AST Research Inc has introduced the AST Premium Exec 386SX/20 and Premium Exec 286/12 upgradeable notebook computers: including batteries, they weigh 6.5 lbs and measure 9 by 11.4 by 2.25 and have a supertwist VGA backlit display; key design features include a tilt stand, and 82-key standard keyboard layout with 101-key functionality; the system is bundled with several software packages including AST MS-DOS 3.3 and Travelling Software’s LapLink; Premium Exec 386SX/20 includes 2Mb of memory, expandable to 8Mb, a 3.5 1.44Mb disk drive, one serial port, one parallel port and support for an 80387SX numeric co-processor; Model 23V, with a 2.5 20Mb hard disk, costs $3,000 and the Model 43V with a 2.5 40Mb hard disk is $3,400; the 12MHz Premium Exec 286/12 contains 1Mb of memory, expandable to 8Mb, a 3.5 1.44Mb disk drive, one serial port, one parallel port and support for an 80287 numeric co-processor; Model 23V includes a 2.5 20Mb hard drive and cost $2,500; Model 43V with 2.5 40Mb hard disk is $2,900.
