History of Laptop Computers

History of Laptops

The first laptop computer, although portable, did not resemble the popular notebook book-sized and folding laptops that are a familiar sight today.

The concept of a portable computer was developed by Alan Kay of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. In the 1970s, he envisioned a notebook-sized, portable computer called the Dynabook that could handle all of the user’s informational needs in a manner similar to the existent desktop computers.

Debatably, the first laptop computer was designed in 1979 by William Moggridge of Grid Systems Corporation. Known as the Grid Compass, it was one-fifth the weight of any model equivalent in performance and was designed with a 340K byte bubble memory, a die-cast magnesium case, and a folding electroluminescent graphics display screen. The Grid Compass was used by NASA on the space shuttle program in the early 1980’s.

Most historians consider Osbourne 1 as the first true portable computer. Released in 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation, it was sold for $1795 and weighed 12kgs (23.4 pounds).

Features of Osborne 1 included:

• 5-inch (13cm) screen
  Modem port
• Two 5 1/4 inch floppy drives, with two pockets beneath the floppy drives for floppy disk storage
• 4 MHz Z80 CPU
• Large collection of ‘bundled’ software programs, including CP/M operating system, SuperCalc spreadsheet application, WordStar word processing application and Microsoft MBASIC programming language
• Fold down keyboard that doubled as the computer case’s lid
• Battery pack, so it didn’t have to be plugged into the 110VAC outlet for power.
• 5 inch, 52 character × 24 line monochrome CRT (Cathode Display Tube) display.

At its peak, the company shipped 10,000 units per month. By the end of the year 1981, Osborne Computer Corporation hit US$1 million sales per month.

The Osborne’s popularity was superseded by the similar and cheaper Kaypro II, which came with double density floppies and a much more practical 9 inch (23 cm) CRT that could display the standard 80 characters.

Unable to respond effectively to the challenge, the short-lived computer company was succeeded by the Gavilan Computer in 1983. Manny Fernandez, the developer, designed it for executives who were beginning to use computers. Considered as the first fully functional laptop computer, its features incorporated:

64 kilobytes (expandable to 128 kilobytes) of RAM (Random Access Memory)

*  Gavilan operating system that also ran MS-DOS
*  8088 microprocessor
*  touchpad mouse
*  portable printer

The Gavilan Computer weighed 4 kg itself and 6.4 kg with printer. However, its floppy drive was not compatible with other computers and primarily used its own operating system. The company consequently failed.

In 1984, Apple Computer introduced its notebook-sized Apple IIc model. The features comprised of:

*9-inch monochrome monitor or an optional LCD panel
*65C02 microprocessor
*128 kilobytes of memory
*Internal 5.25-inch floppy drive
*Two serial ports
*A mouse port
*Modem card
*External power supply
*A folding handle

The computer itself weighed about 5 kg, but the monitor was heavier. Aimed at the home and educational markets, the Apple IIc model was highly successful for about five years.

In 1986, IBM introduced its IBM PC Convertible. Like the Gavilan computer, it used an 8088 microprocessor. Other features included:

* 256 kilobytes of memory
* Two 3.5-inch (8.9-cm) floppy drives
* An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
* Parallel and serial printer ports
* Space for an internal modem
* Applications software – basic word processing, appointment calendar, telephone/address book and calculator

It weighed 5.4 kg and was sold for $3,500 in the market.
The tremendous success of the PC Convertible ushered in the laptop era. Ever since, manufacturers have been constantly improving laptop computers; today, laptops are more sophisticated and lighter.