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A History of Portable Computing

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the changing-definitions-of-portability dept.

PCM2 writes "MobilePC magazine is running an exhaustive history of portable computers, going all the way from the IBM Portable 5100 to last year's OQO. Do you remember the three-pound Epson HX-20 from 1982 that boasted a 50-hour battery life? Or that the first color portable came from Commodore? Interesting stuff." They have the compaq luggable I learned BASIC on in middle school in the 80s. 28lbs of power baby!

6 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. Definition of portable by AndroidCat · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think the military definition of portable is if two people can move it.

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    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    1. Re:Definition of portable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I thought the military definition of portable was whether or not it had handles on it. If you want something heavy carried, just weld some handles on.

  2. Nerds? by AdityaG · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pioneering nerds may not have had Starbucks tables to occupy with their PowerBooks for hours on end

    Nerds? Starbucks and powerbooks don't remind me of nerds. They remind me of metrosexuals.

  3. Orange?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That there color's called "amber", son. ;-)

  4. Oh man, Osborne CP/M .. by torpor · · Score: 5, Funny

    .. I remember those hot, sweaty days, at the back of the typing class, me and the fold-up newly-donated Osborne sitting together, watching the sweaty backs of all the schoolgirls in class adjusting their bra-straps .. hooh boy .. I was 15, the only guy in the class of 30, and I selected the class because of the Osbourne straight up, without even thinking, ignoring the other 'none of my friends are gonna take it' factor completely, honest. My first day of class, when I realized it was just me and pretty much every hot chick in my year, *plus* the Osbourne sitting there for me to hack on, every afternoon ..

    I was only allowed to touch 'the wordprocessor' because I'd already mastered the drills and homekeys of every other typewriter in the class (Typing A, Senior High School) .. highest accuracy, highest rate, document writing, etc. The Osbourne was 'special', because it wasn't really typewriter-standard keys, or so the teacher said, bless her .. but it wasn't long until it was just me n' Wordstar, totally horny for each other, watching sweet teenage girls of my year doing their typing drills on crappy old hard-core typewriters, in the desert sun, paper, ink and sweat. In uniform.

    Good times, good times ...

    I'd love to have an Osborne around, but alas the oldest computer I ever owned that I still have is a lowly Oric-1, whose treasured spot in a box in the attic at home is right next to the "Local Boy Wins in State Typing Championship" newspaper article, cheesy photo and all ..

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    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  5. Parents answering those difficult questions by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 5, Funny

    "well, you see, son, daddy has a computer. And mommy has a data center."

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    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.