The “Book 8088” laptop features an Intel 8088 processor and 640KB of memory, providing an authentic experience of using an old IBM PC. Despite its ancient processors, the laptop incorporates modern amenities such as a 640×200 16-color LCD screen, USB interfaces, and a CompactFlash card for storage.
The Intel 8088 processor, running at a clock speed of 4.77 MHz, was a cut-down version of the original 8086 with an 8-bit data bus. Its slow speed and limited memory make it best suited for running MS-DOS, the text-based operating system popular in the MS-DOS era.
While the laptop can run early versions of Windows up to version 3.0, it may not provide an optimal experience, as multitasking support is limited. However, the laptop is perfect for running old DOS games and experiencing the simplicity of the MS-DOS interface.
The “Book 8088” laptop also offers expandability options with accessories such as an Intel 8087 floating-point coprocessor, a Sound Blaster-compatible sound card module from Yamaha, and an external dongle with three slots for ISA expansion cards. These accessories allow users to enhance the capabilities of the laptop and connect additional peripherals.
Although there is limited information available about the company manufacturing the “Book 8088” laptop, it is attributed to Xinrui Technology, a Hong Kong-based manufacturer known for producing affordable PC accessories and AV equipment. The seller on AliExpress, DZT, has a positive feedback rating and is known for selling small CNC machines.
The “Book 8088” laptop is in high demand, with the basic version and the version with an included 8087 coprocessor already sold out. However, as of now, there are still around 80 units available with a preinstalled sound card and approximately 20 units with a sound card and an external ISA expansion dongle.
If you’re not inclined to purchase a laptop with an 8088 processor, there are alternative ways to experience the MS-DOS era. Websites like PCjs Machines offer emulators that allow users to run the original IBM PC and its software directly in a browser window. These emulators provide an easy and accessible way to explore retrocomputing.
Whether you choose to invest in the “Book 8088” laptop or explore the MS-DOS era through emulators, the nostalgia and simplicity of that time are just a click away. Relive the magic of the original IBM PC and immerse yourself in the world of MS-DOS.
