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Encyclopedia > Compaq Portable

The Compaq Portable was the first midget in the Compaq portable series to be brought out by Compaq Computer Corporation. It was the first "100%" IBM PC compatible personal computer not manufactured by IBM, and also the first IBM PC compatible portable computer. Compaq derived their company name from the compact nature of the Portable. Compaqs first computers were portable lunchbox or luggable computers. ... Compaq Computer Corporation is an American personal computer company founded in 1982, and now a brand name of Hewlett-Packard. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. ... IBM PC (IBM 5150) with keyboard and green screen monochrome monitor (IBM 5151), running MS-DOS 5. ... A Portable computer is a computer that is designed to be moved from one place to another (in other words, it is a computer that is portable). ...

A Compaq Portable ready for work.
A Compaq Portable ready for work.

Announced in November 1982 and released in March 1983 at a price of US$3,590, this "luggable" suitcase-sized computer was one of the progenitors of the modern laptop; an honor it shares with the CP/M-based Osborne 1 and the MS-DOS-based (but not entirely IBM PC compatible) Hyperion. Its design was influenced by that of the Xerox NoteTaker, a prototype computer developed at Xerox PARC in 1976. The Compaq Portable. ... The Compaq Portable. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A laptop computer or simply laptop (also notebook computer or notebook) is a small mobile personal computer, which usually weighs 2. ... CP/M is an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ... An opened Osborne 1 computer, ready for use. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hyperion 3032. ... The Xerox NoteTaker was perhaps the first portable computer. ... Bold text // Headline text Link title This article is about the computer research center. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...


The 28 lb (12.5 kg) of computer that made up the Compaq Portable folded up into a luggable case the size of a portable sewing machine. Compaq sold 53,000 units in the first year and set revenue records for American businesses in its first three years of operation. A modern machine (Singer Symphonie 300) A sewing machine is a mechanical (or electromechanical) device that joins fabric using thread. ...

Compaq Portable folded up.
Compaq Portable folded up.

The Compaq Portable had basically the same hardware as an IBM PC, transplanted into a luggable case, with Compaq's custom BIOS instead of IBM's. The system came with 128 kilobytes of memory (expandable to 640K), two 5.25" floppy disk drives, a built-in 9" green screen monitor and a unique CGA-compatible video card. The Compaq's video card extended IBM's CGA by using 9x14 pixel character cells to generate text, rather than the usual 8x8 pixel character cells. This was made possible through the use of a display that could switch between 200 or 350 scan lines. While this was more expensive than IBM's design, it allowed Compaq to combine the graphics capability of the IBM CGA with the clearer text of the IBM MDA, thereby making the Compaq Portable very well suited for the spreadsheet software driving computer sales at the time. With a larger external monitor, this graphics hardware was also used in the original Compaq Deskpro desktop computer. Image File history File links CompaqPortableCase. ... Image File history File links CompaqPortableCase. ... Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware. ... BIOS, in computing, stands for Basic Input/Output System also incorrectly known as Basic Integrated Operating System. ... A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to either 1000 or 1024 bytes. ... A floppy disk is a data storage device that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible (floppy) magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. ... The IBM PC with green screen Green screen was the common name for a monochrome CRT computer display using a green P1 phosphor screen. ... The Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), introduced in 1981, was IBMs first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC. The standard IBM CGA graphics card was equipped with 16 kilobytes of video memory. ... The Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), introduced in 1981, was IBMs first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC. The standard IBM CGA graphics card was equipped with 16 kilobytes of video memory. ... Green screen driven by a Monochrome Display Adapter The Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA, also MDA card, Monochrome Display and Printer Adapter, MDPA) introduced in 1981 was IBMs standard video display card and computer display standard for the PC. The MDA did not have any graphics mode of any kind... Screenshot of a spreadsheet made with OpenOffice. ... The Compaq Deskpro was a line of personal computers manufactured by Compaq. ...


Compaq's efforts were possible because IBM had used mostly "off the shelf" parts for their PC, and because Microsoft had kept the right to license MS-DOS to other computer manufacturers. The only part which had to be copied was the BIOS, which Compaq did legally by reverse engineering it at a cost of $1 million. Although numerous other companies soon followed its lead into the market for PC compatibles, few matched Compaq's remarkable achievement of essentially-complete software compatibility with the IBM PC (typically reaching "95% compatibility" at best) until Phoenix Technologies and others began selling similarly reverse-engineered BIOSs on the open market. Microsoft is one of few companies engaging itself in the console wars Where they are up against sony, nintendo, and of course sharps new console which may cause a threat. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... BIOS, in computing, stands for Basic Input/Output System also incorrectly known as Basic Integrated Operating System. ... Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of taking something (a device, an electrical component, a software program, etc. ... One of the first PCs from IBM - the IBM PC model 5150. ... Phoenix Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: PTEC) is a creator of computer BIOS software. ... BIOS, in computing, stands for Basic Input/Output System also incorrectly known as Basic Integrated Operating System. ...


This machine was the first of a series of Compaq Portable machines including the Portable Plus, Portable 286, Portable II, Portable III, and Portable 386. Compaqs first computers were portable lunchbox or luggable computers. ...


See also

IBM Portable The IBM Portable was an early portable computer developed by IBM after the success of Compaqs suitcase-size portable machine (the Compaq Portable). ...


External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Compaq at AllExperts (1126 words)
In 1985 Compaq released the Compaq Deskpro 286, a 16-bit desktop computer using an Intel 80286 microprocessor running at 6 MHz and capable of 7-MB RAM, it was considerably faster than an IBM PC and was, like the Compaq Portable, also capable of running IBM software.
When in 1987, Compaq introduced the first PC based on Intel's new 80386 microprocessor, with the Compaq Portable 386 and Compaq Portable III they began a period of increasing performance leadership over IBM, who were not yet using this processor.
In 2001, Compaq engaged in a merger with Hewlett-Packard.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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