Hi!
Does anybody have any experience with the Book 386? Is hardware- and sofware-wise on par with the Pocket 386?
https://www.tindie.com/products/cycle/book386 … er-386sx-40mhz/
All the best,
Kristian
I dont think anyone here owns it yet, there has been some recent discussion in the Pocket386 thread tho - mostly speculation.
Pocket 386, the brother of Hand386 and Book8088, the story so far ...
Great, thanks for the link!
If used for windows, the Chips F65545 is 2x-3x faster in CAD/paint/scrolling than a GD5429 Cirrus Logic. In DOS they're the same or the CL is better.
The Chips 65545 is supposed to be the best card for LCDs too, but I don't think the LCD interface is used.
MikeSG wrote on 2026-07-25, 11:18:If used for windows, the Chips F65545 is 2x-3x faster in CAD/paint/scrolling than a GD5429 Cirrus Logic. In DOS they're the same or the CL is better.
The Chips 65545 is supposed to be the best card for LCDs too, but I don't think the LCD interface is used.
There's good scaling utils around for the Chips in respect of it's LCD chops, but yeah I think it's used in RGB mode not digital.
There are supposed to be Tridents in the mix too, which depending on chipset revision may be as fast as anything else through ISA interface, or noticeably slower. But they also do have excellent backward compatibility for CGA etc and highly programmable clocks if you want to make an adapter and try TV output with vga2tv
Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.
As the book386 basically replaces the pocket386 at least for the manufacturer, do we really need both threads? I vote to continue on the p386 one.
MikeSG wrote on 2026-07-25, 11:18:If used for windows, the Chips F65545 is 2x-3x faster in CAD/paint/scrolling than a GD5429 Cirrus Logic. In DOS they're the same or the CL is better.
The Chips 65545 is supposed to be the best card for LCDs too, but I don't think the LCD interface is used.
The LCD interface is a very old LVDS mode and nowadays it's better to just convert the signal for the 'CRT' output(VGA). I bet it's completely digital in the Book 386.
javispedro1 wrote on 2026-07-25, 17:06:As the book386 basically replaces the pocket386 at least for the manufacturer, do we really need both threads? I vote to continue on the p386 one.
It replaces it. But they are different devices
