Siemens Scenic Mobile 800
A high-end notebook for special applications
manufactured by Siemens in late 1998 under codename "Indi". Its
parameters are really high-end in its times: Fast Pentium II processor,
memory upgradeable with 4 SODIMM modules up to 512MB, 1024x768 TFT LCD
screen with ATI 3D Rage Pro accelerator and detachable, wireless,
battery-powered keyboard. After re-attaching the keyboard its battery
was recharged. Case was made of durable alloy, not waterproof, but much
more rigid than plastic. "Indi" has a special Sicrypt security system
which involved chip cards to authenticate users. My unit has DVD-ROM
drive in its bay - these times DVD-ROM was a very new thing. After
extensive use this notebook looks very well, quality of materials used
is very good.
As option, media bay could be equipped with Floppy disk drive, DVD-ROM,
CD-ROM, CD writer or Zip drive.
Summing up, Scenic Mobile 800 is a good example of a high-end notebook
of late-90s era.
Manufacturer | Siemens / Siemens-Nixdorf | |
Origin | Germany | |
Year of unit | 1998/9 | |
Year of introduction | 1998? | |
Type | Laptop, PC | |
CPU | Intel Pentium II 300MHz | |
RAM | 32MB (expandable with 4 66MHz SODIMMs up to 512MB (4x128MB)) | |
Floppy Disk | Optical drive or FDD in a bay | |
Hard Disk | 6GB? | |
Other media | DVD-ROM drive in a bay | |
Graphics and display: | 1024x768 LCD TFT | |
Sound: | Stereo | |
Keyboard and pointing device: | Small PC keyboard without numeric
part Touchpad Keyboard/touchpad detachable, wireless (IR) |
|
OS: | Windows 98 | |
Power supply: |
||
1 - Ground |
||
I/O: | - Serial port - Parallel port - VGA video out - Game port - Infrared - PS/2 - 2xPCMCIA - USB - TV Out - Dock |
|
Possible upgrades: | Memory, disk, drives... | |
Additional peripherals: |
My unit is interesting for a few reasons. First, the protective foil have never been removed, so it diffused into the casing made of metal with porous surface. In pictures you can see how it looks like - this foil can't be removed by any means.
Second - and unfortunately it makes this computer unusable - is its
password protection. The protection is called SICRYPT and is resident in
BIOS. After POST, before booting, BIOS starts Sicrypt program. This
program checks the SmartCard reader, then authenticates the system by
authenticating card. My unit has card, but it's locked so it needs admin
code to unlock.
Unfortunately no service in my area can bypass this protection, as it's
not a simple ROM patching.
Here you can see IR keyboard battery. I had to removed it as it
leaked.:
PDF user's guide