My first laptop was an IBM Thinkpad, purchased from ebay in late 2000. This morning, I saw an ad for a Pentium III desktop on Quikr. Its specs took me back in time.. 256 MB RAM, Windows XP….and then a conversation on this topic, computers with Windows XP on LowEndSpirit really turned back the clock for me.
Retro Computing: Rewind February 2001
My second computer ever and first laptop was a Pentium II IBM Thinkpad with 32 48 MB RAM and ran Windows XP just okay. It had around 1.2 GB of disk space, which was rich for the era. Ironically I was trying to get AT&T ‘broadband’ (this was in early 2001) and the technician refused to configure saying system only had 16 MB and their specs called for 32 MB minimum.* A reinstall fixed the issue. The 32 MB stick somehow was not getting detected.
When I first arrived in graduate school, there were computers everywhere, but none that I could truly call my own. The labs had shared machines, and there were computer labs spread across campus. Even the student union had Apple iMacs available for students. Yet my sister strongly insisted that I should have a computer of my own. Looking back, she was absolutely right. Apart from the convenience, having my own machine meant that I could store and back up my work instead of relying on shared systems.
This was the era of 1.44 MB floppy disks and Zip drives. Storage was expensive and precious. My first laptop, an IBM ThinkPad that I purchased through eBay, had less than 10 GB of storage. Even that seemed luxurious at the time. However, the machine arrived with a strange problem. Although it was supposed to have 32 MB of RAM, Windows ME detected only 16 MB. I discovered this problem in an unexpected way. When the AT&T technician came to install cable internet, he was unable to complete the setup because their software required a minimum of 32 MB of RAM. As far as the computer was concerned, it only had half of that.
Memory Issues and RAM Upgrade
Being a newly arrived graduate student with limited means, buying memory was no small expense. RAM was expensive, and purchasing an additional 16 MB set me back financially. Eventually, after installing the extra memory and reinstalling Windows ME, the machine correctly recognised all 48 MB of RAM.
I called AT&T again, and the following day I finally had cable internet. I remember being immensely happy. It felt like a major milestone. Over time, I experimented with various ways of getting online. I used what I vaguely remember as a CompactFlash card that fit into the side slot, along with a Wi-Fi accessory purchased through Yahoo. Looking back, it all seems wonderfully primitive compared to today’s always-connected world.
Eventually, I sold that ThinkPad to a lady in Florida and moved on to a silver Sony Vaio laptop. It was larger and heavier, but it served me well for the next couple of years. That Sony Vaio also came with Windows ME, but thanks to a friend, I installed Red Hat Linux Zoot on it. That decision began my journey into Linux and open source, a journey that continues to this day. But that, quite literally, is a story for another day.
As I revisit these memories in June 2026, I realise that my first laptop was more than just a machine. It represented independence, experimentation and the beginning of a lifelong fascination with technology. The specifications have long been forgotten, but the memories remain remarkably vivid.
Edit: Had to look up my old, old Hotmail account (I had signed up for in 1998 ish). The laptop was purchased on eBay, had Windows XP Whistler (I think that was a codename/ release candidate?). Seller had upgraded from Win 98 and added a RAM stick. That might explain why the OS was detecting 16 MB only.
Ad for Pentium III desktop on Quikr
Update (January 2022): Purchased a new Lenovo Thinkpad e14 with Ryzen 5-5600U Processor. In 20 years, the IBM Thinkpad had reincarnated multiple times over! You can read about the Lenovo E14 here. Feature Image: Lenovo Thinkpad (via Wikipedia).
Post updated and archived on 2022-02-18 4 Jun 2026