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First portable computer?

cj7hawk said:
I'd define Modern as CP/M and onwards, running a generic disk operating system and with a BIOS.
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None of those qualifiers have anything to do with portability, or even "modernity" (given CP/M was from 1974), but whatever floats your boat. Both the HP-85 and the IBM 5100 are "as sophisticated" if not more so than the Osborne by any objective measure; they have tape drives instead of disks, but in the 5100's case it's because it predated mini-floppy drives, and for HP it was for both compactness and ruggedness. FWIW, you could probably lump the MCM/70 in with portable computers, the CHM did, and it actually predates the 5100 by a year. (But not the SCAMP.) You could also probably include things like the AIM/65.

That said, the Osborne-1 was almost certainly the first mass market (aggressively priced? However you want to put it) "portable business computer", IE, something explicitly intended to run "productivity software" instead of doing "computer-y things". (IE, being programmed by the end user for custom applications or essentially being used as an extremely sophisticated scientific calculator.) It is however worth pointing out that strictly speaking the Osborne was not really "innovative" in terms of design; the Osborn is a pretty slavish copy of machines like the Xerox Notetaker, circa 1976:
x748.86ap-03-04.jpg

And the GM Research Micro Star/"The Small One", circa 1979:

X1243-96.01.01.lg.jpg

This latter machine was supposedly sold in small numbers to US Government and corporate contracts, as well as a few individuals, and also of note is the fact that Adam Osborne actually saw this machine at IEEE Westec in Los Angeles, and it also appeared at the first COMDEX show.

Anyway. This is clearly one of those questions that hinges pretty crucially on what your definition of a "portable computer" is. (Or how many you have to sell/how much it has to cost for it to count.)
 
KE6JAG said:
Looks off for the type 1's. I thought there was a gap between the front seats.
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Looks like a bog standard, if older, Type 1 to me. The latest 60's/70's ones moved to those taller, skinnier seats, this is a picture of a 1967. (from here.)

If you look at the other pictures in this photoshoot you'll see there's an achor for the driver's shoulder strap where there's a black plug in the picture with the computer in the backseat. This was an era where shoulder straps were optional. Notice other details that match up, like the what we used to call the "OH S**T!" handle on the dashboard over the glove compartment on the passenger side.

IMG_6638-4-76142-scaled.jpg


EDIT: They did clearly take out the back seat to fit the PDP 8 in there. You can see what looks like a hunk of plywood under it, and maybe a piece of carpet or something on the rear firewall in place of the backrest.
 
Eudimorphodon said:
Looks like a bog standard, if older, Type 1 to me. The latest 60's/70's ones moved to those taller, skinnier seats, this is a picture of a 1967. (from here.)

If you look at the other pictures in this photoshoot you'll see there's an achor for the driver's shoulder strap where there's a black plug in the picture with the computer in the backseat. This was an era where shoulder straps were optional. Notice other details that match up, like the what we used to call the "OH S**T!" handle on the dashboard over the glove compartment on the passenger side.

IMG_6638-4-76142-scaled.jpg


EDIT: They did clearly take out the back seat to fit the PDP 8 in there. You can see what looks like a hunk of plywood under it, and maybe a piece of carpet or something on the rear firewall in place of the backrest.
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You're right, type 1 convertible '65 or earlier based on inspection sticker. Can see the gap/hump between seats if I enlarge it. Just not seeing the space makes it look too narrow.

Car probably had just enough HP move the PDP 8, definitely not "carry on" luggage.

Now that GM looks like a good solid luggable like the Kaypro.


Tom
KE6JAG
 
I saw pics of earlier portable computers in magazines but the Osborne 1 was the first one I saw in person, so definitely the first that most people saw in the "wild".

JAgTzzD.jpg
 
Al Kossow said:
The FADAC
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I suppose the computers in the early space capsules qualify as pretty portable if we're going to get further and further into it. A portable computer should be mobile, contain everything you need to run it, and be relatively easy to set up and tear down. Batteries or power probably count also, and while it's possible to run an Osborne on batteries, that's not how the battery interface is designed. Something that only plugs into other infrastructure to work is more relocatable than portable.

