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1988 ⚙️ DEEP RESTORE Laptop | DIY BATTERY | Zenith SlimSport 💻 Made in Japan!

TRIPLE R

330,385 views

I spotted this unusual Zenith laptop at a sale and knew I had to add it to my collection. After years of neglect, it was time to bring this 1988 Japanese-made machine back to life.

Zenith SlimSport 286 — Specifications:
💻 Intel 286 @ 16 MHz
🧠 1 MB RAM (up to 4 MB)
💾 20 MB HDD
🖥️ 9.5" 640×480 passive-matrix grayscale display
🎮 VGA graphics
🔊 PC Speaker
🔋 33.6 Wh NiCad battery
💾 3.5" 1.44 MB floppy drive
📡 Optional modem
🔌 Parallel, Serial, VGA, external FDD & expansion ports

Made in Japan 🇯🇵 | 1988

#Zenith #VintageComputer #LaptopRestoration #RetroComputing #DOS #Restoration #Repair #vintageelectronics

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20 Comments

@KaldekBoch 1 month ago

You had me at "the original battery is missing, we'll make a new one". Now that's the content my brain neeeeeds.

@hypergl6974 1 month ago

That logo... the green tree on blue background, that was actually Bull Micral. A not so much known corporation that was really responsible for a lot of technology we use today.

@MagicSky_NB2801 1 month ago

I know nothing about electronics, but I love watching you soldering, cleaning and testing the plaques. And the final results are always impeccable!

@patientorlando1306 1 month ago

Man...if you had one of these back in '88 you were the BOSS - probably would have set you back easy 3K and the weight of this thing would have been as hefty as her price tag but man...you would have been "the man." One has to wonder what kind of work was completed on this PC back then...probably games too LOL. Loved this restoration, these are our time capsule pieces😍

@spaceforce-girlforcejjwest2048 2 weeks ago

Instant sub, I was like its junk you can't fix it, but you did, great job. I wish we could get some kind of retro but with todays tech laptop just for writing and word processing with no net access.

@gazehound 1 month ago

That is some elite retrobrighting technique.

@Votmeyer 1 month ago

Reminds me of my friend's dad's Toshiba Satellite. We played Scorched Earth on that. Memories.

@Hacker-cw9lc 1 month ago (edited)

you should've talked about this being built about ONLY 7 years after THE FIRST LAPTOP EVER

@rome0610 1 month ago

When Zenith Data Systems (ZDS) was bought by the french Groupe Bull (notice the green tree logo), I worked as IT technician and repaired these laptops and desktops. Most failures were the twisting display cable that ran through the hinge and, well, - good for business! - customers closing the lid while a pen still laying above the keyboard... 🤪😜 My first own laptop was the ZDS SuperSport 286, already equipped with a gigantic 20 MB harddrive! 😜

@techgame_ita 1 month ago

I had a zenith masterport 386 ,it was broken ,but the display was intact,it needed a full cleaning and a poweraupply that isn't available anymore,modified it and it is working great

@mdnisarashraf 1 month ago

Your restoration videos are on another level. I love watching these restorations.

@dominicsapl 1 month ago

Nice restoration, very in-depth! you even went down to making a replacement battery pack. Most people don't fix floppy drives or rebuild battery packs for old laptops, but you did! Also, 8:24 its rare to see AMD and intel together

The only zenith product I had was a 14" CRT monitor

@MrButtonpresser 1 month ago

Anyone else feel a little apprehensive during the tear-down phase? Then I remember who is putting it back together and I relax. Great job.

@George_Borman 1 month ago

I thought there would be a Swiss automatic movement inside, but it turns out there are only microchips inside! ))) Excellent work! 👍It was very interesting to see how the first laptops were designed inside! )

@VideoMoltoBelli 1 month ago

1988: a great year for technology... chickens still laid eggs from their backsides and the pinnacle of AI was your calculator with its mini solar panel :face-blue-smiling:
THIS COMPUTER IS NOW IN PERFECT CONDITION:trophy-yellow-smiling:
Congratulations. I love all the animations you make when you repair it, showing the broken components that need replacing with the red ring.
You're very good at restoration, electronics, and creating a visually stunning product :person-turqouise-waving:

@LuckyMcLuckson 1 month ago

Ive been patiently waiting a new video. Proper job as always, mate!!

@lucyxchan6808 1 month ago

Oh my god. A PATA diskdrive...that's hella old...

@marcosqueiroz3303 1 month ago

I want to congrat you for all your work, it's extremelly satsfactory to see this beaulty working again and in excelent shape. I sincerely hope that all dedication worth for you just the way it worth for us. You are amazing