Mobile Computing: From Revolution To Evolution

Makers of portable computers have spent the past 20-odd years striving to build systems that answer users' cries for "smaller, faster, cheaper." To a large extent, they have succeeded. One notable portable computer from the early '80s weighed 28 pounds and cost $3,600. Today's mobile computers, in contrast, are far lighter, much slimmer, more powerful and less expensive.

In fact, today there is a portable solution for everyone. Whether a user needs nothing more than a machine for checking e-mail, or a rugged notebook capable of withstanding harsh conditions, there's a machine for the job. Literally hundreds of mobile-computing products--including notebooks, laptops, tablet PCs and handhelds--have hit the market. Here are a few that stand out. On the road to mobile-computing perfection, these machines are the industry's major milestones.

1981: Osborne I

The Osborne 1 was the first all-in-one portable computer. It set the stage for mobile computing, though at 23 pounds, it was arguably more luggable than portable. But the Osborne did include 5-1/4-inch floppy drives, a fold-down keyboard, and a 5-inch, 54-x-24-character monochrome display. Even better, this mini-machine also boasted a mini-price tag--only $1,795, or slightly more than half the cost of comparable desktops at that time. The Osborne was also the first PC to include a bundle of software applications.

1982: Compaq Portable I

The premier product from Compaq, this was the first portable PC designed to run software developed for the IBM desktop PCs already in high demand from business users. Though the Compaq Portable PC weighed a hefty 28 pounds, it was specially designed to fit in an airplane's storage bin. The Compaq I was also equipped with a 4.7-MHz processor, 640 KB of RAM, and dual 5-1/4-inch floppy-disk drives--all respectable hardware in 1982. But the machine was costly, listing at $3,590.

1983: TRS 80

Tandy Radio Shack introduced a line of computers based on the Z80 processor. Running ROM BASIC initially, later models added disk drives. The TRS-80 provided a keyboard, a separate monitor and an expansion box to allow for additional RAM, as well as disk-drive boxes as an option.

1984: Hewlett-Packard HP-110

In 1984, laptop computers moved closer to a more diminutive size. The HP-110 weighed just 8.5 pounds and featured a 16-bit Intel 8086 processor. With 384 KB of ROM and 272 KB of RAM, the HP-110 sported the largest amount of memory available in a portable computer at the time. And with a price tag of $2,995, it was one of the first devices to target the less technical.

1987: Toshiba T1000

Dubbed by the industry as the "first real laptop," the Toshiba T1000 weighed in at 6.4 pounds--which reset the bar for notebooks. The $1,200 machine came equipped with a 4.77-MHz Intel processor and 512 KB of RAM, and ran under the DOS operating system.

1988: Toshiba T5200C

With this machine, Toshiba launched the first 386-color portable system. The T5200C featured a passive-matrix color display, weighed in at close to 19 pounds and sold for $9,499.

1988: Toshiba Portege 3500

This granddaddy of tablet-PC computing featured a TFT color display that measured 12.1 inches diagonally. It came standard with 256 MB of RAM, a 40-GB hard disk and a hefty range of communications options: integrated Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b), 10/100 Ethernet LAN and a v.92 56k modem. It cost just less than $2,300.

1989: Poqet PC

Poqet Computer changed the face of portable computing with this IBM-compatible palmtop. The PC weighed a little more than 1 pound and featured a tiny screen that measured 6 inches-x-2 inches. The palmtop was powered by two AA batteries, yet relied on aggressive power management to extend battery life to 100-plus hours between battery changes. The first model featured 512 KB of RAM and cost $1,995.

1989: Apple Mac Portable

With this machine, Apple Computer answered the prayers of Macintosh users with road-warrior aspirations. Yet despite huge fanfare at its introduction, this machine never gained wide popularity--perhaps due to its 17-pound heft. The machine's hardware included lead-acid batteries (which conquered the problem of memory while still providing five- to 10-hour runtimes), a 9.8-inch, 640-x-480 pixel active-matrix screen, 3.5-inch hard drive, 16-MHz 68000 CPU and front-mounted handle. Options included an internal modem, numeric keypad and trackball.

