The Evolution of the Laptop Computer

The laptop computer makes computing anywhere possible.

Portable computer sales outranked desktop computer sales for the first time ever in 2008. In 2010, laptops are used by all types of consumers, from casual Internet users and video gamers to corporate business users.

Concept

In the late 1960s, Xerox conceptualized a portable computer called the Dynabook. The technology to create the computer did not exist at the time so a physical prototype was never created.

First Laptop

The first portable computer was the Osborne 1, manufactured by Osborne Computer Company. It had a 4-MHz Zilog Z80A processor with 64 kilobytes of memory and a small, black-and-white screen.

IBM and Apple

The first IBM-compatible laptops were produced by Toshiba and IBM in 1986 and 1987. Apple entered the laptop market in 1989 by introducing the Macintosh Portable.

Standardization

In 1995, Microsoft Windows 95 operating system became the standard OS for IBM-compatible personal computers. In turn this helped to standardize PC laptop hardware to run Windows 95.

Faster and Smaller

The laptop computer continues to evolve by decreasing overall size. As of 2010, there are laptops smaller than 7 inches wide and weighing less than 2 pounds.

References

• Random History: History of the Laptop Computer
• Vintage Computer: Osborne 1