First laptop. The very first laptop in the world: photo. Getting closer to ideal

The laptop is increasingly replacing the desktop computer in our homes. Its mobility and ability to connect to the wireless Internet significantly expands the boundaries of its use. However, the very first laptop appeared a little over 30 years ago, and its dimensions were not much different from modern analogues.

Who invented the laptop

The creation of the first laptop in the world was carried out by the ubiquitous Americans. In the mid-twentieth century, the average computer was the size of an entire room filled with equipment. At the same time, an uninitiated person could not easily use it, as now.

While solving other problems facing developers, specialists struggled with the problem of bringing computers closer to the average consumer, which in those days was considered very difficult. In 1968, laptop creator Alan Kay put forward a very bold idea; he proposed creating a portable device that would be no more than a notepad. At the same time, its capabilities should be no less than those of huge machines, and the user-friendly interface should be understandable to any user.

In 1978, a device as close as possible to Kay’s ideas was presented by William Mogridge commissioned by NASA. It was called “Grid Compass”.

“What was the first laptop?” you ask. Its body was made of magnesium alloy, and the display was located on a hinged lid and was luminescent. Information was stored on cylindrical magnetic disks. In the year of its creation, it had a huge capacity for those times - 340 kilobytes.

However, ordinary users believe that we should consider 1981, the time when the first laptop was created. After all, it was this year that Adam Osborne presented his creation to the public. His brainchild had a name consonant with the name of the creator and was called Osborne 1.

Domestic computer industry

In the Soviet Union there was also a laptop, its price was much higher than the average salary, but even for a lot of money it was not possible to buy it. That is why data on the domestic model can only be obtained as reference information, since it was not available to the general public.

The first domestic laptop had the simple name “Electronics,” like all products in the country, under the casing of which capacitors or transistors were hidden. The MC 1504 model entered mass production in 1991. Her appearance and specifications a complete copy of the flagship model T1100 Plus from Toshiba.

Naturally, the parameters of "Electronics" differed significantly from the American pioneer. The RAM was already 640 kilobytes, and the CGA video adapter was capable of a resolution of 650x200 pixels.

It began with the founding of Intel in 1968 with its first development - the Intel 4004 processor. At the same time, the idea of ​​​​creating a portable computer arose; it belonged to Alan Kay, an employee of the American company Xerox. First device of this type was released in 1979 and called Grid Compass, it was equipped with NASA space developments. This device did not have autonomous power supply. However, already in 1981, the first stand-alone portable computer was created, named Osborne 1 in honor of the author Adam Osborne.

Osborne 1 was equipped with a 4 MHz Zilog Z80 processor, serial and parallel ports, and had 64 KB of RAM. Text was displayed on a 5-inch monochrome CRT display. Osborne 1 had the OS of the same name and the following software: word processor, a table editor, a database management system, and two versions of the BASIC programming language. The computer weighed 11 kg.

Thanks to this development, Adam Osborne's company became the most successful in Silicon Valley, which was a significant impetus for the development of similar systems by other companies. Subsequently, Osborne Computer Corporation made certain miscalculations and went bankrupt.

Becoming

In the period from 1982 to 1986, many computers were released, continuing the development of Grid Compass and Osborne 1. Thus, in 1982, the first laptop equipped with an LCD display was released (manufactured by Epson). This Epson HX-20 model had two Hitachi 6301 processors, a serial port, a tape drive and weighed less than 2 kg.

At the beginning of 1983, the Compaq Portable laptop appeared, developed on the basis Intel processor 8088 (5 MHz). It had a monochrome nine-inch screen and ran MS-DOS.

In January 1984, Commodore Computes introduced the first laptop with a color screen. The Commodore SX-64 was shaped like a suitcase, weighed about eight kilograms and cost $1,000. The machine was equipped with a five-inch color screen that supported a resolution of 320x200 pixels in graphic mode. The presence of S-Video and RCA interfaces, a three-channel sound controller and two ports for connecting game controllers is a list of the achievements of this model.

