The Dauphin DTR-1 was a very unique computer of its day. It was tiny. It was created by IBM and sold for a pretty penny. The most different accessory that came with the computer was the pen ( stylus ). The pen would do what the finger now does for smartphones; select menus and move things around on the screen for the Dauphin DTR-1. Get a closer look at what the Dauphin DTR-1 was like here in this informative article.
This was a small example of a computer that paved the way for future computers with the same configuration. The Dauphin DTR-1 was used with a stylus and a keyboard. It even came with its own leather carrying case. The total setup, which included a small keyboard and separate monitor, weighed around two pounds. The motherboard was inside the case that held the display. The display was sized at six inches diagonally. Since this was an IBM product, it was running Microsoft software. Some gave the title of “palmtop” to this computer, which was appropriate because the keyboard was about as large as a hand width.
The Dauphin DTR-1 Pen Tablet was run on batteries. They were advertised to last for three and half hours. The batteries were crafted from Nickel Metal Hydrate. The pen was also powered by SR48 batteries. They were similar to watch or hearing aid batteries and lasted for 350 hours. The pen integrated with the special screen of the small computer, thanks to the new Microsoft operating system inside. The Dauphin DTR-1 could recognize handwriting and convert it to text on the fly. An alternating current adapter was included.
The Dauphin DTR-1 Pen Tablet was given a 486 SLC processor to get its work done. This was accompanied by two to six megabytes of random access memory ( RAM ). There was no room for expanding the RAM. The hard drive was a 42 megabyte storage space and came with “Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing” installed from IBM. The screen was crafted from LCD and came with monochrome VGA resolution. The amount of pixels used was 640 by 480 on a gray scale format. The keyboard was a QWERTY setup with a detachable cord that connected it to the monitor-base unit.
For its size and age, the Dauphin DTR-1 came with plenty of connectivity. A modem could be hooked up the palmtop thanks to a RJ-11 connector. A DB-25F parallel port was included as well as a nine pin RS-232C serial connector. An external IDE port for connecting another hard drive or floppy disk drive was also included. Most of these Dauphins included a 1.44 inch external floppy drive with the purchase.
I wouldn’t say that the Dauphin DTR-1 is in high demand as a collectible but it does have its place in tablet history. Even so, I’ve seen them sell for as little as $60.00 in good working condition. I would expect a price of around $100.00 for one in very good working condition along with accessories.
