The IBM ThinkPad 365 is a notebook computer series developed by IBM and manufactured by ASE Group. It was released in North America in November 1995, and was the successor of the ThinkPad 360 series. The series had 8 models that were released before being discontinued, and was succeeded in 1997 by the ThinkPad 380 series.
History
Introduction
Originally the price of the 365 series was expected to start at $2,300 earlier in 1996, but some changes were made to make the series more cost competitive in the market. IBM's main notebook competitor at the time was Toshiba, which offered notebooks such as the T1910 for $1,599. IBM earlier in the year had a 21% market share for portable computers while Toshiba had 27%. To make the 365 line cheaper, IBM partnered with Taiwanese manufacturer ASE Group to build the 365 series. Additionally IBM chose to go with a cheaper processor, choosing the Cyrix 486DX4 for the initial series offerings, as it was available for less than $100. It was originally believed earlier in the year that the series would use the Intel DX4, but this was not the case. However, Pentium P54C based systems would be made later, which would become the X/XD models. With the lower price and many configuration options available, IBM hoped to attract a wider audience.
On November 7, 1995, the 365 series was announced with the 365CS, C, CSD, and CD models. The base model 365CS had a $1,999 price tag and came with a 10.4" passive matrix (DSTN) display, 75 MHz DX4 processor, 8 MB of RAM, Sound-Blaster compatible audio, and a 540 MB hard disk drive. The 365C was the same as the CS except it had an active matrix (TFT) display, which offered better quality and it was available for $2,200. The 365CSD and CD offered a 2x speed CD-ROM drive and the CD had a TFT while the CSD had a DSTN display. The series was available from IBM directly, retailers, and stores.
IBM would also demonstrate the 365C/CD at the Fall Comdex show in November 1995 against many competitors. They had one of the largest exhibits at the event, showcasing other products such as the ThinkPad 760 line.
E/ED Release
In March 1996 the 365E/ED were announced. Both would be the same to the previous models but offer a 100 MHz Cyrix 5x86 processor and the ED would be equipped with a 4x speed CD-ROM drive. The release in the US was expected to be the following month in April, while the E/ED was already available in Europe and other countries. The E/ED were expected to be released May 10, 1996, and would be available for $1,999–2,499. After the release of the E/ED, the four original 486-based models were discontinued.
X/XD Release
Shortly after the E/ED announcement on April 23, 1996, IBM announced the X/XD models. Both would have a Pentium P54C 100 or 120 MHz processor, up to 1.08 GB hard disk drive, and EDO memory with a maximum capacity of 40 MB. The 365X would also be available with a bigger 11.3" DSTN display, and the 365XD would have a 4x CD-ROM drive. Availability was planned for May 31, 1996, with 11.3" DSTN models coming June 30, 1996. The 365X with a 10.4" TFT would cost $2,899 and the 365XD with a 10.4" DSTN would be $2,799 upon release.
Discontinuation
In February 1997, IBM started to reduce prices on 365 series ThinkPads due to the introduction of new 365 and 560 series notebooks that would be coming out the following month, and because Intel at this time cut OEM prices for their desktop and notebook processors.
Prices for the series dropped by up to $400, starting at $1,799 for a base model. A 365 model coming out next month with a 120 MHz Pentium I and 1 GB Hard Drive would cost less than $2,000.
In April 1997, IBM cut prices even more on their older ThinkPad models, including the 365 series.This was because of the introduction of new ThinkPad models, the 760XD and XL. A ThinkPad 365X with a 120 MHz Pentium I, 8 MB memory, 1 GB hard drive, and 10.4in TFT display cost $1,862 versus $4,734 for a 760EL with a 133 MHz Pentium I, 16 MB memory, 2.1 GB hard drive, and 12.1in TFT display.
Reception
Before the series was released in November 1995, Kimball Brown, an analyst from Dataquest research in San Jose, California, stated: "We expect it to be the major driver of growth in the notebook market in 1996 and beyond. The IBM ThinkPad brand has built an excellent reputation among high-end notebook users. Now, with the ThinkPad 365 line, IBM has an extremely credible offering that should be very popular among average business users."