In 1986, IBM demonstrated the first laptop, built on the Intel 8088 processor, weighing five and a half kilograms. The laptop had 256 KB of RAM, the volume of two disks was 720 KB. The computer was equipped with PC-DOS OS and an LCD display with a resolution of 640×200 pixels.

Improving laptops

A major breakthrough was made in 1990 when Intel introduced the Intel 80386 SL microprocessor, designed specifically for laptops. This processor allowed power management and laid the foundation for the concept of software compatibility, thanks to which the company achieved significant success. Laptops based on this processor had a passive LCD display capable of displaying 16 shades of gray, had 1 MB of RAM, ran MS-DOS version 5.0, supported Microsoft OS Windows versions 3.0. Weight was about 3 kg.

The emergence of Intel 80486 microprocessors and Intel Pentium in 1995 made it possible to provide the capabilities consumers required. Laptops were equipped with color LCD monitors, rechargeable batteries, providing work for more than 3 hours, and were improved monthly. IBM began releasing the ThinkPad series, Compaq - the LTE series, Hewlett Packard - OmniBook.

Another breakthrough was marked by the release of the Intel Pentium II processor, which ensured the provision of extensive multimedia capabilities to all laptop users.

Modern laptop

Today there are many classes of laptops, here is a brief description of them:

1. Subnotebooks are compact in size and have the same functionality as regular laptops. Divided into two categories:
   • SuperSlim (ultra-thin) – portable with a diagonal of no more than 10-11″, weight – up to one kg, the keyboard is extremely reduced;
   • Slim (thin) – portable with a diagonal of no more than 12-13″, weight – no more than two kg, the keyboard is fully functional, but also very compact.
2. Desknotes are high-performance laptops that fully replace a regular PC. Weight is about 3.5 kg or more, the screen is most often 17″ inches or more, a full-size keyboard. Taking into account the significant energy consumption during operation, the duration battery life insignificant.
3. Business laptops are highly functional and can operate on battery power for a long time. They have compact dimensions (matrix 14″-15″), weigh up to 3 kg, support additional security functions. One of the categories of machines is fashion laptops, which are distinguished by their original design.
4. Budget laptops, located in size and weight between business laptops and desktop laptops. This is the best-selling class; the main parameter of their choice is the price level.
5. UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) is a new class of ultra-lightweight compact models, slightly larger than a PDA, with a 5-7-inch screen, running a conventional operating system such as Windows Vista.

In April 1981, the so-called notepad computer was put on public display for the first time. What is known about him today? First, we need to say that the first laptop was called “Osborne 1” and weighed as much as eleven kilograms. But before it appeared on store shelves, its creator, whose name was Adam Osborne, had to spend another three long months refining and improving his brainchild.

The price includes a large cart in which you will carry your laptop, a docking station and two chargers. It may seem strange at the moment, but this is the best laptop our technology has to offer at this moment. Beneath the laptop's curved body sits a powerful engine waiting to be unleashed.

This ensures that high priority traffic is always routed to the fastest and most secure connection. Efficiently dissipating excess heat to ensure smooth performance during intense gaming sessions, the laptop features an advanced cooling architecture consisting of 5 system fans and 9 radiators.

There is also a version that the debut laptop was called “NoteTaker” and was the result of the work of several engineers, whose names were Doug Fairbairn, Alan Kay, Adele Goldberg and Larry Tesler, they assembled about 10 computers of this model.

Those laptops looked like this:

• display built into the cover of the device;
• keyboard, mouse and disk drive;
• RAM size - 128 KB;
• processor frequency 1 MHz;
• Operating system version Smalltalk.

This computer weighed 22 kilograms, which is 20 kilograms more than the weight of a modern laptop. "NoteTaker" could work without a direct connection to the eclectic network, directly from the battery built into it. But it was not destined to reach the consumer, so it is absolutely fair to assume that the first laptop in the world was created by Adam Osborne, which was subsequently appreciated by its users.

The dual color design of black and gold adds elegance to the aluminum body. With up to 9 hours of battery life, this is the ideal laptop for active users. Battery life is up to 12 hours. It takes less than a second to scan your fingerprint and access your desktop.

