First Laptop (1981)
A laptop computer, or just laptop (also known as a notebook computer, notebook, notepad, and incorrectly labtop ;), is a small portable computer having its primary components (Processor, screen, keyboard) built into a single unit capable of battery powered operation, which typically weighs from 2-18 pounds, depending upon dimensions, materials, and other variables. As the personal computer became viable in the early 1970s, the thought of a portable personal computer arose; particularly, a "personal, portable information manipulator" was visualized by Alan Kay at Xerox PARC in 1968 and talked of in his 1972 paper as the "Dynabook".
Most computer historians have acknowledged the Osborne 1 as the first genuine mobile computer (laptop, notebook). Adam Osborne, an ex-book publisher established Osborne Computer and built the Osborne 1 in 1981. This was a mobile computer (laptop, notebook) that weighed nearly 11kgs at a price of $1795. The Osborne 1 had a five-inch screen, integrating a modem port, two 5 1/4 floppy drives, a large collection of bundled software applications, and a battery pack. The computer company was a failure and didn't stay in business for very long.
More Early Laptops
Also brought out in 1981, was the Epson HX-20, a battery powered portable computer, with a 20-character by 4 line LCD display and a built-in printer. In January of 1982, Microsoft's Kazuhiko Nishi and Bill Gates began discussions on planning a portable computer, supported by the use of a new liquid crystal display or LCD screen. Kazuhiko Nishi subsequently showed the prototype to Radio Shack who agreed to manufacture the computer.
In 1983, Radio Shack released the TRS-80 Model 100 Mobile Computer (laptop, notebook), a 4 lb. battery operated computer with a flat and more of a laptop computer design. The Tandy 100 was a computer built in Japan by Kyocera. All the ROM programs were written by Microsoft, and even a couple of of them were written by Bill Gates himself.
Originally thought to be "a small niche market" and perceived as appropriate for "specialized field applications" such as "the military, the Internal Revenue Service, accountants and sales representatives", battery-powered portables had merely 2% worldwide market share in 1986. But today, there are already more laptops than desktops in the endeavor and, according to a forecast by Intel, more laptops than desktops will be sold in the overall PC market as soon as 2009.
Laptops are now sold in greater numbers each year than computers. Soon, laptop computers with a wireless High Speed Internet connection will become the standard means for computer users to access the Web.