the box, no laptop. Shame there was no laptop, mine's marked as a TFT unit!
The Green740 was sold branded as the following brands/models:
- Trogon TG8000
- HyperData
- Olidata
- DTK
- Rover/Roverbook
- Maxtech Yesbook X-740
CPU Support
The box has a number of spec options on the side, and under CPU, it shows options as slow as a SX-33 and as fast as a DX4-100. However, some other Alpha-Top boxes showed options that I don't think were actually available on the laptops in question, so the info here remains fuzzy.
RAM Support
The G740 appears to use proprietary RAM, with a 20MB limit. I don't know whether it uses the same RAM as the Green751 or not. It has a removable cover on the bottom, so I'd assume the slot is under it.
PSU
The G751 has a standard barrel jack on the back of the unit. It requires a center-positive supply that outputs 19V with at least 1.9 amps. From a photo I found, it appears to ship with the same charger that the Green751 did, and the plug and voltages line up too.
HDD Installation
These used a hard drive bay design more similar to the Green753 than the Green751, and that includes a proprietary adapter cable. I doubt it's the same one as the Green753 but I can't confirm right now. Point is, avoid buying one that's missing the caddy, you don't be able to plug in a hard drive.
Modular Bay and Sound Support
The Green740 has modular bay functionality that I've never seen in any other laptop before. The modular bay in the Green740 can hold a floppy drive or a second battery, which is pretty common, but it can also hold a sound card module, which is certainly not common at all. It uses a Crystal chip of some kind, but I'm not sure which one. The sound module also has a connector on it that allows you to connect the floppy drive module externally in order to use both at once. The sound module was a $189 option on the MaxTech version of this laptop, so it's likely unobtainium.
Specifications
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | Desktop 486 CPUs (Intel and Cyrix are known to be supported) - 486SX @33MHz - 486DX @33MHz - 486DX2 @50 or 66MHz - 486DX4 @75 or 100MHz |
| Chipset | Unknown |
| RAM | Proprietary - 4MB soldered - 20MB Maximum |
| Hard Disk | - 2.5" IDE - Uses proprietary adapter board |
| Display Options | - Passive Matrix Grayscale - 10.3" Passive Matrix Color - 9.5" Active Matrix Color |
| Graphics Chipset | Chips & Technologies 65540 |
| Audio | Optional module that goes in place of the floppy drive, see modular bay section above. - Crystal (exact chip unknown) |
| Main Battery | NiMH |
| CMOS Battery | Varta 3-cell NiMH (soldered) |
| Power Supply | Standard barrel jack - 19V 1.9A |
| Disk Drives | Modular Bay, holds Floppy Drive, Sound Module, or 2nd Battery. See modular bay section above for more info. |
| PC Cards | 2x PCMCIA Slots |
| Networking | None internal |
| Other I/O | - 1x Parallel - 1x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 1x PS/2 - 1x Dock Connector |
| BIOS | SystemSoft |
| Pointing Device | Trackball or TrackPoint |
Resources
 Drivers |
|---|
Common Faults & Maintenance
I don't have much info right now regarding issues - I've already had to dig hard enough to find what I have! Here's a few things to watch out for:
Battery Leaks
The main battery of the Green740 is a NiMH pack, so keep a close eye on it and make sure you don't let it leak in the laptop. The bigger concern though is the CMOS battery.
The Green740's CMOS battery is a 3-cell Varta NiMH pack that is soldered to the motherboard, right next to the keyboard connector. These batteries leak nearly 100% of the time and will quickly corrode and break connections on the motherboard. This battery should be pulled immediately from any Green740.
Hinge Failures/Brittle plastic
Like other 90s laptop, Alpha-Top plastic is quite brittle and other Alpha-Top laptops from this time are prone to hinge failures. This one likely is too. If it's anything like the Green751 and Green753, the hinges can be loosened to greatly reduce the stress on the plastics.
Gallery
Click on an image to view the full-size version
Box Photos
Both other sides of the box are identical to the sides shown. The top and bottom are blank.
Page last updated (MM/DD/YYYY): 09/16/2024
Update Reason: pages consolidated
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