5 Apr
2011
5 Apr
'11
5:51 a.m.
Portable Computing Turns 30 according to PC Authority Mag - may be of
interest to some subscribers...
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/253319,portable-computing-turns-30.aspx
++++++++++
Kevin Parker
5 Apr
5 Apr
3:27 p.m.
Portable Computing Turns 30 according to PC Authority Mag - may be of
interest to some subscribers...
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/253319,portable-computing-turns-30.aspx
This depends on how you define 'portable' and 'computer' :-)
More seriously there were portable minicomputers (meaning they had
handles nad you could just about stagger with one) over 40 years ago. Of
coruse they needed mains power to operate
I think the first programamble battery-operated device with conditional
branching was the HP65 calcualtor from 1974. Whether you call that a
'computer' depeneds on our exact defintion.
-tony
5 p.m.
Portable
Computing Turns 30 according to PC Authority Mag - may be of interest to some
subscribers...
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/253319,portable-computing-turns-30.aspx
This
depends on how you define 'portable' and 'computer' :-)
More seriously there were portable minicomputers (meaning they had handles nad you could
just about stagger with one) over 40 years ago. Of coruse they needed mains power to
operate
I think the first programamble battery-operated device with conditional branching was the
HP65 calcualtor from 1974. Whether you call that a 'computer' depeneds on our
exact defintion.
5:06 p.m.
This depends on how you define 'portable' and
'computer' :-)
More seriously there were portable minicomputers (meaning they had handles nad you could
just about stagger with one) over 40 years ago. Of coruse they needed mains power to
operate
PS - The suitcase computers needed AC power, too. At best, some of them
had conversion kits for 12V car batteries. In my opinion, if you're
tethered to AC power, then it's still not portable* even if it were
pocket-sized.
* Many people in recent years distinguish between portable and mobile.
They say the latter category means battery-powered and/or has wireless
networking. I say that's arbitrary marketing hogwash. But I stand by
the battery aspect as a core requirement for portability.
5:16 p.m.
Kind of an interesting view, because Evan brings up a good point, with a
long extension cord and casters on a cabinet or desk, essentially a LOT
of a/c powered systems could've been considered "Portable" at the time
and that's not too far of stretch to say given many systems at the time
required reinforced floors to water cooling as essential operating
requirements...
;-)
Evan Koblentz wrote:
This depends on how you define 'portable'
and 'computer' :-)
More seriously there were portable minicomputers (meaning they had
handles nad you could just about stagger with one) over 40 years ago.
Of coruse they needed mains power to operate
PS - The suitcase computers needed AC power, too. At best, some of
them had conversion kits for 12V car batteries. In my opinion, if
you're tethered to AC power, then it's still not portable* even if it
were pocket-sized.
* Many people in recent years distinguish between portable and
mobile. They say the latter category means battery-powered and/or has
wireless networking. I say that's arbitrary marketing hogwash. But I
stand by the battery aspect as a core requirement for portability.
5:30 p.m.
Kind of an interesting view, because Evan brings up a
good point, with
a long extension cord and casters on a cabinet or desk, essentially a
LOT of a/c powered systems could've been considered "Portable" at the time
Thanks Curt.
Conversely, in the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Army had general-purpose
electronic computers such as MOBIDIC ("Mobile Digital Computer")
permanently mounted in trucks (for MOBIDIC it was a 30-foot trailer!)
There really were portable, because they were specifically designed to
be brought to the problem, instead of the problem being brought to the
computer.
Question for the European list members -- was there anything similar out
there from the mid-1950s to early 1960s?
Moral: portability is about intention and usefulness, not merely size.
5:40 p.m.
On Tue, 5 Apr 2011, Curt @ Atari Museum wrote:
Kind of an interesting view, because Evan brings up a
good point, with a
long extension cord and casters on a cabinet or desk, essentially a LOT
of a/c powered systems could've been considered "Portable" at the time
and that's not too far of stretch to say given many systems at the time
required reinforced floors to water cooling as essential operating
requirements...
Anything with casters is "movable".
To be "portable", it shouldn't need casters, and should have enough
handles that none of the people carrying it has a load of more than 100
pounds.
Lee Felsenstein designed the Osborn computer to be operable from a car
battery. It was NOT the first portable computer by ANY rational
definition. When asked by an interviewer about how much the "portable
battery pack" would weigh, he responded that that was how much your car
weighs. (He drove an Accord at the time)
BTW, Lee is currently hospitalized in Redwood City; prognosis
is uncertain.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com
5:47 p.m.
To be "portable", it shouldn't need
casters, and should have enough handles that none of the people carrying it has a load of
more than 100 pounds.
