Kapok/Clevo 8500/8700/8900 Series

These laptops are large desktop replacement systems that were built around a 15.1" LCD. The original Kapok 8500 from 1998 was one of the very first laptops with such a display. Different revisions of this laptop supported Pentium MMX, Pentium II, Pentium III, and Celeron processors. Here's what you need to know to understand the model scheme of these laptops:

These were generic/ODM laptops, meaning that they were sold to distributors who would put their own brand name on them to sell. As such, you won't see one branded as a Kapok or Clevo.
8500, 8700, and 8900 laptops are all identical aside from some modifications to the plastic case to make them look different. They use the same motherboards. The reason these different models even exist is so different resellers could sell laptops that didn't look completely identical.
There were 5 main models in the series - the 8500, 8500M, 8500P, 8500C, and 8500V. These mainly differ in what processors they supported. There should have been 8700 and 8900 versions of each one of them.
The earlier models were made by Kapok, a sub-division of Clevo. Clevo re-absorbed Kapok in 1999 and as such, later models in the series were Clevos.

Specifications

Spec	8500	8500M	8500P	8500C	8500V
Release Date	January 1998	1998	1999	1999	2000
CPU	CPU Type: Socket 7 Intel Pentium MMX @166, 233, or 266MHz	CPU Type: MMC1 - Intel Mobile Pentium II - Intel Mobile Celeron - Intel Pentium MMX @Up to 266MHz	CPU Type: MMC2 (66MHz FSB) - Intel Mobile Pentium III - Intel Mobile Pentium II - Intel Mobile Celeron	CPU Type: Socket 370 - Intel Celeron @Up to 500MHz (maybe higher?)	CPU Type: Socket 370 Intel Pentium III @Up to 933MHz
RAM	Type: EDO or SDRAM Standard: N/A Maximum: 128MB	Type: EDO or SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: N/A Maximum: 256MB	Type: SDRAM, 3 slots Standard: N/A Maximum: 256MB	Type: EDO or SDRAM, 3 slots Standard: N/A Maximum: 384MB	PC100 or PC133 SDRAM, 2 slots Standard: N/A Maximum: 512MB
Hard Disk	2.5" IDE Uses proprietary adapter?: Yes Standard: N/A
Display Options	- 13.3" TFT LCD @1024x768 - 13.8" Passive Matrix LCD @1024x768 - 14.1" TFT LCD @1024x768 - 15.1" TFT LCD @1024x768		15.1" TFT LCD @1024x768		- 15.0" TFT LCD @1024x768 - 15.0" TFT LCD @1400x1050
Graphics Chipset	Chips & Technologies 65555 VRAM: 4MB	S3 ViRGE/MX+ VRAM: 4MB	ATI Rage LT Pro VRAM: 8MB		ATI Rage Mobility 128 VRAM: 8 or 16MB
Audio	ESS AudioDrive 1879 w/ WaveTable - Stereo Speakers - Microphone			ESS Maestro-2E - Stereo Speakers - Microphone	ESS Allegro-1 - Stereo Speakers - Microphone
Main Battery	- NiMH (Smart or Dumb available) - Lithium Ion (Smart or Dumb available)			Lithium Ion (Smart or Dumb available)	Lithium Ion (Smart)
CMOS Battery	Unknown		CR2032 (Socketed)	Unknown
Power Supply	Proprietary 4-pin
Disk Drives	Dual Modular Bays - Bay 1 holds 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Drive, LS-120 Drive, ZIP Drive, or 2nd HDD - Bay 2 holds CD-ROM or DVD-ROM Drive
PC Cards	2x PCMCIA Slots (2x Type II/1x Type III) - ZoomVideo Support (1 slot)
Networking	Modem (Optional)
Other I/O	- 1x Parallel - 1x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 2x PS/2 - 1x Dock Connector - 2x USB 1.x - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Composite In - 1x Line In - 1x Mic In - 1x Line Out - Infrared		- 1x Parallel - 1x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 2x PS/2 - 1x Dock Connector - 2x USB 1.x - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Composite In - 1x Line In - 1x Mic In - 1x Line Out - 1x IEEE1394/FireWire - Infrared	- 1x Parallel - 1x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 2x PS/2 - 1x Dock Connector - 2x USB 1.x - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Composite In - 1x Line In - 1x Mic In - 1x Line Out - Infrared	- 1x Parallel - 1x Serial - 1x VGA Out - 2x PS/2 - 1x Dock Connector - 2x USB 1.x - 1x S-Video Out - 1x Composite In - 1x Line In - 1x Mic In - 1x Line Out - 1x IEEE1394/FireWire - Infrared
BIOS	SystemSoft				Phoenix
Pointing Device	Trackpad		Trackpad (Alps)	Trackpad

Resources

Service Manual (8500)	Service Manual (8500M)	Service Manual (8500P)	Service Manual (8500C)	Service Manual (8500V)

Common Faults & Maintenance

The plastics on this entire range of laptops are brittle, and they are likely to form stress cracks near the display hinges as a result. The hinge tightness is adjustable (at least on the 8500M), but I was unable to get the nuts to budge no matter what I tried.