First portable computer?

[cj7hawk]

The first probably would have been, as it always seemed to be, an enthusiast who wanted to take what he built and show it off, so he found a small monitor, a small computer board and a small keyboard and a suitable small case to fit it into, probably with a wooden frame, and took it along with him to a computer meet.

Others saw it and would have said "I like that idea... I could take a computer with me..." and someone would have said, " I could make and sell those... "

 

[AdamAnt316]

One of the early examples I've found reference to is the "Baby! 1" offered by STM Systems of Mont Vernon, NH. An ad for it appeared in the November 1976 issue of Byte, and referred to it as a "Complete System in a Case", though it lacks a built-in monitor:

Elsewhere in the issue, there's a bit in "What's New?" concerning a computer called the DE68 produced by "Digital Electronics Corporation" (not to be confused with the other DEC), though I'm not sure how many they produced (there's a thread elsewhere on this forum discussing it, so apparently they made at least one). Here's said article:

 

[xp0nentz]

The 5100 would be considered portable. A Tandy pocket computer too.

 

[artech]

I've heard from a few sources claiming the Osborne computer was the worlds first portable computer.
Is there a consensus on this?
I've always thought it was the HP-65.

-J

Really depends on your definition.

First computer to be portable in any capacity (and commercially available)? Probably the Packard-Bell PB-250, an early mini that could be powered off batteries, introduced in 1960. Also probably the first digital, electronic general-purpose computer that could fit on a desk (good luck doing that with an LGP-30). By 1962, there were services offering PB-250-equipped vans to provide on-location debugging of industrial control systems.



First pocket sized computer? Probably Texas Instruments' 1961 Semiconductor Network Computer, developed for the Air Force and shown in the 12/61 issue of Computers and Automation.



First general-purpose computer an individual could afford and take with them? Hard to say.

Probably the most realistic answer would be something like the HP 9830A, a """calculator""" (that could also be used as a desktop, in HP's own words) introduced in 1972 that had BASIC resident, an alphanumeric keyboard and display, cassette drive, and carrying handle.



You could probably haul a late '60s small mini around like the General Automation SPC-12 if you really had to. In fact, here's some pictures from a 1968 brochure of it being carried around and used as a primitive (and very expensive) desktop computer. At only 29 pounds, this thing was almost half the weight of the "portable" IBM 5100 from 1975, and about the same price, so that gives it an edge in my book!



(If only that guy took that ASR-33 off its stand and placed it on top of the mini, this would be a 100% desktop setup...)

 

[artech]

With all this competition, it at least proves the claim that the Osborne was was the first portable computer was likely just so much marketing talk.
it was certainly not a novel idea.

More than that, it was directly inspired by the 1979 GM Research Micro Star, which Adam Osborne himself admitted to seeing at COMDEX '79.

 

[johnx993]

A few comments:
1) Anyone can have 'an idea'. What matters is actually building it and getting it to market.
2) For calculators, I'd say the HP-9100 in 1968 was the first scientific programmable - and could be carried by one person.
(as in moving from desk to desk, not walking around all day with it - that would be the HP-65)
3) Though we are approaching a 'grey area' as far as portability.
When you have to ask how much weight a user can bench press, then you've crossed the line!

-J

 

[tomjennings]

OK taking the "portable" requirement literally and only, the "first" portable computer maybe RCA's MOBIDIC (lol!) computer for the Army's ARTOC program. Designed 1956 or so, deployed (sic) 1961?

"A MOBIDIC B computer is the central processor in ARTOC... The two processors, magnetic tape units, and paper tape units are located in a 30-foot van trailer. One hundred million bits of random access storage are provided by two magnetic disk files, each housed in a 2-1/2 ton truck." (ELECTRONIC DISPLAY SYSTEMS, Sparton Books, 1963, page 234).

MOBIDIC - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://dn721508.ca.archive.org/0/items/bitsavers_sylvaniaMOep67_516013/MOBIDIC_AN_MYK-1_History_Sep67_text.pdf

OK I'll show myself out now...

 

[tomjennings]

I suppose the computers in the early space capsules qualify as pretty portable if we're going to get further and further into it.

Definitely. But those, and others like it, were "embedded" and special-purpose. But you are correct. There's no bright line. Most of what folks are talking about are "general purpose" computers but even there, sharp lines are blurry when examined closely. A better label for this thread might be "what is the first portable computer you or a friend bought".

These "first" and "best" things are fun, but never useful except as research tools to reveal all the exceptions! Which is itself interesting.

 

[tomjennings]

And well into the 20th century, the word "computer" solidly meant, "one who computes", as in human beans. Look up some of the WPA calculating projects. It's interesting all by itself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_(occupation)

As is very well known, Jacqard looms have structural similarities to computing machine predecessors; and the pattern of holes on the cards requires translation ("mapping"); eg. an image encoded on a heap of cards does not look like the image. Primordial, not computing.

But it's occurred to me that if a loom could count, fairly trivial mechanically, and -- this is pure conjecture -- if reaching some terminal count stopped the machine, changed the pattern in any way -- then it would absolutely have to be considered a "computing machine" -- a machine with states, changable by actions of the machine controlled by those states.

Very little is recorded about the old ways of making those cards; it was considered "women's work", similar to the first 5, 10 years of stored program, electronic, digital computers.

