So you want a Toshiba Portege? (warning, long)
Oct 04 '02 (Updated Mar 15 '04)
The Bottom Line Porteges are popular computers and even older ones retain their "wow" factor, just know which models represent the best value.
***Update 3/15/04***
Pricing on used models. not to mention availability has changed radically since I wrote this, so at the bottom of the article I've included approximate values as of mid-March, 2004 for various Portege models, and any comments about their relative value today.
***Original Article***
So you want to buy a Toshiba Portege. I’ve owned or used most of them over the years, and have built some useful experience and opinions that might help in your decision. New or used, recent or older model, most porteges share two characteristics, small size and lack of on-board drives. While the 660 series of 1996 and the 4000 series still in production have removable drive bays, many people don’t consider these as true Portege laptops, but rather as small Tecras.
In this epinion, I’ll give you a description of my favorite Porteges, why I recommend them, what OS they are suited for, and finally, what you can expect to pay on eBay for a near-new condition example (as of October, 2002). They are in chronological order from oldest to newest. At the end of the epinion, I’ll describe a few other notable models that if found for a good price, would make an excellent laptop, but either have some flaw or they are just too expensive (unless you get lucky) for the features they offer.
Portege 650CT, 1996
Similar to the Portege 620 which offered the first 800X600 Portege screen, but at 11.3” was larger than the 620’s 10.4" panel. 650CT also had the first large-enough keyboard to use as your primary PC, which combined with 133MHz, 80-MB ram capacity, CardBus (old proprietary, incompatible with USB cards) slots and a large-enough screen made the Portege 650CT the first Portege large enough to use comfortably. Runs best on Windows 98 or NT4.
The Portege 650 still makes an excellent computer for note-taking, word processing, email and light internet surfing (IE6 is slow, but IE5 is adequate). Target price should be around $150 on eBay for a unit in good condition with the external floppy drive.
This is probably the highpoint of laptop reliability, so if all you want is what this unit can do (supports most wireless network PC cards VERY well), you won’t find a more durable laptop anywhere. Highly Recommended!!!!
Portege 3110CT, 1999
The Portege 3110CT went back to a smallish 10.4” screen, but introduced the newer Polysilicon technology, which makes the screen brighter and higher contrast. Despite the small size, the screen is gorgeous. Pretty or not though, 10.4” is a bit small to use as a primary monitor, despite being set to 800X600 resolution (the Sonys with 1024X768 at 10.4” are really bad).
Pentium II 300MHz and 128MB of ram (max) makes this the first Portege that can really handle Windows 2000 Professional well, and can be pushed to run XP (not recommended). It is also the oldest Portege that can impress today’s users. At under an inch and with a very small footprint, it looks much like the Sony superslims, only made of better materials, making the unit look expensive, even by today’s standards.
With Windows 2000, this makes a terrific second computer. The small keyboard and screen are limiting, but for school note-taking or coffeeshop writing it is fine. On a coach-class airplane tray table, there is nothing better.
The similar 3410 shares docking and high capacity battery options with the other 34x0 models, as well as their scroll mouse and slightly larger size, though with the same 10.4” screen as the 3110. Since the 3410 is equipped with a 400MHz Celeron, there is no real performance benefit over the 3110, and so it probably doesn’t represent a great value for the $100 or so more that it costs over a comparable 3110CT.
Target Price on eBay in excellent condition is $400 ($500 for 3410, which is hard to find as it was not offered in US).
Portege 7140CT, 1999 (7020CT also)
The Portege 7140CT is the first of the larger Portege series to have a Pentium III processor and the new Accupoint II with scroll buttons. The Pentium III is really no big deal, but the new mouse is a huge improvement over the two-button Accupoint on the Pentium-II powered Portege 7020, which shares most other features with the 7140. The 7140 and 7020 will both easily run Windows XP, though Windows 2000 is still a better fit on the 7020. These support 192MB of RAM, though some users have had success using 256MB modules taking their ram to 320MB.
Unlike the 650 and 3110, the Portege 7000-series have full-sized keyboards that are the same as those on the larger Satellite and Tecra laptops, which combined with the huge 13.3” screen makes these the equal of most desktop-replacement style laptops, though of course without the built-in optical drives. At 4.1-4.4lbs these are thin and light, but have been matched by more versatile machines such as IBM’s T-series and the newer Toshiba Tecras, which are only a bit thicker and heavier, but add optical drives.
Target Price on eBay for a 7020 in good condition is about $400, while a 7140 will often fetch $600, or $750 with dock).
Portege 3480CT, 2000 (also 3440 and 3490)
Another ultralight much like the 3110, only with a Pentium III and an 11.3” screen at 1024X768 resolution. The screen, like the 3110, is Polysilicon, and is truly delightful, except for the size of text, which squeezed onto an 11.3” screen is a bit smaller than the 800X600 on the 10.4” 3110, but still tolerable. Also like the 3110, the keyboard (same part) is smaller than normal and takes some getting used to. Even after adjusting, it isn’t as comfortable as larger laptops.