1989: Compaq LTE

The Compaq LTE gave users moving often from office to the road a new ease-of-use accessory: the docking station. The Compaq LTE weighed less than 7 pounds, yet featured an Intel 286 processor, a 40-MB hard-disk drive and 4 MB of memory-comparable to a then-current desktop.

1993: Hewlett-Packard HP 95LX

This was Hewlett-Packard's first palmtop PC. Although the 95LX weighed just 11 ounces, the machine included a financial calculator, telephone-number and-address program, Lotus 1-2-3 (a first for a palmtop), simple text editor and an infrared link for transferring data.

1993: Apple Newton MessagePad

The Newton was the first product to demonstrate the potential of handheld computing. The 1-pound Newton's most noteworthy--and trouble-prone--feature was a handwriting-recognition system. The pen-based computer let users enter information as "digital ink," printed text, hand-drawn graphics or text using an on-screen keyboard. Alas, the system did not work reliably. Other Newton features included a notepad, to-do list, date book, telephone log, address file and Pocket Quicken. Though the machine attracted a small, loyal base of fans, its inability to connect with PCs was a major liability, and Apple withdrew it.

1993: Hewlett-Packard Omnibook 300

This machine catered to users' demands for a mobile computer that delivered a full-blown desktop experience. The HP Omnibook 300 arrived on the scene with a full-size keyboard, Intel 386 CPU, mouse and full VGA display. Yet, it weighed less than 3 pounds. Also, the user could choose to operate the unit with either four AA batteries or a seven-hour rechargeable battery pack.

1995: Dell Latitude

The Dell Latitude line ushered in the mainstream of portable computing with large screens, fast processors and capacious hard-disk drives. It also introduced a broad audience to Dell's innovative build-to-order concept. The first of the line, the Latitude XPi, was built around Intel's 90-MHz Pentium processor and featured a 10.4-inch color screen and a 1.2-GB hard drive.

1995: Amrel Rocky

The Rocky was one tough cookie--the first fully water-resistant, ruggedized notebook computer. This Pentium-based notebook adhered to the U.S. military's MIL-STD 810F standard and had been tested for its resistance to vibration, shock, humidity, salt, fog and extreme temperatures.

1996: Panasonic CF25

With this machine, Japan's Panasonic broke the price barrier for a truly portable and ruggedized portable computer. Unlike other ruggedized machines, which weighed as much as 15 pounds and cost $10,000 or more, the CF25 weighed just 8 pounds--using an A5 form factor--and cost $4,000. In part, Panasonic did this by integrating popular technology, including Intel's Pentium processor, rather than using an obsolete architecture, as was done for several other ruggedized machines.

1996: Palm Pilot 1000 & Palm Pilot 5000

With Palm's introduction of these two personal digital assistants (PDAs), interest in handheld computing was revived. Users were introduced to a handwriting input system, known as Graffiti, that--unlike Newton's--actually worked. Palm also equipped the Pilot PDAs with desktop software and a quick, one-button approach to synchronizing data between the PDA and the desktop PC.

1998: Panasonic ToughBook CF71

This was the first semi-ruggedized computer aimed at the corporate user--people who traveled a lot, but didn't want to pay the high price of a true MIL-SPEC ruggedized machine. Unlike previous MIL-spec-compliant computers, the ToughBook CF71 featured only a shock-mounted hard drive and a magnesium hard case. Even the wimpiest white-collar warriors could take the 6-pound computer home for about $3,000.

2001: Sharp PC-UM10

With this machine, Sharp brought mobile computing to a new level of portability. The PC-UM10 weighed in at a svelte 3 pounds and, at just 0.65 inches, was the thinnest machine to date. Powered by an Intel Pentium III processor and featuring a lightweight magnesium case, 128 MB of RAM and a 20-GB hard drive, the machine ran under Windows 2000 and enjoyed a battery life of up to nine hours. It cost close to $2,000.

