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Thirty Years of Clamshell Computing

Posted by samzenpus on from the form-factor dept.

harrymcc writes "2012 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Grid Compass 1101, the first portable computer with a briefcase-like case with a keyboard on one side of the interior, a flat screen on the other, and a hinge in the middle--the 'clamshell' design that eventually became standard for all portable PCs. It's proven to be a remarkably useful and durable design, and only with the advent of the iPad has it faced serious competition."

2 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Best use of space in clamshell? NOT by Hamsterdan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Weight distribution. If the lid is heavier than the base, it's too easy to have the laptop do a backwards flip. Besides, it would add thickness to the machine (but allow for a bigger battery)

    --
    I've got better things to do tonight than die.
  2. Re:Read vs. Write by Kozar_The_Malignant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Indeed.

    You know what happens when someone forgets to check the bounds of their array and starts writing data to another process's memory?

    Yeah. Imagine if that other process was your visual cortex.

    We used to have drugs for that.

    --
    Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.