The dock for the 34x0 series isn’t as convenient as the clip-on units for the 7000 series, but adds network interface and has a long-enough cable to use easily in a car. Problem is, the dock is thicker than the computer itself, and almost as large in most other dimensions. A much smaller network dock without the drive bay is included with most of these, the multimedia dock (usually comes with a drive in the bay) is often sold separately, and isn’t cheap).
Like all Porteges, the floppy is external, but these were the first ones that lacked a separate port for connecting, instead using the USB interface and a legacy boot mode. This is a better solution as taking away the floppy port created room on the chasis for a VGA port, which the 3110 lacked. It also solves one annoyance in the use of these computers, which was that if you clicked on the icon for the floppy and it was not installed, the computer would spend a minute or so looking for it. With the USB floppy, when the drive isn’t connected, there simply is no icon, and the computer never looks for the drive (such as when shutting down or opening documents).
Finally, like the 7140, this adds the scroll buttons to the mouse, which makes using this as an internet and/or writing machine much more convenient. Screen and keyboard size still interfere though.
Windows 2000 or 98 came with these, with 2000 probably the best choice in OS for these computers. Windows XP is easily handled by their fast Pentium III processors, however, making it also an excellent option.
There are four machines in the series, though the 3410 (not sold in the USA) was actually more like the 3110 but with docking). The remaining are equipped as follows: 3440 PIII 500, 64RAM and 6GB drive; 3480 PIII 600 w/ Speedstep, 64RAM and 12GB drive; 3490 PIII 700, 128RAM and 20GB drive.
Target price on eBay should be about $600 for a 3440, $650 for a 3480 and $750 for a 3490, though the 3490s tend to sell at a premium and to attract many bidders, often pushing them up to the $900 or $1000 range.
Because of the very high prices I can’t recommend the 3490, though if you can get a good deal on one,it is probably one of the best ultralight computers ever made, offereing a blend of performance, size and build-quality I don’t feel has been equaled even in the new Portege 2000.
If long runtime is your primary requirement, the 34x0 is without peer. In addition to the almost 3 hours you can get on the main cell, there is an optional high capacity battery that adds another 5.5 hours, giving you an 8 hour total. The new Portege 2000 comes with its high capacity battery, but has a combined runtime of only 6.5 hours, and the 4000 series when equipped with 2 batteries only manages 6 hours. With the battery attached to the base of the laptop, the weight swells to just under 6lbs, and the thickness to a little over 1.5 inches. While a bit heavy, it is still lighter than the full-sized laptops most people carry, and at 8 hours, runs 4 times as long.
I own the full Portege 3480CT outfit, with both port replicators, a DVD drive in the selectbay, the high capacity battery and an extra main battery. In addition, I’ve upgraded ram from 64 to 128MB (which I’d like to push to 192), the hard disk from 12 to 20GB, and the OS from Windows 2000 to Windows XP Pro.
The 3440 and 3480 usually sell for about the same price, and for that reason, I recommend the 3480 if you can get one. That said, there are far more 3440s on the used market, and chances are you won’t notice the 100MHz speed difference. All three 34x0 series machines are of excellent build-quality and will attract the attention of every nerd in a 30’ radius, so careful where you open it. Highly recommended!!!
Portege 4000, 2001
Actually I’m surprised they called this one a Portege, as like the Portege 660CDT of 1996, it has an internal drive bay and at 1.5”, is rather thick. It is also deep enough that it becomes a bit iffy to use on a coach-class tray table, though that depth allowed Toshiba to put a very good pair of stereo speakers above the keyboard and to fit a gorgeous 12.1” polysilicon TFT, which is just as visually impressive as the larger, though older-tech screens of the 7020 and 7140.
The Portege 4000 also offers a full-size keyboard that is actually better than that of the 7000-series as it doesn’t have the navigation keys to the immediate right of enter and shift. It also sets the arrow keys (finally) below the main keyboard. In addition to size and layout, it has a wonderful, springy action that rivals that of any IBM Thinkpad (the best in the industry for keyboard feel).
Combining the large and comfortable keyboard, scroll mouse and the nice-size screen, the Portege 4000 is by far the most comfortable Portege to use, except for the new 2000 is you happen to like touchpads (I don’t). Of course, there are other comforts as well, such as good-enough sound from the built-in speakers to watch DVD movies in a motel room without headphones, the joys of not having to carry external drives (except the floppy, which is USB as the 34x0 above), and the convenience and security of that optical drive being bootable (just try installing an OS without a bootable CD, its possible, but no fun).
Of course, the Portege 4000 is larger than other Porteges, large enough that it needs a conventional bag to carry, instead of just tossing it into a backpack or portfolio case like the 3000 series can do. It is also heavier than the other recent Porteges at 4.4 lbs, though if you leave out the optical drive and carry the weight-saver module in the bay, weight drops to within .4lbs of the 34x0, or 3.8lbs.
Another tremendous advantage of the 4000 series is that you can stuff a second battery into that drive bay, bumping runtime up from 3.5 to 6 hours, all in an under 5lb package. Adding the second battery to the 34x0 series makes them a pound heavier and just as thick as the Portege 4000 with its second cell, though of course that combination gets an extra 2 hours of runtime.
