It has a similar specification to the IBM PC Convertible, with a 4.77 MHz 80C88 processor, 512 KB of RAM, and a monochrome CGA-compatible LCD.

Along with the T1200 and earlier T1100, the Toshiba T1000 was one of the early computers to feature a "laptop" form factor and battery-powered operation.

PC Magazine in 1988 named the Toshiba T1000 an "Editor's Choice" among 12 tested portable computers.

One reviewer called it "the first real DOS laptop" and a plausible replacement for his Tandy 200, while another praised its durability after 60,000 miles of traveling and "incredible bargain" $800 street price.

While acknowledging that it cost more than the TRS-80 Model 100 and NEC PC-8201, he believed that "you get quite a lot for the added weight and price", and reported that "Many writers swear by the T1000.