At 20.5 inches wide, 14.5 inches deep, 8.5 inches tall (all with the case closed) and weighing just over 26 pounds, the Osborne 1 was the first “portable” computer. Portability was obviously a different concept in 1981, when the Osborne 1 was release, than it is today. But the attractive design, self-contained nature of the machine and its relative affordability made the Osborne 1 the first commercially successful computer in the new portable class. Because of its weight and girth, this class would later become known as “luggable” computers.

With its keyboard becoming the lid, the Osborne 1 folded up into a suitcase that held virtually everything an executive could want or need in a computer: two disk drives (one for the application disk and one on which to save data), a keyboard and a monitor. The Osborne 1 came with a built-in CRT monitor that was all of 5 inches, apparently a design concession so the unit could also include two 5 ¼ inch disk drives. The computer ran off the CP/M operating system, which had to run off one of the diskettes. The Osborne 1 also came standard with bundled software, akin to buying a laptop today with an office suite. Most units came standard with Wordstar (the leading word processor from MicroPro), Supercalc (the leading spreadsheet software from Sorcim) and CBasic/MBasic (a programming language from Microsoft). The retail price for this software would come to roughly $1500 if sold separately, making the $1795 computer plus software bundle a very good deal.

Back in its day, the Osborne 1 became practically an overnight success, with the Osborne Computer Company shipping as many as 10,000 a month. However, competition from computers like the Kaypro II, which worked exactly like the Osborne using the same CP/M operating system and associated software, but came standard with double density disk drives and a much larger built-in monitor, began eating into the Osborne 1’s market share. Soon enough, the business world started to “standardize” on IBM-based computers and a new operating system called DOS from an emerging software company called Microsoft. By 1983 the Osborne Computer Company had filed for bankruptcy. But its legacy is the era of portable computing led by its innovative Osborne 1.

The MuMoH physical collection includes an Osborne 1 “B” computer, serial number 118781.

Specifications:

SIZE measured with case closed

• 20.5 inches wide
• 14.5 inches deep
• 8.5 inches high

WEIGHT

• 26.2 lbs (shipping weight 34 lbs)

MAIN PC BOARD

• Processor – Z80A, 4 MHz CPU click
• Memory size – 64K bytes programmable (RAM)
• 4K read-only memory bank-switched
• 60K of programmable memory available for software

DISPLAY

• Video monitor size – 3.55” horizontal, 2.63” vertical
• 24 lines of 52 characters visible
• 32 lines of 128 characters video memory over which window may be moved

DISKS

• 5.25 inch diskettes, single sided, soft sectored (92K per diskette)

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_1
http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/osborne/
http://oldcomputers.net/osborne.html
http://www.mobilitypr.com/blog/2006/06/29/mopr-mobility-minute-portable-computers/

The Sinclair ZX8I is a part of the UK-based Sinclair ZX Spectrum family and was the successor to the ZX80. Sinclair Research Ltd is a consumer electronics company founded by Sir Clive Sinclair in Cambridge, England.

Launched in March 1981, the ZX81 was based on the Zilog Z80 CPU and came with a one new chip, replacing the 18 chips in the ZX80. The machine cost £69.95 or, if you wanted to assemble it yourself, £49.95 in kit form. Sinclair also offered an add-on ROM to convert the ZX80 to the ZX81.

The ZX81 came in a sturdy black case and with various features, including a TV jack that let users plug it in to their color TVs, producing black characters on a green background.

Sinclair also offered a small printer to work with the ZX81 later in the 1981. The ZX Printer very compact, using a special metalized paper, and would print 32 characters to a line and nine lines to the inch. Users would plug it into the back of the computer using a stackable socket. The print was clear and readable.

The model in MuMoH has a memory pack with a whopping 16K RAM that can be plugged in the back to give users more memory.

The computer sold well in the UK as well as in the U.S. – mostly by mail order. Eventually Timex was granted a license to sell it in 1982, opening the door for even more users.

The ZX81 had originally been produced as learning machines for the person wanting to find out about computer programming, such as BASIC.

It can be noted, though, that the Sinclair might have been responsible for the industry we know today. Sinclair produced a whole new industry that included vendors offering software, user’s clubs, peripherals and even its own publication.

During the mid-1980s, the company Micronet800 launched a service allowing users to connect their ZX Spectrums via a Prism Micro Products modem to a bulletin board system known as Micronet hosted by Prestel. Though very similar to the Internet, the service was proprietary and fee-based.

References:
http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/046/sstory.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Research