The Compaq Portable; the first portable IBM PC compatible.

Modern mobile computer of the French Army.

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). Portable computers, by their nature, are microcomputers. Early portables were unkindly referred to as "luggables," referring to their great size and weight (owing partly to the need to include a full-blown CRT monitor, as LCD technology was not yet mature). The term "luggable" is today used mainly when speaking of 17" and larger widescreen laptops. The Compaq Portable was the first midget in the Compaq portable series to be brought out by Compaq Computer Corporation. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The French Army (French: Armée de Terre) is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces. ... The NASA Columbia Supercomputer. ... Portable communications devices refer to hand-held or wearable devices. ... The Commodore 64 was one of the most popular microcomputers of its era, and is the best selling home computer of all time. ... Cathode ray tube employing electromagnetic focus and deflection Cutaway rendering of a color CRT Electron guns Electron beams Focusing coils Deflection coils Anode connection Mask for separating beams for red, green, and blue part of displayed image Phosphor layer with red, green, and blue zones Close-up of the phosphor... Reflective twisted nematic liquid crystal display. ...

Xerox NoteTaker, developed in 1976 at Xerox PARC, although it remained a prototype and did not enter production. The Xerox NoteTaker was perhaps the first portable computer. ... Bold text // Headline text Link title This article is about the computer research center. ...

The first portable computer was manufactured by a small company in Santa Monica, Ca. named GM Research. The machine which was designed and patented (US Patent No. 4,294,496) by James Murez was first delivered to The Computer Store, Santa Monica, Ca in mid 1977. It was called the Micro Star and later changed the name to The Small One. Although Xerox claims to have designed the first such system, the machine by Murez predated anything on the market or that had been documented in any publication at the time - hence the patent was issued. As early as 1979 the U.S. Government was contracting to purchase these machines. Other major customers included Sandia Labs, General Dynamics, BBN (featured on the cover of their annual report in 1980 as the C.A.T. system) and several dozen private individuals and companies around the world. In 1979, Osborn viewed the machine along with several hundred other visitors at the first computer show that was sponsored by the IEEE Westec in Los Angeles. Later that year the machine was also shown at the first Comdex show.

The first mass-produced portable computer was the Osborne 1, developed by Adam Osborne, which owed much to the NoteTaker's design. The first IBM PC compatible portable computer (and indeed the first IBM PC compatible, or "clone," of any kind) was the Compaq Portable. The first full-color portable computer was the Commodore SX-64. An opened Osborne 1 computer, ready for use. ... Adam Osborne (March 6, 1939 – March 18, 2003) was an author, book and software publisher, and computer designer who founded several companies in the United States and elsewhere. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Compaq Portable was the first midget in the Compaq portable series to be brought out by Compaq Computer Corporation. ... Commodore SX-64 The Commodore SX-64, also known as the Executive 64, was a portable, briefcase/suitcase-size luggable version of the popular Commodore 64 home computer and holds the distinction of being the first full-color portable computer. ...

The term portable computer is now almost exclusively used to refer to portable computers that are larger than a laptop, often use conventional parts and usually do not run on batteries. Very few manufacturers remain for this type of computer one is Sterling Computer Sales. Smaller portable computers are also known as mobile computers. They are referred to by their more specific terms: An ultraportable IBM X31 with 12 screen on an IBM T43 Thin & Light laptop with a 14 screen A laptop computer, or simply laptop (also notebook computer or notebook), is a small mobile computer, which usually weighs 2. ... A Pair of AA Energizer Alkaline Cells Symbols representing a single Cell (top) and Battery (bottom), used in circuit diagrams. ... Mobile Computing is a generic term describing your ability to use technology untethered, that is not physically connected, or in remote or mobile (non static) environments. ...

• The laptop (or notebook) with a flat panel display and keyboard, requiring a seated position and both hands. A relatively recently introduced modification has been the Tablet PC, which essentially is a laptop operated with a stylus on a touch-sensitive screen. See also desktop replacement computer, a large laptop designed to perform all of the functions of a desktop computer.
• The sub-notebook which is something between a laptop and a PDA (q.v.).
• The pocket computer, which was mostly a phenomenon of the 1980s, and combined the features of an alphanumeric calculator, a small home computer (usually programmable in BASIC), and a PDA (q.v.). Manufacturers of these included Tandy/Radio Shack, Hewlett-Packard, Casio, and Sharp Corporation.
• The personal digital assistant (PDA), usually held in one hand and operated with the other.
• The wearable computer with handsfree interface, and usually some voice capability (speech recognition and speech synthesis).

Portable computers have been increasing in popularity over the past decade, as they do not restrict the user in terms of mobility as a desktop computer would. Wireless Internet, extended battery life and more comfortable ergonomics have been factors driving this increase in popularity. An ultraportable IBM X31 with 12 screen on an IBM T43 Thin & Light laptop with a 14 screen A laptop computer, or simply laptop (also notebook computer or notebook), is a small mobile computer, which usually weighs 2. ... Flat panel displays encompass a growing number of technologies enabling video displays that are lighter and much thinner than traditional television and video displays using cathode ray tubes, usually less than 10 cm (4 inches) thick. ... A computer keyboard is a peripheral partially modeled after the typewriter keyboard. ... A Tablet PC is a notebook- or slate-shaped mobile computer. ... Desktop replacement computers are personal computers that are designed to provide the full capabilities of a desktop computer while remaining portable. ... Desktop computer with several common peripherals (Monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone and a printer) A desktop computer is a personal computer made for use on a desk in an office or home and is distinguished from portable computers such as laptops or PDAs. ... Laptop with touchpad. ... A pocket computer is a small calculator-sized computer programmable in BASIC. This specific category of computers existed primarily in the 1980s. ... Generally speaking, the term alphanumeric refers to anything that consists of only letters and numbers. ... A calculator is a device for performing calculations. ... Children playing on a Amstrad CPC 464 in the 1980s. ... BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of high-level programming languages. ... The exterior of a typical free-standing RadioShack store. ... The Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ), commonly known as HP, is a very large, global company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. ... Casio Computer Co. ... Sharp Corporation ) (TYO: 6753 ) is a Japanese electronics manufacturer, founded in 1912. ... Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are handheld computers that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The user interface is the part of a system exposed to users. ... Speech recognition (in many contexts also known as automatic speech recognition, computer speech recognition or erroneously as Voice Recognition) is the process of converting a speech signal to a sequence of words, by means of an algorithm implemented as a computer program. ... Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. ... Desktop computer with several common peripherals (Monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone and a printer) A desktop computer is a personal computer made for use on a desk in an office or home and is distinguished from portable computers such as laptops or PDAs. ... A Pair of AA Energizer Alkaline Cells Symbols representing a single Cell (top) and Battery (bottom), used in circuit diagrams. ... Dildonics (or human factors) is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use (definition adopted by the International Dildonics Association in 2007). ...

See also

• Laptops
• Palmtops
• Personal digital assistant (PDA)
• DYSEAC The Second Standards Electronic Automatic Computer. DYSEAC was a first-generation computer built by the National Bureau of Standards for the US Army Signal Corps. It was housed in a truck, making it one of the first portable computers (perhaps the first). It went into operation in April 1954.