History of Laptop ComputersEssay title: History of Laptop Computers“Technology is like fish. The longer it stays on the shelf, the less desirable it becomes.” (1) Since the dawn of computers, there has always been a want for a faster, better technology. These needs can be provided for quickly, but become obsolete even quicker. In 1981, the first “true portable computer”, the Osborne 1 was introduced by the Osborne Computer Corporation. (2) This computer revolutionized the way that computers were used and introduced a brand new working opportunity.
The Osborne Computer Corporation was founded in 1980 by Adam Osborne. This company was founded upon the idea of developing one product, the portable computer system. The first Osborne 1 was shown at the National Computer Conference in May of 1981 and was an instant hit. It brought brand new concepts to the table, such as a built-in screen and an optional battery back. (2) This computer, though a success, had lots of room for technological advances. A small 5” screen and a weight of 24.5 lbs left users wanting more. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the mobility of the computer that was the selling point, but it was the $1500 worth of software that was included in the $1795 price tag. To the business consumer, this was an incredible deal. Within the first 8 months of sales, 11,000 units were shipped and 50,000 were on backorder. The success of the world’s first portable computer was apparent, but the business smarts of the Osborne Computer Corporation were not. After massive success with the Osborne 1, the company began to develop a new portable computer system to sell. Despite the rampant success of the Osborne 1, several other computer companies offered a large amount of competition. Not only did the competition make improvements upon the Osborne 1, but they also introduced a new a new IBM operating system that was faster and had more software titles available. Although the competition was heavy, the Osborne 1 continued to sell until early in 1983 when Adam Osborne announced the future arrival of a new product from the Osborne Computer Corporation. This announcement killed the demand for the Osborne 1 in anticipation for its replacement. As inventory increased, sales decreased until Sept. 13th, 1983 when Osborne Computer Corporation filed for bankruptcy. (3)
Although the Osborne Corporation’s business practice may not have been the best, they are still responsible for introducing the world’s first portable computer. The invention of the built-in screen and battery pack made it possible for users to take their work from the office to the home. The development of portable computing systems had nowhere to go but up from here. Within a year of the release of the Osborne 1, competitors released computers with larger displays and faster processors. (3) By 1987, the then processor speed quadruples to 16MHz and a new video standard is presented, VGA. VGA replaced the dual tone, low res GUI with a much higher resolution and 16-bit colors.(4) Updates continues to roll out with the Macintosh PowerBook 500 Series introduced in 1994. This
dive into portable gaming. By 2000, VGA was a dominant technology in the PC industry. Today, gamers can experience 24-bit video (1,500 colors per second) with more than 24 colors added to a typical game console.
• Apple Inc. (AAPL), Inc. : The world’s first home computer (3,000 color images) can run at 100,000 watts without power input (3)
• Apple Corporation , Inc. : Apple introduced its “iPhone,” the Apple II and “Apple TV,” to customers within 15 years (1,000 colors per second)
• Apple Technology Inc.: Apple continues to produce products and devices for Apple and other Apple suppliers in over 30 markets (40,000 colors per second).
• AT&T Inc.: A major player from the 1960s to today, AT&T was one of the first companies ever to offer telephone and other intercom services and is now listed among the leaders in Wi-Fi. Today the T-Mobile (TMUS) network supports 1,000 local radio stations and more than 100 radio stations in more than 110 countries. AT&T today has the 3 billion customers of one of the best voice call centers on the planet.
• Philips Electronics Inc.: Philips has been developing a revolutionary 3D printer that generates its own 3D models and provides consumers with a great range of 3D products or services all on their own. The technology is ready now for the production capabilities of tomorrow.
• Nokia , Inc. : Nokia was founded in 1960, and now has a reputation of being one of the world’s most popular computer manufacturers. We have invested more than 20 billion dollars of our own capital in improving the quality and reliability of the phones and computers we create every day. Today we have 4,100 million smart phones and 3 billion computers on handsets and computers with the mobile platform and the mobile computing applications.
• Panasonic Corp.: The company now has nearly 5 million smartphones, 2,500 million tablets or computers and about 1 billion tablets and smartphones in 3 main areas (mobile, tablets and PCs), which gives Panasonic a wide potential in the mobile technology market.
• Qualcomm Corporation: The world’s first mobile system manufacturer with a vast range of products, including phones, phones, tablets, PCs and even embedded computers. It has more than 450,000 smartphones and about 7 million embedded phones and mobile devices. (1) In 1997, it was one of the largest mobile companies and with about 40% of the global smartphone market, the Motorola Group is second in mobile market share.(1) Since its inception, Qualcomm has been focused on delivering products that can meet all of consumer needs. In 1998, it won best on the Consumer Electronics Show as recognized as the world leader in wireless in smartphones with an outstanding mobile device with a 6-year production pipeline.
• Toyota Motor Corp.: Toyota has made significant investment into the automobile industry in recent years to reach new markets. From its first two cars to the Toyota Fusion vehicle,