2002: Compaq Tablet PC TC1000

The Compaq Tablet PC TC1000 put a new input device--namely, the pen--into the hands of users. This pen-based, full-function mobile PC weighed 3 pounds and brought the concept of "digital ink" into the mainstream. Highlights included a removable keyboard to switch between tablet and notebook PC modes, and integrated wireless LAN support.

2003: Sharp Actius MM10

The Sharp Actius MM10 provided full functionality in an ultra-light package. Weighing in at just 2.1 pounds, the $1,500 machine also brought wireless connectivity to the masses by including an integrated WiFi 802.11b antenna.

Satellite m35x-s163

Company: Toshiba

Price: $999

Features: 15.4-inch widescreen display, FireWire port, 1.4-GHz Intel Celeron Processor 360, three USB ports and a 60-GB hard drive

Actius AL3Du

Company: Sharp

Price: $3,499

Features: Runs on Intel's Pentium M P750 processor, Nvidia's GeForce Go 6600 graphics processor with 12-MB video RAM, 1,024 MB of DDR2 SSDRAM, Gigabit Ethernet and DVD Super Multidrive

VAIO FS series

Company: Sony

Price: $1,600

Features: Based on Intel's Centrino technology, the units provide integrated wireless connectivity with IEEE 802.11b/g networks and offer about four hours of battery life

Apple's Powerbook

Company: Apple Computer

price $2,699 (17-inch)

Features: 512-MB memory, faster graphics, integrated AirPort 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0 wireless networking and more

IPAQ h6315

Company: HP

Price: $499.99

Features: Weighing a mere 6 ounces, it allows users to make wireless voice calls, send wireless e-mail connect to the Internet, send instant messages, play MP3 files, take pictures and more; includes integrated GPRS wireless data, Wi-Fi (802.11b) and Bluetooth

Amrel UniSOL LINE

Company: Amrel

Price: Varies

Features: Universal Solution line of laptops tout ultra-high brightness displays and rugged keyboards, standard resistive touchscreen, and built-in track-point

Blackberry 7250

Company: Research In Motion

Price: Varies

Features: The 7250 voice- and date-enabled handheld includes Bluetooth connectivity, full-color screen, built-in phone, increased memory, e-mail and full Web browsing

TECRA M3

Company: Toshiba

Price: $1,799

Features: Intel Pentium M 915 Express processor 740 (code-named Alviso), built-in Gigabit Ethernet, choice of an Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG or 2915 ABG network connection, V.92 modem, fast infrared, optional Bluetooth and 14.1-inch XGA display

Treo 650

Company: PalmOne

Price: $449 (with two-year contract)

Features: Accesses Cingular's high-speed Enhanced Data for Global Evolution (EDGE) wireless data network; includes high-resolution screen, an MP3 player and video capture and playback capabilities, a removable battery, nonvolatile memory and Bluetooth wireless technology

Latitude X1

Company: Dell

Price: Starts at $1,699

Features: At 2.5 pounds, includes Pentium M Ultra-Low Voltage processor 733, integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR wireless capability, Gigabit Ethernet, a 12.1-inch, wide-aspect display, and six hours of battery life (optional)

Sharp Actius AL3DU

Company: Sharp

Price: $3,499

Features: Second-generation 3-D laptop includes Intel's Pentium M P740 processor and Nvidia's GeForce Go 6600 graphics processor with 128-MB video RAM and 1,024 MB of DDR2 SDRAM

Toughbook cf-51

Company: Panasonic

Price: $2,800

Features: Includes 1-GB Ethernet NIC 10/100/1000 support, Intel Pro/Wireless 802.11a/b/g connectivity and a 15-inch UXGA (1600-x-1200 pixel) TFT active-matrix color display