Kitz ADSL Broadband Information
adsl spacer  
Support this site
Home Broadband ISPs Tech Routers Wiki Forum
 
     
   Compare ISP   Rate your ISP
   Glossary   Glossary
 
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Author Topic: The World's First Laptop  (Read 4884 times)

Floydoid

  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *****
  • Posts: 9640
  • Prog Rock Fan
The World's First Laptop
« on: August 17, 2007, 05:55:36 PM »

The world's first laptop or 'portable' computer -  the Osborne 1 -  was marketed in 1981 for $2,000:

It's spec was:

    * Dual 5¼-inch, single-sided 40 track floppy disk drives ("dual density" upgrade available)
    * 4 MHz Z80 CPU
    * 65 kilobytes main memory
    * Fold-down keyboard doubling as the computer case's lid
    * 5-inch, 52 character × 24 line monochrome CRT display
    * IEEE-488 port configurable as a Parallel printer port
    * RS-232 compatible 1200 or 300 baud Serial port for use with external modems or serial printers

It was powered by a wall plug, and had no internal battery, although a battery pack offering 1 hour run-time was available.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_1
Logged
"We're going to need a bigger swear jar."

kitz

  • Administrator
  • Senior Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 33879
  • Trinity: Most guys do.
    • http://www.kitz.co.uk
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2007, 08:02:44 PM »

lol - look at the size of the screen. ;D

Logged
Please do not PM me with queries for broadband help as I may not be able to respond.
-----
How to get your router line stats :: ADSL Exchange Checker

Floydoid

  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *****
  • Posts: 9640
  • Prog Rock Fan
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2007, 08:37:51 PM »

Yeah lol, but I guess it was state of the art technology for 1981... remember this was 3 years before the IBM 286 was available.
Logged
"We're going to need a bigger swear jar."

scottiesmum

  • Guest
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2007, 10:11:03 PM »

Floydy  ... I thought the worlds first lap top was going to be Adam   ;D :-X
Logged

Floydoid

  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *****
  • Posts: 9640
  • Prog Rock Fan
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2007, 10:54:01 AM »

Oh behave Kate. :P
Logged
"We're going to need a bigger swear jar."

scottiesmum

  • Guest
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2007, 02:50:09 PM »

Oh  all right then !     :angel:
Logged

ralphw

  • Reg Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 107
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2007, 03:19:29 PM »

lol - look at the size of the screen. ;D



But think about it, all the latest web browsing phones and palm computers have screens that size and smaller. so if fact we have got knowhere in the intervening years....  ::)
OK so the surrounding kit has got smaller but you are still squinting at a tiny screen but now with a miniscule keyboard as well.  ???
Logged

Floydoid

  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *****
  • Posts: 9640
  • Prog Rock Fan
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2007, 03:44:21 PM »

I know what you mean Ralph... I swear my mobile phone was made for a teenage girl's fingers to use.
Logged
"We're going to need a bigger swear jar."

mr_chris

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 3774
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2007, 04:04:39 PM »

>> I swear my mobile phone was made for a teenage girl's fingers to use

Given that's probably the biggest target market, it wouldn't surprise me!!
Logged
Chris

Floydoid

  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *****
  • Posts: 9640
  • Prog Rock Fan
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2007, 07:11:30 PM »

Yeah well, I'm all for shrinking the technology, but it still needs to be functional... my mobile is a pain for me to use, and I've got hands that are below average size for an adult male.
Logged
"We're going to need a bigger swear jar."

ralphw

  • Reg Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 107
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2007, 07:38:25 PM »

When my mobile contract comes due for renewal I check with the supplier what free upgrade I can have with all the bells and whistles, take it and continue to use my old chunky one, then after a month or so, sell the new one on Ebay..... ::)  Am I supposed to do this????
Logged

Floydoid

  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *****
  • Posts: 9640
  • Prog Rock Fan
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #11 on: October 21, 2007, 07:53:06 PM »

Sounds like a plan to me...
Logged
"We're going to need a bigger swear jar."

kitz

  • Administrator
  • Senior Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 33879
  • Trinity: Most guys do.
    • http://www.kitz.co.uk
Re: The World's First Laptop
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2007, 09:41:10 PM »

>> Am I supposed to do this?Huh?

prolly not - but many do  :D
Logged
Please do not PM me with queries for broadband help as I may not be able to respond.
-----
How to get your router line stats :: ADSL Exchange Checker
 

anything