The idea of a portable computer has been around for quite some time, but most computer engineers thought it to be impracticable. There was also not a lot of commercial interest in funding research to produce such a computer. The Dynabook released during the 1960s was not much more than a toy. It took twenty more years before the first real laptops started making their appearance.
The first computer that could really claim title to the term laptop was the Osborne 1. It was released during 1981 by the Osborne Computer Company. When closed up, the Osborne 1 looked very much like a sewing machine case - nothing like our laptops of today therefore.
It ran off AC power, but had an optional battery for backup purposes. It had no hard drive - the only storage devices were two 5. 25 inch floppy drives, which were placed on both sides of the screen. It also had a modem port. The screen was only 7. 5cm (5 inches) wide and wasn't able to display more than 52 characters in a single line. It was rugged. It was basic, but it can be described as the world's first commercially available laptop.
During 1982 the first Compaq computers were released. They were just as bulky as the Osborne. The only thing that inspired people to buy one of them was that they used the 'revolutionary' new MS DOS operating system.
The first truly mobile computer was the Epson released during 1983. The fact that it was equipped with a nickel battery meant you were no longer limited to using it where you had AC power available. In many respects it was only a high-tech calculator - it could only display 80 characters on the screen - but notwithstanding that it created a lot of interest from buyers.
Also during 1983 the Gavilan Mobile Computer was released. This one had the innovative feature that the screen could be folded over the keyboard when closing it. It was also truly mobile in the respect that it could run for up to 9 hours off nickel-cadmium batteries.
The 5155 of 1984 was IBM's first endeavor into the laptop market. It was fitted with two 5. 25 inch floppy drives and 640K RAM. There was still no support for graphics though. This was still a few years into the future.
Compaq was the company that gave the world a laptop with graphics abilities. Their SLT/286 released during 1988 had a graphics card, a 1. 44 floppy drive and a 286 processor. Unfortunately its weight counted against it - a hefty 5. 5kg (14 pounds).
The 1990s saw numerous new laptops appear on the market. They became faster, smaller and had ever increasing storage capabilities. Today no business executive is considered to be fully dressed without the latest laptop on his side.
The first computer that could really claim title to the term laptop was the Osborne 1. It was released during 1981 by the Osborne Computer Company. When closed up, the Osborne 1 looked very much like a sewing machine case - nothing like our laptops of today therefore.
It ran off AC power, but had an optional battery for backup purposes. It had no hard drive - the only storage devices were two 5. 25 inch floppy drives, which were placed on both sides of the screen. It also had a modem port. The screen was only 7. 5cm (5 inches) wide and wasn't able to display more than 52 characters in a single line. It was rugged. It was basic, but it can be described as the world's first commercially available laptop.
During 1982 the first Compaq computers were released. They were just as bulky as the Osborne. The only thing that inspired people to buy one of them was that they used the 'revolutionary' new MS DOS operating system.
The first truly mobile computer was the Epson released during 1983. The fact that it was equipped with a nickel battery meant you were no longer limited to using it where you had AC power available. In many respects it was only a high-tech calculator - it could only display 80 characters on the screen - but notwithstanding that it created a lot of interest from buyers.
Also during 1983 the Gavilan Mobile Computer was released. This one had the innovative feature that the screen could be folded over the keyboard when closing it. It was also truly mobile in the respect that it could run for up to 9 hours off nickel-cadmium batteries.
The 5155 of 1984 was IBM's first endeavor into the laptop market. It was fitted with two 5. 25 inch floppy drives and 640K RAM. There was still no support for graphics though. This was still a few years into the future.
Compaq was the company that gave the world a laptop with graphics abilities. Their SLT/286 released during 1988 had a graphics card, a 1. 44 floppy drive and a 286 processor. Unfortunately its weight counted against it - a hefty 5. 5kg (14 pounds).
The 1990s saw numerous new laptops appear on the market. They became faster, smaller and had ever increasing storage capabilities. Today no business executive is considered to be fully dressed without the latest laptop on his side.
About the Author:
Andrew Johnson is an expert in computer consumables. If you want more information about types of laptops or are searching for a trusted computer retailer please visit http://www.ebuyer.com
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