Fergie's Tech Blog

3 April 1986: Happy Birthday, IBM Convertible

The IBM PC Convertible, released April 3, 1986, was IBM's first laptop computer and was also the first IBM computer to utilize the now-standard 3.5" floppy disk. Like modern laptops, it featured power management and the ability to run from batteries.

Also known as the IBM 5140, it utilized an Intel 80c88 CPU (a CMOS version of the Intel 8088) running at 4.77 MHz, 256 kB of RAM (expandable to 512 kB), dual 720 kB 3.5" floppy drives, and a monochrome CGA-compatible LCD screen at a price of $2,000. It weighed 13 pounds and featured a built-in carrying handle.

The PC Convertible had expansion capabilities through a proprietary ISA bus-based port on the rear of the machine. Extension modules, including a small printer and a video output module, could be snapped into place. The machine could also take an internal modem, but there was no room for an internal hard disk.

Pressing the power button on the computer did not turn it off, but put the machine into a "suspend" mode. This avoided the long process of booting up.

The screen was not very tall, so text characters and graphics were compressed vertically, appearing about half their normal height. However, the display was capable of resolutions of 80x25 (text), 640x200, and 320x200.

The machine sold very poorly, because it competed against faster portables based on the Intel 80286 that offered optional hard drives from companies such as Compaq, and laptops from companies such as Toshiba and Zenith that were lighter and offered similar specifications, sometimes at half the price. The screen and keyboard were also widely criticized.

posted by Fergie @ 4/02/2006 10:01:00 PM