History of Computers - Osborne 1

Page created by Lacey Rybarczyk

The Osborne 1 was the first market successful portable personal computer.

Overview

The Osborne 1 pioneered a new type of computer. The Osborne 1 was the first portable computer created that was commercially successful. It was sold well and at a reasonable price. Other companies had created portable computers previously such as the Xerox Notetaker (History of Computers- Xerox Notetaker) but no one had been able to execute it and sell the idea well until the Osborne 1. The Osborne 1 was released in 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation.^[2] It was created by Adam Osborne and was considered to have been the first true portable computer. The Osborne 1 had a carrying handle, optional battery pack and closed up for protection. It cost cost $ 1795 US dollars. ^[3] It also contained two floppy drives, which were necessary at the time because all portable memory was transfered by floppy disks since CD-ROMs and portable memory sticks had not been created yet. Although all of these new features seemed proved revolutionary, the Osborne 1 also had its disadvantages. The Osborne 1's screen was tiny is comparison to today's computers, it had a 5" diagonal. The small screen also inhibited the screen to holding fifty-two characters per line of text. Although the small screen was inconvenient for the user it was a necessity because a if a bigger screen had been used it would have been heavier and more susceptible to breaking. Also although the Osborne 1 was a portable personal computer it still needed an external power source and weighed twenty-four pounds. The Osborne 1 would later be succeeded by the 1983 Osborne Executive, which contained a larger screen and lower-profile disk drives. ^[4]

Significance

The Osborne 1 pioneered the way for a new type of computers, portable personal computers. Although it may not have been the most "portable" computer due to its size and weight , its success showed the interest in a computer that was able to be relocated and used on the go. The Osborne 1 proved that a portable computer could be successful in todays society and would help pave the way for today's portable computers, which have become extremely popular in todays society. The Osborne 1 was also the first microcomputer that contained application software when purchased. It contained the WordStar word processor, SuperCalc spreadsheet, and the CBASIC and MBASIC programming languages—all software packages.^[5] The Osborne 1 ultimately was the first successful portable personal computer that showed portable personal computers could be successful in today's society.