Hello!

> I'm trying to install 1.3_ALPHA on a Toshiba laptop at work,

It would help if you could tell _which_ of all those laptops Toshiba
produces you are useing :-) I run a Toshiba Tecra 500 CDT without major
problems under 1.3_ALPHA...

> The boot disk I'm using was pulled from
> ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-1.3_ALPHA a few days ago.

... although I started with 1.2 and upgraded from current source each day.
So I dunno if the install kernel used for the bootfloppy works.

Do you see where it panics (e.g. what does it print last)?

Greets
      Thorsten