It can also recognize specific people, linking activities to authorized individuals to prevent unwanted behavior and help eliminate fraudulent activity. Measuring just 17.9mm and weighing 1.6kg, the cover has a polished metallic finish that reduces fingerprints and scratches. The first category already launched is the tablet. The maximum battery capacity will naturally decrease with time and use. Not all clients or software applications will necessarily benefit from using this technology. Performance and clock speed will vary depending on the application workload and your hardware and software configuration. Subscription required after 30 day trial. Availability of open wireless access points is limited. . The computer is being sold at auction.

Photo "NoteTaker"

Answering the question of what Osborne 1 was like, it’s worth considering its technical characteristics. Of course, now these indicators are quite primitive, but then they were considered the height of scientific achievement:

• the amount of RAM was 64 Kb;
• presence of a floppy disk input drive;
• built-in screen 8.75 x6.6 cm;
• the ability to connect a monitor externally;
• one output for connecting to a modem;
• built-in keyboard (69 buttons) and mouse.

The only drawback was then considered the lack of a built-in battery, which greatly limited the functionality of the Osborne 1 laptop; it could not be used without being connected to an electrical network. Operating system computers of the past also had a Word editor, a spreadsheet program, the ability to manage databases, and certain software tools. The price of this miracle of technology did not exceed $2,000; moreover, along with the computer, an impressive software package was included.

Unfortunately, the buyer did not reveal his identity. They were intended for video cameras, but then they began to power both PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras, and other portable electrical appliances. Recently they have completely switched to the market.

Without them, amateur photography is no longer conceivable. The first laptop was no more portable than a sewing machine. However, it took almost 40 years for ordinary consumers to figure out where the dog hangs. It is predicted that soon people will not imagine different TVs than people with flat screens.

The supply met the demand for just such a mobile computer device that the consumer lacked. People were waiting for its appearance, because such a portable model could be easily transported from one place to another.

The very first laptop in the world, the “Osborne 1” model, was mass-produced by the manufacturer for two years in a row and subsequently improved. But, the cost of more modern models increased several times, and there were no significant functional differences from their predecessors, and therefore each subsequent model was inferior in terms of demand to the Osborne 1 model. At the same time, Osborne Computer Corporation managed to become the leader in sales of the first portable computers.

True, he was not the first player, but he caused a real wave of indignation among users - everyone wanted only him and no one else. These players have already produced more than 100 million copies. At the end of World War II, electrical engineer Percy Spencer experimented with radar using a microwave magnetron. During one of his experiments, he noticed that the bar in his robe in his pocket dissolved, although the room was not very hot. Controlled by a curiosity engineer, he placed a green egg next to the radar and it immediately exploded.

Photo "Osborne 1"

Further, already in 1982, William Moggridg, commissioned by NASA, developed a laptop called “GRiD Compass 1101”, but this model also had one important drawback - there was no power supply, which, in turn, had a negative impact on demand.

True, it was almost a refrigerator and was rated as a luxury car. Single contact lenses. When you hear the phrase "don't touch anything, don't make a move", there was a suspicion that someone had a terrible misfortune - losing expensive contact lenses.

What do you need for a debit card? A debit card can only be used for money in a bank account - it doesn't allow you to spend more money than you have in the account. Until now, only two percent of Americans have used their debit cards. A major revolution in the food industry made parts possible.

Photo "GRiD Compass 1101"

Regarding laptops that appeared in Russia, it should be noted that all these devices were released under the brand name “Electronics”. In the USSR, there were more than twenty types of microcomputers, but the very first domestically produced laptop was called “Electronics MS 1504”. The development of such models began in 1986, but mass production was still a long way off. Only five years later, in 1991, the M1504 went on sale. The prototype of this model was the T1100 laptop Plus companies Toshiba", which entered the market in 1986. According to its technical characteristics, the Russian M1504 was an exact copy of the Japanese T1100:

It looks like a bit, but it's good at work! His adhesive connection was so weak that he couldn't even stick the paper. Nadezhda, the chemist of the unsuccessful discovery, hinted at her colleague who sang the church choreography. He marked the places he wanted in the song book on the tabs that are constantly scattered.

