At 04:43 PM 1/11/98 -0600, you wrote:
>On Sun, 11 Jan 1998, Zane H. Healy wrote:
>
>> >> first portable computer
>> >
>> >Again, same problem. Define "portable". Allison carted, what was it, a
>>
>> Well, if you believe the Smithsonian's "Museum of American History" and I
>> believe DEC's advertising this goes to one of the PDP's, I don't remember
>> which one. I don't think it was a -8 or -11, and it's been over four years
>> since I was last to the museum so my memory isn't the best. They showed
>> the computer being in the back of a convertible IIRC, and actually had the
>> computer there at the musuem. Big sucker.
>
>Wasn't there a DEC ad showing a PDP-8 fitting in the trunk (boot, or is
>that a hood or bonnet?) of a VW bug? Would that qualify it as portable?
Don't know about that one, but the PDP-8/i was available in a (rarely seen)
'pedistal' configuration that would have been fairly easy to move around,
and the PDP-8/e/f/m came in a 'desktop' configuration that even had handles
on the side. (the 'major' qualification for something to be considered
'portable'). At about 90 pounds for the complete (core, no disks)
configuration, it could be moved with minimal pain by two people...
-jim
---
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Received on Sun Jan 11 1998 - 23:38:27 GMT