Archive for 1981
Computer History 1981
IBM introduced its PC, igniting a fast
growth of the personal computer market. The first PC ran on a 4.77 MHz
Intel 8088 microprocessor and used Microsoft´s MS-DOS operating system.
Adam Osborne completed the first portable
computer, the Osborne I, which weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795. The
price made the machine especially attractive, as it included software
worth about $1,500. The machine featured a 5-inch display, 64 kilobytes
of memory, a modem, and two 5 1/4-inch floppy disk drives.
In April 1981, Byte Magazine Editor in Chief Chris Morgan mentioned the Osborne I in an article on "Future Trends in Personal Computing." He wrote: "I recently had an opportunity to see the Osborne I in action. I was impressed with it´s compactness: it will fit under an airplane seat. (Adam Osborne is currently seeking approval from the FAA to operate the unit on board a plane.) One quibble: the screen may be too small for some people´s taste."
Adam Osborne completed the first portable
computer, the Osborne I, which weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795. The
price made the machine especially attractive, as it included software
worth about $1,500. The machine featured a 5-inch display, 64 kilobytes
of memory, a modem, and two 5 1/4-inch floppy disk drives.In April 1981, Byte Magazine Editor in Chief Chris Morgan mentioned the Osborne I in an article on "Future Trends in Personal Computing." He wrote: "I recently had an opportunity to see the Osborne I in action. I was impressed with it´s compactness: it will fit under an airplane seat. (Adam Osborne is currently seeking approval from the FAA to operate the unit on board a plane.) One quibble: the screen may be too small for some people´s taste."