Sure, if you mean "human" portable. That is * one * definition.
When asked by an interviewer about how much the
"portable battery pack" would weigh, he responded that that was how much your
car weighs.
Source please? (That's not what Lee told me last year.)
BTW, Lee is currently hospitalized in Redwood City;
prognosis is uncertain.
Sigh .... I wasn't going to mention that here.
6:08 p.m.
On Tue, 5 Apr 2011, Evan Koblentz wrote:
actually, I've heard that he would like more visitors. I won't have a
chance to go there for at least another 2 weeks.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com
> When asked by an interviewer about how much the
"portable battery
> pack" would weigh, he responded that that was how much your car
> weighs.
Source please?
Computer Chronicles? It is
unlikely that I can find the VHS tape.
(That's not what Lee told me last year.)
Stick with what he told you; he might have just been blowing off an
annoying question.
BTW, Lee is
currently hospitalized in Redwood City; prognosis is uncertain.
Sigh .... I
wasn't going to mention that here. 
7:34 p.m.
New subject: Definition of portable (was RE: Portable Computing Turns 30)
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-
bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Evan Koblentz
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 2:47 PM
To: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Portable Computing Turns 30
Back in my early days as an amateur radio operator, I recall taking my rig to school,
setting it up in one of our study spaces so I could give a demonstration to my fellow
middle-school students. I joked with someone I was a 'mobile' station and, with
the lack of humor often endemic among the hardcore pocket-protector crowd, one of my
fellow hams corrected me, telling me it was a 'portable' station. Never mind the
half-hour or so setting everything up, then untold time finding an appropriate place for
an antenna.... -- Ian
To be "portable", it shouldn't need
casters, and should have enough
handles that none of the people carrying it has a
load of more than 100
pounds.
Sure, if you mean "human" portable. That is * one * definition.
6 Apr
6 Apr
3:20 a.m.
At a simplistic level mobile would mean operates while moving, portable
would mean operates while static.
So any computer operating onboard ship, mounted in a plane, a missile or in
a moving land vehicle could be a mobile computer.
Which brings us back to 'what is a computer'. The attack computer in a
submarine, the Norden bombsite or a fire control system on board a warship.?
?
Rod Smallwood
-----Original Message-----
From: cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Evan Koblentz
Sent: 05 April 2011 22:47
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Portable Computing Turns 30
To be "portable", it shouldn't need
casters, and should have enough
handles that none of the people carrying it has a
load of more than 100
pounds.
Sure, if you mean "human" portable. That is * one * definition.
When asked by an interviewer about how much the
"portable battery pack"
would weigh, he responded that that was how much
your car weighs.
Source please? (That's not what Lee told me last year.)
BTW, Lee is currently hospitalized in Redwood City;
prognosis is
uncertain.
Sigh .... I wasn't going to mention that here.
3:31 a.m.
All,
Up to about the 1940's[1], a computer was a job title, given to
someone who work undertook calculations. People typically have legs
and a self contained power supply, that requires recharging every so
often.
I don't know when the job title of computer as first used. 1800's some
time? Is this the first portable computer?
[1] A rough number, give or take 20 or so years.
Back to work writing Fortran....
Simon
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well, an engineer is not concerned with the truth; that is left to
philosophers and theologians: the prime concern of an engineer is
the utility of the final product."
Lectures on the Electrical Properties of Materials, L.Solymar, D.Walsh
5 Apr
5 Apr
5:50 p.m.
In article <4D9B86A9.5060407 at atarimuseum.com>,
"Curt @ Atari Museum" <curt at atarimuseum.com> writes:
Kind of an interesting view, because Evan brings up a
good point, with a
long extension cord and casters on a cabinet or desk, essentially a LOT
of a/c powered systems could've been considered "Portable" at the time
and that's not too far of stretch to say given many systems at the time
required reinforced floors to water cooling as essential operating
requirements...
Once we took our LA-36 terminals outside of Willard Hall (University
of Delaware) because the weather was so nice. Our terminals were
located in a room we affectionately called "the fishbowl" because it
had glass windows facing the entrance vestibule and lobby of Willard
Hall on the first floor. We opened up the windows, hauled the
terminals outside the entrance and dangled the power cords back
through the open windows. Because it was a printing terminal you
could sit at, it worked great. It wouldn't have been very feasible to
do this with the CRT terminals we had due to glare and the need to
also haul out a desk for the terminal to sit on.
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download
<http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com/the-direct3d-graphics-pipeline/>
Legalize Adulthood! <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com>
6 Apr
6 Apr
2:10 p.m.