As in the 3480 above, I own a Portege 4000, with the 30GB hard drive, and the DVD/CDRW Combo drive. Ram has been upgraded to 512MB from 256, and I have the wireless networking card installed from the factory. I also bought the selectbay battery and an additional main cell for this PC, and consider this my primary home and travel PC, with the 3480 doing the daily work/school duties.
Other models to be considered are the older Pentium II 7000 and 7010 from 1998. While these have only a 12.1” screen at 800X600 and smallish 4GB drives, they are still fast, comfortable to use and most importantly, are very cheap. A clean Portege 7000 with 160MB of ram can usually be had on eBay for under $300, and with its Pentium II 266MHz processor, runs Windows 2000 extremely well.
The Portege 3010 and 3020 from 1998 are also excellent computers, differing only slightly from the 3110. Differences are that they use a PC card for the modem instead of a built in (though they have two slots, instead of one), lack a network port on the port replicator (I use a PC card anyway, the port bars are too bulky to carry), and have Pentium MMX (266MHz for the 3010, 300MHz for the 3020) instead of Pentium II processors. They are limited to 96MB of now-expensive EDO ram instead of 128MB of cheaper SDRAM, and their screens, while the same size and resolution as the 3110’s, are of the older amorphous silicon technology, which consumes more battery power and aren’t quite as bright and vivid (still gorgeous TFT panels though). The reason I don’t recommend these is that they usually are only about $25 cheaper than the much more common 3110, which is a significantly better PC.
Portege 660CDTs are always on eBay, and always fetch relatively high $225 prices relative to their 150MHz (non-MMX) performance. Basically, this is a Portege 650 with a slightly faster processor and a selectbay that accepts either a CDROM drive, a floppy drive or a second battery (giving you 5 hours). The 660 is physically small, though at over 5lbs is rather heavy. These are fabulous computers with almost a cult-following, but I can’t recommend them because you will pay cult-computer prices.
Finally there is the 300 and 320CT, which were very interesting computers from 1997. These had a wide-screen format 1024X600 screen which is much the shape of a movie viewed on DVD. Problem is, these are just a bit too old for the DVD revolution unless you buy a Zoomed Video MPEG card and a Cardbus interface DVD drive, in which case, the 320CT with its 266MHz Pentium MMX chip would probably be adequate. No matter what you do, however, the 300CT at 133MHz Pentium MMX will likely be much too slow to watch DVDs on. These computers also had durability problems with cracked hinges being a common problem. At $250 for the 133MHz 300CT, I would rather have a Pentium II 7000CT (with hardware DVD decoder built-in) or a 650CT and $100 change. For the $300 most 320CTs sell for, the Portege 7000 or 7010CT make better computers, or consider spending a bit more for a 3110 if you want to stay small. There is one area where the 300 series are without peer, however, and that is flying. That wide-format screen makes for a very short PC, and larger text than on any of the very small units. You have to pay for a 3440 to get a better airplane computing experience.
One more observation in closing. Porteges, like most ultraportable computers, are a bit slower and more delicate than the huge desktop-replacement models, even at the same processor speed. My 750MHz Pentium III Portege 4000 is slower than my classmate’s 600MHz IBM T-series, and actually, no faster than the 700MHz 3490. Also, unless you are buying a Portege 4000 or 660CDT, remember that not having a built-in optical drive is very real compromise, as are the small screens and keyboards. If it is right for you, there is no substitute for an ultralight, but one reason why there are so many of these on eBay is that so many people buy them and find those compromises too limiting.
Ideally, the smaller Porteges should be second PCs. I use my 3480 as a second to my 4000, just as in 1996 I used a Portege 650 as a second to my Tecra. The 4000 or 7000 series, or the 660 could make a good only PC, but the small ones were never made for it, unless you dock them. Using the port replicators, the 3000 series Porteges make fine primary computers, hooking up external keyboards, mice (use a Y-adapter or USB for both) and external monitors for desktop use, and reverting to tiny portable powerhouse-mode for travel. The 34x0 with multimedia port replicator is even better, as these add the bootable optical drive. Of course, all Porteges can dock, thus they all can serve as a primary computer. The larger models really come into their own if you prefer not to use external monitors and input devices, with their large screens, full-size keyboards and spacious ergonomics, they can totally replace a bulkier laptop and make a fine desktop-replacement.
***Update 3/15/04 - PRICING***
As of mid-March, 2004, older Portege prices have really dropped, with a Portege 2000 or 4000 often selling in the $900 range, and 3490/3480 twins in the $400 range.
The best bargains, however, are in the really old ones. While 660CDTs still fetch up to $200, you can get a 650CT in like-new condition for well under $100 (I just saw one go for $40, wile another is currently at $16 with another day on the auction. 3110s seem to be stuck at about $225, and the 7000 series are down about $50 across the board from when I wrote the original article.
In todays money and prices, the 650CT is simply the standout value if you want a basic laptop for basic productivity tasks (I keep changing my mind as to Windows 2000/Office 2000 (modern features and stability) or Windows 98/Office 97 (EXTREMELY FAST). Either way, a really great PC even in 2004, so long as you use it within its limitations.
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