Millions of people in the world are simply addicted to them. One customer at a restaurant complained to the waiter that the fries were served with meat that was cut too thick, unsweetened and not too salty. Unjustified criticism from customers spoiled the chef, and he decided to teach him: cut the potatoes into slices, scald them in boiling oil as needed and grab a good pinch of salt. After grabbing the crispy cheeses, the customer was impressed. The unusual baked potato was enjoyed by others.

• processor frequency 4.77 MHz;
• sixteen color video adapter 640 x 200 pixels;
• two disk drives.

The M1504 laptop model was distinguished by the high quality and good quality of its components. Without exception, all components of the laptop were produced in Russia by analogy with foreign computer models. It cannot be said that the M1504 laptop model was produced in large quantities. Despite the fact that the M1504 appeared in 1991, it no longer met the requirements of those years and, according to its technical characteristics, was considered an outdated model. In the early 90s, laptops based on the now well-known Intel processor entered the Russian market and, naturally, enjoyed greater popularity. Thus, “Electronics MS 1504” can be considered the first domestically produced laptop. I even wrote a whole article about the first Soviet laptop, “Electronics MS 1504,” which you can view.

Photo "Electronics MS 1504"

Nowadays, unfortunately, it is impossible to imagine a full life without a computer device, including a laptop. Now it is difficult to compare the very first laptop in the world, the Osborne 1 model, for example, with the modern MacBook Air laptop. It is impossible to believe that more than thirty years ago a laptop was a fantasy. But progress does not stand still, and therefore every subsequent year, and today, existing laptop models are constantly being improved to ensure that all these devices meet modern requirements and keep up with the times. I also advise you to read my article, which is called ““. I think you will find this interesting.

The idea of ​​​​creating a portable computing machine “the size of a notepad, having a flat-panel monitor and being able to connect to networks wirelessly” was put forward by the head of the Xerox research laboratory, Alan Key, in 1968.

In 1979, at the request of NASA, William Moggridge (Grid Systems company) created the world's first laptop, Grid Compass ( RAM on a 340 KB CD-ROM, Intel 8086 processor with a clock frequency of 8 MHz, fluorescent screen). This laptop was used in the Space Shuttle program.

The first civilian model Osborne-1 (weight 11 kg, RAM 64 KB, Zilog Z80A processor with a clock frequency of 4 MHz, two 5.25-inch drives, three ports, including for connecting a modem, monochrome display 8.75x6.6 cm , containing 24 lines of 52 characters; 69 keys) was created by inventor Adam Osborne in 1981 and released to the market for $1,795. Due to a marketing mistake, which consisted in the fact that the start of Osborne-1 sales was announced long before the first machines went on sale, the company went bankrupt.

In 1982, Compaq successfully introduced the IBM PC-compatible laptop computer based on the Intel 8080 processor. Since 1983, many computer equipment manufacturers already had their own line of laptops (for example, the Epson HX-20). In 1984, Apple released the first laptop with LCD. In 1986, IBM introduced the first “convertible” laptop model based on an Intel processor (weight 5.4 kg, 3.5-inch drive) priced at $3,500.

In 1990, Intel introduced the first dedicated processor for mobile PCs, the Intel386 SL, and also introduced low-voltage technology that increased battery life.

Laptop device

A laptop is essentially a full-fledged computer. But to ensure mobility, portability and energy independence, all components have unique features.

The laptop keyboard is made using special technology and consists of several layers of thin plastic with contact pads, which allows the thickness to be reduced to several millimeters.

The laptop body is usually made of high-strength plastic. Inside, it is covered with a special thin metal foil to isolate the electronic filling from the effects of external electromagnetic fields. There is usually a metal cord around the perimeter, which gives additional strength to the body.

The so-called touchpad is a widely used pointing device in laptops - a touch panel that responds to the touch of a finger.