PS - The suitcase computers needed AC power, too. At
best, some of them
had conversion kits for 12V car batteries. In my opinion, if you're
tethered to AC power, then it's still not portable* even if it were
pocket-sized.
Cerrtainly over here, the term 'portable televison' meant a TV set that
was small/light enough to be carried (and had a handle :-)), but which
needed soem kind of external power source to run. Often the mains, but
many models coudl also run froam 12V car battery.
I would not reject a similar definiton for 'portable computer' out of hand.
-tony
2:52 a.m.
On Tue, Apr 05, 2011 at 11:36:03PM -0700, Eric Smith wrote:
Kevin Parker wrote:
Mind you, they weren't "Personal". But you got me reading up on the
MCM/70 which is a good deed.
Cheers,
Pontus.
Portable Computing Turns 30 according to PC
Authority Mag
They're not much of an "authority". The MCM/70 portable computer
was introduced over 37 years ago, and the IBM 5100 Portable Computer
over 35 years ago. 
5:45 a.m.
New subject: Some more Lisas
Just when you thought you'd seen enough Lisas. This post from alker33 on
the Vintage Computer Forums!
http://alker33.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/my-apple-lisa-collection/
Terry (Tez)
7:50 a.m.
New subject: Some more Lisas
On Wed, 6 Apr 2011, terry stewart wrote:
Just when you thought you'd seen enough Lisas.
This post from alker33 on the
Vintage Computer Forums!
http://alker33.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/my-apple-lisa-collection/
We are not worthy... We are not worthy...
--
7 Apr
7 Apr
11:55 a.m.
New subject: Some more Lisas
In article <30A171C927EC474DB66E294F06C937B4 at massey.ac.nz>,
"terry stewart" <terry at webweavers.co.nz> writes:
Just when you thought you'd seen enough Lisas.
This post from alker33 on
the Vintage Computer Forums!
http://alker33.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/my-apple-lisa-collection/
I think its very cool that he fixes them up and trades them to other
vintage collectors.
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download
<http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com/the-direct3d-graphics-pipeline/>
Legalize Adulthood! <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com>
6 Apr
6 Apr
5:46 a.m.
On Wed, Apr 06, 2011 at 01:16:53AM -0700, Eric Smith wrote:
Pontus Pihlgren wrote:
I was being slightly sarcastic and presented what I think is the view
of PC Mag. (I should have learnt by now that sarcasm doesn't come across
very well in written text).
But I don't think the above computers where marketed towards the general
public which might be another reason for PC Mag to exclude them.. but I
guess it is just ignorance.
Regards,
Pontus.
Mind you, they weren't "Personal".
What wasn't personal about the MCM/70 or IBM 5100? They didn't run
batch or timesharing, but were dedicated to serving a single user at
a time interactively.
3:15 p.m.
On Wed, 6 Apr 2011, Pontus Pihlgren wrote:
I was being slightly sarcastic and presented what I
think is the view
of PC Mag. (I should have learnt by now that sarcasm doesn't come across
very well in written text).
But I don't think the above computers where marketed towards the general
public which might be another reason for PC Mag to exclude them.. but I
guess it is just ignorance.
's OK
your meaning was clear. "Unavailable to the public"? "unknown to people
who were deliberately UNinterested in computers before Mac and Windoze"?
"sales reps only went to large organizations"?
I assume that anybody with a metric buttload of money could have gotten
one, albeit with some difficulty.
What were their prices?
What does that compare to in current dollars?
If John Titor will have had found his 5100 (not sure how to conjugate a
future past perfect), how many 203x dollars will it had take?
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com
2:53 p.m.
They're
not much of an "authority". The MCM/70 portable computer
was introduced over 37 years ago, and the IBM 5100 Portable Computer
over 35 years ago.
Mind you, they weren't "Personal". But you got me reading up on the
MCM/70 which is a good deed.
2:52 p.m.
Kevin Parker wrote:
If you're goign to include the IBM5100, you should also incldue the
HP9830 (1973, IIRC). I think HP even sold a carrying handle for it (which
I have never seen...)
-tony
Portable Computing Turns 30 according to PC
Authority Mag
They're not much of an "authority". The MCM/70 portable computer was
introduced over 37 years ago, and the IBM 5100 Portable Computer over 35
years ago.
4927
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23 comments
13 participants
participants (13)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
curt＠atarimuseum.com -
eric＠brouhaha.com -
evan＠snarc.net -
fryers＠gmail.com -
IanK＠vulcan.com -
legalize＠xmission.com -
pontus＠Update.UU.SE -
rodsmallwood＠btconnect.com -
snhirsch＠gmail.com -
terry＠webweavers.co.nz -
trash80＠internode.on.net