Eudimorphodon said:
None of those qualifiers have anything to do with portability, or even "modernity" (given CP/M was from 1974), but whatever floats your boat. Both the HP-85 and the IBM 5100 are "as sophisticated" if not more so than the Osborne by any objective measure; they have tape drives instead of disks, but in the 5100's case it's because it predated mini-floppy drives, and for HP it was for both compactness and ruggedness. FWIW, you could probably lump the MCM/70 in with portable computers, the CHM did, and it actually predates the 5100 by a year. (But not the SCAMP.) You could also probably include things like the AIM/65.
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So how would you establish the eras of computing and where in those eras would you place the Osborne and how did it compare to other portables of that era? There's going to be some overlap or eras too I'd imagine.

As for the MicroStar - it looks pretty cool - I wonder if it inspired Kaypro more than Osborne? I didn't know about that one - thanks for mentioning it.
 
cj7hawk said:
I suppose the computers in the early space capsules qualify as pretty portable if we're going to get further and further into it.
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That was one of the first things that came to mind. But I ruled it out as they were not marketed to the general public - same for artillery computers, etc.
 
Eudimorphodon said:
This latter machine was supposedly sold in small numbers to US Government and corporate contracts, as well as a few individuals, and also of note is the fact that Adam Osborne actually saw this machine at IEEE Westec in Los Angeles, and it also appeared at the first COMDEX show.
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There was lots of 'cross-pollination'.
I still get amused at the newbies that think Apple invented the Mouse.
 
"Portable" is defined as a combination device with an internal or external power source, an input (keyboard), storage (ram or disk) and output (display or printer) device that is entirely self-contained. A 5100 is ABSOLUTELY an example of this. By technicality a calculator (which is its own rabbit hole if you consider the single-line portable computers like the Panasonic HHC) is as well, however can only process numeric arithmetic.
An Apple I built into a briefcase with a display is technically a portable, however Apple never sold this configuration.
The Osborne in this case is not a first of anything because previous products already existed, however IS a commercially produced self-contained system, even though the keyboard detaches when not in the storage position. An Apricot PC is not a portable however, since the monitor is external, even though the keyboard clips onto and stores underneath the main unit.
A PDP-8 in the back seat of a car is, in fact, portable.....it's just that you'd never use it in that configuration.
 
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NeXT said:
"Portable" is defined as a combination device with an internal or external power source, an input (keyboard), storage (ram or disk) and output (display or printer) device that is entirely self-contained. A 5100 is ABSOLUTELY an example of this. By technicality a calculator (which is its own rabbit hole if you consider the single-line portable computers like the Panasonic HHC) is as well, however can only process numeric arithmetic.
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So... a slide rule qualifies, right?
Input, output, stores one number as you flip it over to use another scale...
 
NeXT said:
A PDP-8 in the back seat of a car is, in fact, portable.....it's just that you'd never use it in that configuration.
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But I have a really really long extension cord!

(I'd love to see the expression on the police officer's face as someone tries to explain it to him...)
 
johnx993 said:
So... a slide rule qualifies, right?
Input, output, stores one number as you flip it over to use another scale...
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It's technically a calculator. Going into the argument of what's a calculator and a computer that can do more than math falls into the same debate as the Panasonic HHC.
 
NeXT said:
An Apricot PC is not a portable however, since the monitor is external, even though the keyboard clips onto and stores underneath the main unit.
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That gets into the argument of whether or not computers like the Apple IIc and original Commodore 128D (with the carrying handle and storage dock for the keyboard) count as "portable" because they lack a monitor, but could be connected to a TV set, which would be reasonably expected to be already present in many places where you would use it.
 
vwestlife said:
That gets into the argument of whether or not computers like the Apple IIc and original Commodore 128D (with the carrying handle and storage dock for the keyboard) count as "portable" because they lack a monitor, but could be connected to a TV set, which would be reasonably expected to be already present in many places where you would use it.
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I do not consider them portables in the context of the OP, especially since they lack an integrated output device. Requiring an external peripheral (again, power does not count) means it's not something you can just carry somewhere and turn on. (or plug it in to a power source, then turn it on)
 
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