An opened Osborne 1 computer, ready for use. The keyboard sits on the inside of the lid.

The Osborne 1 was the first commercially successful portable microcomputer, released in April, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation. It weighed 23.5 pounds (12 kg), cost US$1795, and ran the then-popular CP/M 2.2 operating system. Its principal deficiencies were a tiny 5 inch (13 cm) display screen and single sided, single density floppy disk drives whose disks could not contain sufficient data for practical business applications. Its design owed much to that of the Xerox NoteTaker, a prototype developed at Xerox PARC in 1976. Image File history File links Osborne1. ... Image File history File links Osborne1. ... 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). ... The Commodore 64 was one of the most popular microcomputers of its era, and is the best selling home computer of all time. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Osborne Computer Corporation (OCC) was founded by Adam Osborne in 1980 based on a product of not just personal computers but portable computers. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ... CP/M (Command Processor for Microcomputers) was an operating system for Intel 8080/85 and Zilog Z80 based microcomputers. ... An operating system (OS) is a computer program that manages the hardware and software resources of a computer. ... 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 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. ...

Software and hardware details

The Osborne 1 was the first computer that came with application software. The WordStar word processor, SuperCalc spreadsheet, and the CBASIC and MBASIC programming languages—all software packages that were the leading applications in their respective niches at the time—had a retail value of more than $2,000. With the bundled MBASIC it was possible to run Colossal Cave Adventure. Application software is a defined subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly to a task that the user wishes to perform. ... WordStar was a word processor application, published by MicroPro, originally written for the CP/M operating system but later ported to DOS, that enjoyed a dominant market share during the early-to-mid-1980s. ... A word processor (also more formally known as a document preparation system) is a computer application used for the production (including composition, editing, formatting, and possibly printing) of any sort of viewable or printed material. ... SuperCalc was a spreadsheet application published by Sorcim, orginally bundled (along with WordStar) with the Osborne 1 portable computer. ... CBASIC is a compiled version of the BASIC programming language written for the CP/M operating system by Gordon Eubanks in 1976–77. ... MBASIC is the Microsoft BASIC implementation of the BASIC programming language for the CP/M operating system on the 8-bit Intel 8080 processor. ... Adventure (also known as ADVENT or Colossal Cave) was the first computer game to appear in the genre of interactive fiction (before it was even called that). ...

ADVENT (Colossal_Cave_Adventure) running on an Osborne Computer circa 1982

Hardware features: Image File history File links You_are_standing. ... Image File history File links You_are_standing. ... Colossal Cave Adventure (also known as ADVENT, Colossal Cave, or Adventure) (Crowther & Woods, 1976) was the first computer adventure game. ...

• Dual 5¼-inch floppy disk drives
• 4 MHz Z80 CPU
• 65 kilobytes main memory
• Fold-down keyboard doubling as the computer case's lid
• 5-inch, 52 character × 24 line monochrome CRT display
• Parallel printer port
• Serial port for use with external modems or serial printers

Operating system: 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. ... MegaHertz (MHz) is the name given to one million (106) Hertz, a measure of frequency. ... One of the first Z80 microprocessors manufactured; the date stamp says well before July 1976. ... CPU redirects here. ... A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to either 1024 or 1000 bytes. ... Random access memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a type of data store used in computers that allows the stored data to be accessed in any order — that is, at random, not just in sequence. ... It has been suggested that IBM PC keyboard be merged into this article or section. ... Something which is monochromatic has a single color. ... It has been suggested that Crookes tube be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Parallel communications. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... A male DE-9 connector used for a serial port on a PC style computer. ... A modem (from modulate and demodulate) is a device that modulates an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. ...

• CPM

CP/M is an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ...

Games

'Deadline (1982)

This game involved the playing an adventure style game, where the player had 12 hours to solve a detective puzzle. The game was packaged in a dossier type folder and came on two 5 1/4" diskettes. The packaging also reference other games such as Zork and Starcross. Zork universe Zork games Zork Anthology Zork trilogy Zork I   Zork II   Zork III Beyond Zork   Zork Zero   Planetfall Enchanter trilogy Enchanter   Sorcerer   Spellbreaker Other games Wishbringer   Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis   Zork Grand Inquisitor Zork: The Undiscovered Underground Topics in Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica Characters   Kings   Creatures Timeline   Magic   Calendar... Starcross is a 1982 interactive fiction game designed and implemented by Dave Lebling and published by Infocom. ...

Peripherals

• External Monochrome screen
• Dot Matrix Parallel Printer (Made by Star)
• 300 Baud Modem

Market life

At its peak, Osborne Computer Corporation shipped 10,000 Osborne 1 units per month. The computer was widely imitated as several other computer companies started offering low-priced portable computers with bundled software. The Osborne 1 was about the size and weight of a heavily packed suitcase; one commercial humorously pointed out that it did not quite fit under an airplane seat. As such it is now classified as a "luggable" computer in comparison to later laptop designs. The Osborne's popularity was surpassed by the similar Kaypro II which had a much more practical 9 inch (23 cm) CRT that could display the standard 80 characters on 24 lines as well as double density floppies that could store twice as much data. A typical suitcase A suitcase is a narrow box-shaped bag, usually made of cloth or vinyl that more or less keeps its shape, has a handle at one end and is used mainly for transporting clothes and other possessions during trips. ... The Kaypro Corporation Logo, circa 1982. ...

Osborne Computer Corporation was unable to effectively respond to the Kaypro challenge until after the market window had closed and the day of the 8-bit, CP/M-based computer had ended. Sales of the Osborne 1 were also hurt by the premature announcement of superior successor machines (See Osborne effect). Later Compaq broke through with a portable computer (the Compaq Portable) with a 9 inch CRT, that was software compatible with the IBM PC (the Compaq was the first PC clone). The Osborne effect is exhibited when a companys revelation of information about future products results in customers delaying purchases of the current offering. ... Compaq Computer Corporation is an American personal computer company founded in 1982, and now a brand name of Hewlett-Packard. ... The Compaq Portable, sometimes referred to as the Compaq Portable XT, was the first product in the Compaq portable series to be brought out by Compaq Computer Corporation. ... IBM PC (IBM 5150) with keyboard and green screen monochrome monitor (IBM 5151), running MS-DOS 5. ... The Columbia MPC was one of the many IBM PC compatibles that flooded the US market. ...

Osborne Computer Corporation filed for chapter 11 in September 1983, paritally due to customers cancelling orders for the successful Osborne 1 in eager anticipation of the Osborne Executive and the Executive II models, which were yet to be made. The Osborne Executive was the palnned successor of the already commercially successful osborne 1, released in April, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation, the Executive which was a collection of the good features from the 1 and fixes of its predessors flaws. ...

External links

• Osborne 1 information and photos – At the Obsolete Technology Website
• Osborne 1 detailed images and boot up video – At the Bunker of DOOM
• Collection of old digital and analog computers