The laptop matrix is ​​a full-fledged liquid crystal monitor. Inside top cover laptop contains everything you need for it full-fledged work- the matrix itself, cables that transmit data, an inverter to ensure the operation of the backlight and some additional devices (for example: a webcam, speakers, microphone, antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless modules).

The laptop drive does not have a mechanics that extends the tray, so it was possible to make it so thin while maintaining all the functions of a full-fledged drive. Most modern drives have the DVD-RW standard, but in expensive multimedia laptops you can often find a Blu-ray standard drive.

Due to the higher chip density and smaller size, laptop RAM has characteristics comparable to the memory of a conventional computer.

The laptop's cooling system consists of a cooler that takes air from the ventilation holes on the bottom of the laptop (which is why the laptop can only be used on a hard, flat surface, otherwise cooling is impaired) and blows it through a radiator, which is connected to the processor and sometimes the motherboard chipset by a copper heat pipe.

Laptop processor

The history of laptops is interesting. It started back in 1968. For the first time, such a device of such equipment became known thanks to a former student at the University of Colorado, Alan Kay. His profession was not related to electronics. He was a microbiologist. Perhaps this was the reason that he did not perceive the computer as separate elements that are interconnected with each other. He perceived the computer device as a complete mechanism.

What did he think his own laptop should be like? It should definitely have miniature dimensions, reaching A4 in size. Its name should have been Dynabook. This device had the ability to work both when connected to a power supply and without it.

However, everything he imagined about such a gadget was impossible to implement in real life in those years. However, the microbiologist did not give up and did not stand still. A few years later, he began, by invitation, to work at Xerox, where he soon became a manager. It was in the company's laboratory that Alan Kay created his first laser printer. Together with company employee Bob Metcalf, he was able to create Ethernet technology. However, things never got to the point of developing a laptop. Alan never managed to make his main desire come true.

The dream of the famous Xerox executive became possible only in 1979. This was done by William Moggridge, who at that time worked at the Grid System Corporation. It was thanks to him that the first device was born that resembled modern laptops. It should be noted that by modern standards it was far from perfect. It was quite large in size, but at that time it was a real work of art. This laptop was named Grid Compass. It was created for NASA to work with certain types of programs.

The first laptop had technical parameters with which today it is difficult to imagine that such a device was even capable of performing any functions. Its memory capacity was only 340 kilobytes. However, it was smaller in size than many modern models of computer devices.

This laptop had several very serious shortcomings. The first of these is that it could not work without power supply. At that time, batteries had not yet been created for the autonomous operation of such gadgets. Also, its cost was very high and amounted to eight thousand dollars. Not all people could afford to purchase it, but, nevertheless, its production took place for almost nine years.

On at this moment The history of laptop creation does not end there. In 1981, an American businessman named Adam Osborne developed such a gadget specifically for entrepreneurs. He was very productive. The main thing is that it had a battery that allowed the device to operate without electrical power. You could take it with you anywhere. It had excellent technical characteristics for that time, including a processor with an operating frequency of 4 megahertz.

The monitor size of this gadget was very miniature. It was the size of a credit card. However, a larger monitor would have required a larger battery for battery life, which was not available for production at the time. This device weighed 11 kilograms. Its cost was reasonable and amounted to more than one thousand dollars. This model Even people with average incomes had the opportunity to purchase a laptop.

This laptop was named after its developer Osborne 1. The gadget was very popular. However, the company's management made too many mistakes that did not allow them to make millions from the sale. of this device. Soon she lost all her money and ceased to exist, but the laptop remained in history.

In 1981, the well-known company IBM produced its version of the laptop and gave it the name without any problems IBM PC.

This was a turning point in the history of laptop development. The IBM PC became the standard.

A few years later, other companies appeared and also began producing their own versions of this type of gadget. Two years later, Toshiba and Compaq released their own laptops along with IBM. At the same time, I also joined the game Apple company. She presented her development with an LCD monitor to consumers.

