DOS Palmtop: Reeves PS-1000 Palmtop PC Details and specs

Reeves PS-1000 Palmtop PC

About this machine:

While i personally believed a Reeves PS-1000 didn't exist or it was just a Tidalwave PS-1000 sold by some company called Reeves - but some reader called John corrected me via e-mail. Well i was quite surprised when i saw the picture. This model actually has both - the Tidalwave AND a custom branding, which is truly unique and lame. On the bottom left under the screen you see the typical "Tidalwave PS-1000" and on the bottom right it has a "Reeves PLC" logo. According to John Reeves was a British company that sold laptops and computers in the early 1990s. They keyboard has an american layout though - i guess Tidalwave did not feel like offering a UK keyboard layout. Besides that it is - as expected - a pretty casual Tidalwave clone.

Specs:

CPU: NEC V30 @ 7.15 MHz
Graphics: Monochrome CGA, 80 x 25 character text mode, CGA 2 color monochrome graphics mode
Display: 640 x 200 monochrome Supertwist LCD , 4 grey scales, 7.2 inch
Memory (RAM): 1 MB
ROM (Software): 1.5 MB
I/O ports: RS232 Serial (proprietary cable was included accessory), PCMCIA 1.0 Type I slot, Parallel port (proprietary cable included)
Sound: PC Speaker - Piezo
Operating System: MS-DOS 5.0
Software: MS Works 2.0, RacePen PIM (File manager, scheduler, phone book, etc), Microsoft QBasic
Size: Length 11.5 cm, Width 24.5 cm, Height 2.5 cm (4.5 inches x 9.7 inches x 1 inch)
Powered by: 2 AA batteries - rechargable or non-rechargable or AC adaptor (optional accessory), CR2032 Lithium button cell as memory backup
Weight: 590 gram (21 ounces) including 2 standard AA and CR2032 batteries
Special features: Really dumb branding
Released: June 1992
Originally retailed for:: 595 USD
Clone of: Tidalwave PS-1000
Similar models: Tidalwave PS-1000, Highscreen Handy Organizer and all other clones

Pros:
- Fully CGA compliant, so most CGA based DOS appz and games work
- Excellent keyboard

Cons:
- No support for flash cards
- Not really the smallest Palmtop ever
- Power management is rather average
- No way to boot a different OS and no way to bypass loading the drivers for cards and keyboard

Collector Value:
9 of 10

Usage Value:
7 of 10

Verdict:
A pretty rare TidalWave clone, if not the rarest. Nice US keyboard. Pretty dumb branding. Otherwise pretty much like all other TidalWave clones.

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