Osborne I
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Osborne I
The first portable computer, developed by Adam Osborne and introduced in 1981. Floppy disk based with 64K of memory, the Osborne I used the CP/M operating system and a modified version of the WordStar word processor that would display only 40 characters at a time across its tiny 4.5" CRT. It cost $1,795, which was very inexpensive for a computer of that era. Weighing in at nearly 30 pounds and requiring AC power, the Osborne was really more "transportable" than a true portable. See CPM. |
| The Osborne I |
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| We might chuckle at this today compared to our ultra-sleek laptops, but, for its time, the Osborne I was breakthrough technology. Adam Osborne started a revolution. (Equipment courtesy of Alfred J. Young.) |
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| Get Ahead with an Osborne |
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| Aimed at the rising professional, this ad highlighted the advantage of having a personal computer at one's side. Hardly a politically correct ad in today's world; nevertheless, it definitely took a rather strong person to carry the machine around. |
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