LGR - Compaq Contura Aero 4/33c MS-DOS Laptop Overview
video description
Date: 2022-04-14
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 10
rc
It was a great machine. The keyboard was nicer to type on than most mini keyboards, and trackballs are worlds better than touchpads. Throw in a PCMCIA network card, upgrade the RAM, and buy a larger, faster hard drive and you can actually be fairly productive with it. Sure, it was rather slow if you wanted to run the latest versions of Windows, but it was fast enough for any DOS programs you might want to use (including GUI web browsers like Arachne) and responsive enough running Linux with one of the light weight window manager.
It made a great little portable network admin system for me. Console into a network router to reconfigure it, ping remote networks, SSH into servers, etc. I kept mine right up until netbooks came out, and even then, I missed the trackball and rs232 port. I still HATE touchpads! But bootable USB ports, fast SSDs, a high res screen, built in Ethernet and WiFi was too much to pass up. The aero is still in a closet, ready for use as a portable DOS-only box or dumb terminal, should the need ever arise.
reply
It was a great machine. The keyboard was nicer to type on than most mini keyboards, and trackballs are worlds better than touchpads. Throw in a PCMCIA network card, upgrade the RAM, and buy a larger, faster hard drive and you can actually be fairly productive with it. Sure, it was rather slow if you wanted to run the latest versions of Windows, but it was fast enough for any DOS programs you might want to use (including GUI web browsers like Arachne) and responsive enough running Linux with one of the light weight window manager.
It made a great little portable network admin system for me. Console into a network router to reconfigure it, ping remote networks, SSH into servers, etc. I kept mine right up until netbooks came out, and even then, I missed the trackball and rs232 port. I still HATE touchpads! But bootable USB ports, fast SSDs, a high res screen, built in Ethernet and WiFi was too much to pass up. The aero is still in a closet, ready for use as a portable DOS-only box or dumb terminal, should the need ever arise.
reply
fanjoy
Since I'm sure you have a lot of pcs from different eras and different design/brand, I think it would be interesting to see all of them (even if it's one pc per video. And to know where you go them, the brand and time it came from, if you've done work on it, hardware specs, and even stories behind them if you have the time. I just find older pcs and consoles interesting because of how far we come and I like how these older things are still collected, admired, and still work/are used.
reply
Since I'm sure you have a lot of pcs from different eras and different design/brand, I think it would be interesting to see all of them (even if it's one pc per video. And to know where you go them, the brand and time it came from, if you've done work on it, hardware specs, and even stories behind them if you have the time. I just find older pcs and consoles interesting because of how far we come and I like how these older things are still collected, admired, and still work/are used.
reply
Joe
Multi floppies. Gotta love it. I did a bone headed thing once. Bought Tie fighter on 3. 5 flippy, was like 9 disks. Installed and played and all was well. A year or so later I had to reinstall since I had deleted off of comp to make room and I had beaten it but wanted to play again. To my horror I had discovered that at some point I erased one of the floppies so I couldn't install the game making all the other floppies useless.
Ah well, live and learn.
reply
Multi floppies. Gotta love it. I did a bone headed thing once. Bought Tie fighter on 3. 5 flippy, was like 9 disks. Installed and played and all was well. A year or so later I had to reinstall since I had deleted off of comp to make room and I had beaten it but wanted to play again. To my horror I had discovered that at some point I erased one of the floppies so I couldn't install the game making all the other floppies useless.
Ah well, live and learn.
reply
Marc
I had this machine. In fact, it should still be roaming in a closet or something. I loved this thing! Also had the floppy drive and the little dongle thingy. And an extra Duracell battery. I upgraded the memory (little door in the bottom, needs proprietary SO-DIMM) and then installed Windows 95 on it. It was a bit sluggish then. Also loved the trackball. But be careful of the hinges, they can break easily!
reply
I had this machine. In fact, it should still be roaming in a closet or something. I loved this thing! Also had the floppy drive and the little dongle thingy. And an extra Duracell battery. I upgraded the memory (little door in the bottom, needs proprietary SO-DIMM) and then installed Windows 95 on it. It was a bit sluggish then. Also loved the trackball. But be careful of the hinges, they can break easily!
reply
SolderGirl
LGR, have you ever seen the Atari Portfolio?
