Portability (was: Firsts)

From: Frank McConnell <fmc_at_reanimators.org>
Date: Tue Jan 20 12:29:02 1998

Uncle Roger <sinasohn_at_ricochet.net> wrote:
> I can do better than that -- I've got a Zenith that makes the Kaypro look
> pocket sized. *But* both fold up conveniently, and can be carried with one
> hand. The IBM 5100 (and RS mIII, Commodore Pet, HP 85, etc.) is *not*
> convenient to tote around on a regular basis.

OK, you've mentioned the HP 85, so I'll write about it a bit.

Was the 85 portable? That's a good question. HP apparently thought
it could be pressed into service that way -- I remember the CEs
bringing out a largish travel case containing an 85 with (at least) an
HP-IB interface and some tapes that made it a diagnostic tool and
exerciser for CS/80 disc drives. Of course, they also brought some
other similarly sized travel cases full of 7933 kit and a hand truck
to help move the lot from station wagon to computer room.

But I didn't see that case come up to the computer room unless the CEs
thought they were going to use it to deal with the problem at hand.
Make of that what you will. I read it as: it's easily movable, but
it's not convenient enough to be carried everywhere.

I'm thinking that the 85 was designed at HP's Corvallis site. Were
those responsible thinking of themselves as "Portable Computer
Division" back then?

-Frank McConnell
Received on Tue Jan 20 1998 - 12:29:02 GMT