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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!

3 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. Programmable Calculators ? by karvind · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would include them as well in the list.

  2. Bollocks on the IBM 5100 by AndroidCat · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Sticklers agree: The 5100 represents the first production portable computer. So does the Smithsonian, where a prototype now resides.
    Sticklers do not agree. For some weird and stupid reason probably related to marketing, the HP9830 (1974) was classified as a "programable calculator". Balls. It was a 16 bit computer and had BASIC. (There was a thermal printer that attached to the top.) Guts and stuff
    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  3. Re:Complete? by vasqzr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yep, no mention of Titanium Powerbooks. Those things set the world on fire, and companies still try to imitate them with no success.