In 1986, IBM developed the first convertible computer that could be folded and unfolded. It was called the IBM Convertible PC. It had a built-in old processor. However, you could already take it with you anywhere. It even had a disk drive that was 3.5 inches in size. In its external parameters it was similar to Grid Compass. It had its own set of programs. His weight was five kilograms. Its cost was three and a half thousand dollars.

In the nineties, laptops got better and better. It should be noted Intel company, which released the first processor that could be used directly for laptops. Its main advantage was that it did not consume much energy and could be used for compact gadgets.

In addition, the company managed to create a technology that made it possible to reduce the supply voltage, which allowed laptops produced at that time to work without electrical power for a much longer time.

In the nineties, almost all laptop models were developed with processors from Intel Corporation. Their monitors had the ability to support up to sixteen different shades. In addition, the weight of the gadgets themselves decreased and reached three kilograms.

Over time, technology has evolved and user needs have become completely different. Manufacturers of these gadgets had to take into account all the wishes of consumers. Now laptops should not only be compact devices, but also gadgets that would have the same parameters as conventional desktop computer devices. The main parameter that should have been present in the laptop was Internet access.

It’s interesting that sometimes it’s worth delving into old news, sometimes you can find very interesting information. Tell me, what do you know about the world's first laptop? For example, I had no idea that last year the first laptop in the world celebrated its 30th anniversary. Did you know? Want a little history?

April 1981

Adam Osborne, who once founded computer company, and not too far-fetched with its name (Osborne Computer Corporation), it was in April 1981 that he was the first in the world to put a laptop on public display. The model was also called without abstruse frills - Osborne 1. The first laptop in the world weighed neither more nor less, as much as 11 kilograms; it took another three months to refine it and bring it to standard, or rather to store shelves.

Who was the first?



But, to be objective, the first laptop in the world is NoteTaker. The computer with this name is the brainchild of several engineers: it was designed by Alan Kay, finalized and shown to people by Doug Fairbairn, Larry Tesler and Adele Goldberg. Only this laptop did not go on sale, and therefore did not reach the consumer. My opinion is that it’s still worth giving the palm to the laptop that ordinary users could use, that is, Adam Osborne’s computer - Osborne 1.

What was the first laptop?

Looking at the technical characteristics of the Osborne 1, you can simply laugh, but you also need to understand that this laptop was sold more than thirty years ago. Now it’s difficult for me to judge what kind of processor this is: Zilog Z-80A, but its frequency was then only 4 MHz and that was enough. And other characteristics have the same “frivolous” parameters according to our concepts:

64 Kb RAM

Two 5.25” drives, 91 Kb floppy disks

Monochrome built-in display (8.75x6.6 cm), with the ability to connect an external monitor

One modem port, one RS-232C, one Centronics

Keyboard with 69 keys

No expansion slots

No battery.

The laptop OS was standard, no different from operating systems desktop computers, the software package included the WordStar text editor, the SuperCalc spreadsheet, the database management system - dBase II, and two software tools - MBASIC and CBASIC. The new product was relatively inexpensive - $1,795.

At the right time - in the right place
Adam Osborne very sensitively grasped the moment when to release the world's first laptop to the market. Exactly like this portable model, which can be conveniently placed under a seat in the cabin of a scheduled passenger aircraft, was not enough for the consumer. Osborne Computer Corporation was inundated with orders for two whole years; production facilities could barely cope with the production of the required number of laptops.

The production strategy must be chosen correctly
By September 1983, Osborne's company suddenly found itself bankrupt. What led to this? Wrong strategy overall. Considerable funds were invested in the production of the first model, most of them borrowed funds, and the company developed and launched two more models on the market. Moreover, models with improved characteristics. What did this lead to? Well, of course, to the fact that the demand for the first model immediately fell, and the company had to declare bankruptcy. By the way, in textbooks on entrepreneurship they called this market suicide the “Osborne Effect.”

Conclusion
I think the conclusion is obvious. Even if you were the first to release something that is very necessary for the consumer, do not rush to improve it, first work off the loans. Do you agree with me?