 

[KE6JAG]

All computers are portable! Its just some are easily transported than others. I prefer the terms lugable, laptop, pocket, and notebook as better descriptions. Yes even earliest mainframes were portable, just a lot harder to move it or the building.

 

[tomjennings]

All computers are portable! Its just some are easily transported than others. I prefer the terms lugable, laptop, pocket, and notebook as better descriptions. Yes even earliest mainframes were portable, just a lot harder to move it or the building.

LOL, except Atanasoff's ABC, acknowledged late to be the actual first american computer, predating ENIAC, and from which Eckert and Mauchly allegedly swiped ideas.

It had been assembled in a room, and when completed, too large to get out the door!

Atanasoff–Berry computer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[KE6JAG]

LOL, except Atanasoff's ABC, acknowledged late to be the actual first american computer, predating ENIAC, and from which Eckert and Mauchly allegedly swiped ideas.

It had been assembled in a room, and when completed, too large to get out the door!

Atanasoff–Berry computer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Which is why I said "or building".

 

[orac81]

In this context, surely portable has to mean "can reasonably be carried by one person" as a minimum. In practice "can comfortably be carried by one person" is what most people mean.

 

[Quagmire]

In this context, surely portable has to mean "can reasonably be carried by one person" as a minimum. In practice "can comfortably be carried by one person" is what most people mean.

Oh no, you must take into consideration those who tote their various computers around in a 18 wheeler. Hey man, after all it's portable.

 

[Eudimorphodon]

Oh no, you must take into consideration those who tote their various computers around in a 18 wheeler. Hey man, after all it's portable.

I'm really liking that idea of a rugged crew of roustabouts turned computer nerds touring the country with ENIAC or the MIT Whirlwind I stuffed into a circus train. If you're hauling the train with a brace of early Diesel-Electric locomotives like the EMD F3 you'd probably even have enough power to run it on the go.

 

[krebizfan]

DEC did a mobile setup of one of their early systems to help with scoring the Boston Marathon. IIRC, there was an article with pictures of the whole unit but I can't locate it again.

 

[KE6JAG]

I'm really liking that idea of a rugged crew of roustabouts turned computer nerds touring the country with ENIAC or the MIT Whirlwind I stuffed into a circus train. If you're hauling the train with a brace of early Diesel-Electric locomotives like the EMD F3 you'd probably even have enough power to run it on the go.

If you are using a train, you can bring the whole building too.

 

[Eudimorphodon]

If you are using a train, you can bring the whole building too.

Whirlwind occupied a 30' by 70' room, so unless you're talking about a *very* wide gauge train you're going to need to reorganize it a bit. A standard rail passenger coach from the 1950's was around 70-80' long so you might fit it into just three, although that would necessitate rearranging some of the functional units.

(To be fair the building installation was designed to be easily accessible, if you were willing to pack it in mil-spec style you probably could fit it into a single car, although cooling would be a nightmare.)

Amusingly enough, this page at the CHM notes that Whirlwind compares pretty evenly to the Atmega 328P microcontroller in the old Arduino boards in terms of overall capacity; Whirlwind had more non-volatile memory (128Kbytes on a drum, verses 32K flash+2K EEPROM on the MCU), the Arduino is around 80 times faster. If anyone here happens to be interested in both vintage computers and model railroading please consider it your mission to kitbash a microcontroller capable of running a mainframe emulator into a railroad car. (Again, preferably decorated as part of a circus train, complete with elephants painted with IBM logos.)

 

[KE6JAG]

Whirlwind occupied a 30' by 70' room, so unless you're talking about a *very* wide gauge train you're going to need to reorganize it a bit. A standard rail passenger coach from the 1950's was around 70-80' long so you might fit it into just three, although that would necessitate rearranging some of the functional units.

(To be fair the building installation was designed to be easily accessible, if you were willing to pack it in mil-spec style you probably could fit it into a single car, although cooling would be a nightmare.)

Amusingly enough, this page at the CHM notes that Whirlwind compares pretty evenly to the Atmega 328P microcontroller in the old Arduino boards in terms of overall capacity; Whirlwind had more non-volatile memory (128Kbytes on a drum, verses 32K flash+2K EEPROM on the MCU), the Arduino is around 80 times faster. If anyone here happens to be interested in both vintage computers and model railroading please consider it your mission to kitbash a microcontroller capable of running a mainframe emulator into a railroad car. (Again, preferably decorated as part of a circus train, complete with elephants painted with IBM logos.)

Oh lord, blue not pink, I would have to check my meds. My niece got a new folding knife, we had to custom make new pants for her with 14 inch pockets to match the knife, so I understand portable. Put Intel logos on them too,

 

[orac81]

Going back to "portable" computers, I would like to throw something else into the mix:

Jaquet-Droz's handwriting clockwork automata boy from 1770!

Jaquet-Droz automata - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It is 70cm tall. It is actually full programable, the text it writes can be set via the clockwork. It automatically dips its quill in the ink before writing. The boy naturally blinks and turns its head as it does so. It featured on a BBC documentary a while back, find the video, it is really uncanny! Its said he was worried about being accused of witchcraft - if you watch it in action you can see why, the thing is possessed!

18th century, and you can tuck it under your arm.