When Was the First Laptop Created?
Today's laptops, sometimes called notebooks, are almost as powerful as desktops, while being small and portable. There are even laptops called netbooks that are small, cheap and scaled down laptops. These laptops are very different from the first ones to be designed.
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Pre-Osbourne 1
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It is not agreed upon which laptop was the first, but some say that it was the Xerox Notetaker from 1976. It was a laptop in the sense that it was portable, but at nearly 50 pounds, it was hardly personal. In addition, it was not widely produced, and cost nearly $50,000 to manufacture. The computer was not very powerful, not even matching some of today's calculators.
Osbourne 1
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In 1981, the Osbourne Computer Company released the Osbourne 1, which was a major step forward. Although still bulky, it was widely manufactured, and could use a battery pack. The computer came with a small 5-inch screen and two 5 1/4-inch disk drives. The Osbourne 1 also was the first time a computer was packed with software. It included basic word processing and spreadsheet programs.
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Developments in the 80s
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The major barrior for much of the 80s was that laptops could not process graphics. Displays were very simple and many times, monochrome. However, that changed when Compaq released the SLT/286, the first laptop with VGA graphics. NEC released a laptop around the same time that was the first lightweight laptop. Of note, also, was Apple's entry into the laptop market with the release of Portable. The computer weighed over 15 pounds, but was the foundation for later generations of Apple laptops.
Developments in the 90s
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During the 1990s, the technology of laptops progressed in leaps and bounds. Laptops become smaller and more powerful. There was increased storage space, as well as longer battery life. A major breakthrough happened when Microsoft released Windows 95, because it included power management applications that would help laptops progress even further.
Today's Laptops
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Today's laptops fall somewhere in between two categories: high performance or extreme portability. The netbooks mentioned before cannot compete with other laptops in terms of performance, but are extremely portable and can do most everyday tasks. However, other laptops rival desktops in performance. Laptops now have longer battery lives and are much more versatile than predecessors.
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