Its a tiny DOS PC, about the size of two packs of Cigarettes.
A 8088 CPU-4. 7 Mhz, 128k RAM, A B/W LCD and proprietary Memory Cards.
Sounds kind of crappy?
A bit. But with a bit of soldering acrobatics, it can be boosted to 6. 5 MHz, 512k RAM, a CF-Card Slot and an internal RAM-Disk.
Still using this little beauty from time to time.
reply
LGR, have you ever seen the Atari Portfolio?
Its a tiny DOS PC, about the size of two packs of Cigarettes.
A 8088 CPU-4. 7 Mhz, 128k RAM, A B/W LCD and proprietary Memory Cards.
Sounds kind of crappy?
A bit. But with a bit of soldering acrobatics, it can be boosted to 6. 5 MHz, 512k RAM, a CF-Card Slot and an internal RAM-Disk.
Still using this little beauty from time to time.
reply
pancudowny
Oh-crap! I think a friend might've had that. All I can clearly remember is he did have Dargon's Lair on his pre-Pentium, and the initial loading of on game he had then--into the hard-drive--took FOR-EVER! It even tried to keep you amused while it loaded each disc with little math & trivia games on the still-screen, which it would reveal to answer to later-on with each progressive disc loaded.
reply
Oh-crap! I think a friend might've had that. All I can clearly remember is he did have Dargon's Lair on his pre-Pentium, and the initial loading of on game he had then--into the hard-drive--took FOR-EVER! It even tried to keep you amused while it loaded each disc with little math & trivia games on the still-screen, which it would reveal to answer to later-on with each progressive disc loaded.
reply
Zuon94
I'm hoping someone can help me. I will soon be getting a Pentium MS DOS laptop in the mail, but I'm worried I'll have no way to transfer my games from my Windows 10 PC onto the laptop. Can anyone link me to a good, and hopefully affordable adapter, so I can plug in to my Windows 10's USB port, copy the files over, and then transfer them to the DOS laptop? Does such a thing exist?
reply
I'm hoping someone can help me. I will soon be getting a Pentium MS DOS laptop in the mail, but I'm worried I'll have no way to transfer my games from my Windows 10 PC onto the laptop. Can anyone link me to a good, and hopefully affordable adapter, so I can plug in to my Windows 10's USB port, copy the files over, and then transfer them to the DOS laptop? Does such a thing exist?
reply
pannonianbrute
We had one of these in computer class sometime in the early 90s in a room full of Apple II IGSs. I used to line up to get a chance to use it, because at the time, it felt like something from a space station: ) If we were done with classwork early, we could play Oregon Trail on it until the end of class. wonder if anyone else still remembers that game.
reply
We had one of these in computer class sometime in the early 90s in a room full of Apple II IGSs. I used to line up to get a chance to use it, because at the time, it felt like something from a space station: ) If we were done with classwork early, we could play Oregon Trail on it until the end of class. wonder if anyone else still remembers that game.
reply
bill
Wow. This sure brings me back to my childhood. Paid a kid in my class $20 for a Compaq Contura 430c. It was a little bigger with a 486dx4 100mhz and 8mb ram with a whopping 620mb hdd running windows 3. 1 and DOS 6. 0. It played Doom better than my desktop at the time. I know I'm a decade late to the party, but thanks for making this: )
reply
Wow. This sure brings me back to my childhood. Paid a kid in my class $20 for a Compaq Contura 430c. It was a little bigger with a 486dx4 100mhz and 8mb ram with a whopping 620mb hdd running windows 3. 1 and DOS 6. 0. It played Doom better than my desktop at the time. I know I'm a decade late to the party, but thanks for making this: )
reply
Brubul70
I think you've mellowed over the years. I have one of these which worked albeit with a busted hinge. The hd has since acquired a nasty death rattle. don't know why i held on to it and didn't take it to the thrift store where i sent my trs 80 4p, assorted zenith laptops, commodore 64, 64sx, 128, 128d etc.
reply
I think you've mellowed over the years. I have one of these which worked albeit with a busted hinge. The hd has since acquired a nasty death rattle. don't know why i held on to it and didn't take it to the thrift store where i sent my trs 80 4p, assorted zenith laptops, commodore 64, 64sx, 128, 128d etc.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
