Portable computers have evolved greatly since their early inception in the 1950s as truck-movable machines containing hundreds of vacuum tubes. Over the decades, portables shrank in size while increasing greatly in processing power and capabilities. Milestones included the Osborne 1 as the first mass-produced microprocessor portable in 1981, the T1100 as the first mass-market laptop in 1985, and modern tablets which debuted in 2010 with multi-touch screens and virtual keyboards.

2. Portable computers have been around for much
longer than people imagine, though they’ve
changed unimaginably from the first stumbling
steps to the thin and powerful machines we have
today. As far back as portables were an idea that
computer manufacturers were keen to make the
most of.

3. 1954
DYSEAC : For the military, movable by
truck.
CPU : 900 Vacuum tubes
1981
Osborne1 : The first mass-produced
microprocessor-based portable computers.
CPU : Z80

4. 1981
Hx: Considered both the first notebook
and handheld computer.
CPU : 2x Hitachi 6301
1983
TRS-80 Model 100: One of the first
notebook-style computers
CPU : 12 MHz 80C286

5. 1985
T1100 : The world’s first mass-market laptop
computer
CPU: Intel 80C88
1989
Portable: First commercial off-the-shelf
portable computer.
CPU: Motorola 68000

6. 1991
PowerBook 100: Designed and
manufactured by Sony
CPU: Motorola 68000
1992
700: Same design since 1992.
CPU: IBM 486SLC

7. 1994
200LX : MS-DOS-compatible computer in
a palmtop format
CPU: “Hornet” 80186
1997
380: Notable for incorporating a CD-
ROM and a floppy drive !

8. 1998
VAIO PCG-505 : First of ultraportable
CPU: Pentium MMX
1999
G3: New design for consumers
CPU : PowerPC G3 CPU
2005
Flip Screen Tablet PC : First hybride
CPU: 1.5 GHz

9. 2008
Ultrabook: New Design for consumers
CPU: Core2Duo CPU
2010
Tablet: Multi-touch screen, including a
virtual keyboard
CPU : 1.5 GHz

10. 2011
VAIOTM DuoHybrid Tablet-Laptop
Design includes an optional docking
keyboard
CPU: 1 Ghz

11. Worldwide Portable Computing