was similar in size to a sewing machine and required a power outlet to run. Early business adapters were intrigued, but ultimately it failed due to unwieldy size and an inability to run on battery power.
http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://oldcomputers.net/osborne.html
1982: GRID Compass debuted. The first real laptop, the GRID Compass was truly portable, with the folding design we know today and the ability to operate on battery alone. The GRID Compass was expensive and incompatible with IBM, so it was therefore used almost solely by NASA. Nevertheless, it was pivotal in the history of the laptop computer.
http://augmentedrealitywiki.com/images/d/d4/Grid-Compass.jpg
1983: Compaq Portable and Epson HX-20 introduced. The Compaq Portable was the first laptop compatible with the IBM operating system and MS-DOS, making it easy to switch data back and forth between laptops and desktop computers. However, the Epson HX-20 had an edge in that it operated on rechargeable batteries, whereas the Compaq Portable required a power outlet. These were the first commercially successful laptops.
http://www.cedmagic.com/history/compaq-portable.jpg
1983: Kyocera Kyotronic 85 released. One of the most wildly popular early laptops, the Kyocera Kyotronic 85 was small and inexpensive, running on AA batteries and measuring about the size of a paper notebook. With some of the first commercial Microsoft programs and an internal modem, the Kyotronic set the tone for laptops to come, although it lacked the traditional laptop clamshell case.
http://oldcomputers.net/pics/trs80-100.jpg
1986: IBM launches its first laptop. IBM was the standard for desktop computers, so laptops had to be IBM compatible to be viable in the marketplace. IBM launched the IBM PC Convertible in 1986 to moderate success.
http://www.computercloset.org/IBM_PC_Convertible.jpg
1987: Toshiba laptop introduced. Like the IBM portable, the Toshiba T1000 and T1200 included IBM compatibility and MS-DOS. These laptops were lightweight and small, but still not commercially successful.
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/toshiba_t1000_from-toshiba_1.jpg
1987: Zenith Data Systems won an important US Air Force contract. ZDS won a bid to produce 200,000 laptops for the US Air Force in 1987. This was a noteworthy development because ZDS partnered with Japanese manufacturers to produce hardware and reduce costs.
http://www.nadbor.pwr.wroc.pl/yesterpc/Hardware/Heathkit%20SupersportSX/slideshow/IMG_1151.JPG
1988: Compaq SLT/286 introduced VGA graphics. Compaq was the first laptop manufacturer to produce a machine that could display VGA graphics. It was lightweight and battery-powered with an internal hard drive.
http://www.obsolete-tears.com/photos/Compaq-SLT286-Ouvert.jpg
1989: Macintosh Portable was the first Apple laptop. The first Apple laptops were large and bulky and not particularly successful, but marked Apple's foray into the laptop market.
http://www.newlaunches.com/entry_images/0307/22/macintosh_portable.jpg
1991: Apple PowerBook brought Apple into the laptop age. Unlike the Macintosh Portable, the PowerBook was truly portable. The PowerBook also included a palm rest and a pointing device, which became the standard for future laptop designs.
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/10/powerbook100.jpg
Information from: http://www.life123.com/technology/computer-hardware/laptop/laptop-computer-history.shtml
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