1.12.2011

Evolution of Laptops

I stumbled upon this website, Old Computers, and was amused by the evolution of portable computers/laptops and thought I'd share some of the brands that are still around today.


IBM Portable PC 1975


This was considered the world's first portable computer, weighing a mere 55 pounds!  It cost upwards of $20,000 and only used by professionals and problem solving scientists.


Osborn 1 1981  

The Osborne was the first true portable laptop because it was specifically designed with transportation in mind.  With its rugged exterior and carrying case, it could fit conveniently under passenger seats on an airplane.  The Osborne cost $1800 and was an over-night success but quickly went bankrupt a few years later. 


 Hewlett Packard HP 110 1984


With the 'large' monitor, exceptional battery life (up to 16 hours), and a whopping 256K RAM, this 9 pounder was considered the finest portable computer of its days. 


Apple MacIntosh Portable 1989 



This was Apple's first portable computer.  It was faster and more powerful than it's competitors with a 16MHz processor, 1 MB RAM for $7300.  It's ultimate demise was that it weighed 16 pounds which was too heavy to carry.
 


Macintosh PowerBook  1991








2 years later, Apple came out with this lighter, smaller, and cheaper ($2300-$4600) laptop that was a huge success.  Apple sold over 100,000 in the first 3 months and sales of over $1 billion. 



MacBook Air 2011 

Laptops have evolved tremendously with MacBook Air which is designed with travel in mind because of its thin size (0.68 inches thick), long battery life, and light weight (2.3 pounds) for only $1000.  This ultra slim laptop is perfect for on the go.

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