The Osborne 1 is the first commercially successful portable computer, released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation. It weighs 24.5 lb (11.1 kg), cost US$1,795, and runs the CP/M 2.2 operating system. It is powered from a wall socket, as it has no on-board battery, but it is still classed as a portable device since it can be hand-carried when the keyboard is closed.
Osborne 1
Later model Osborne 1 with the redesigned case
The 500+ page Osborne 1 user manual contains instructions on the hardware, WordStar, SuperCalc, BASIC software and the CP/M operating system and utilities
ADVENT (Colossal Cave Adventure) running on an Osborne Computer c. 1982
A portable computer is a computer designed to be easily moved from one place to another, as opposed to those designed to remain stationary at a single location such as desktops and workstations. These computers usually include a display and keyboard that are directly connected to the main case, all sharing a single power plug together, much like later desktop computers called all-in-ones (AIO) that integrate the system's internal components into the same case as the display. In modern usage, a portable computer usually refers to a very light and compact personal computer such as a laptop, subnotebook or handheld PC, while touchscreen-based handheld ("palmtop") devices such as tablet, phablet and smartphone are called mobile devices instead.
The Compaq Portable, one of the first IBM PC compatible systems
A military-type mobile computer housed in a reinforced case
A portable computer with three LCD screens
A portable computer with one 20.1-inch LCD screen, EATX motherboard