BPN 1731: Iconic laptop computers auctioned

On Friday, February 17th, 2017 the European auction site Catawiki Computer Collectibles auctioned off two vintage laptop computers: an Olivetti M-10 and a Tandy Radio Shack Model 200. The two icons were auctioned with a difference of 74 euros. 

Both laptops are icons of a time when portable computers were more lugables weighing about 10 kg. Around 1982 to 1984 light weight laptop computers arrived, ranging between  1.5 and 2 kg. From 1983 onwards the ultimate form for a laptop computer was sought. A family of laptop computers manufactured by Kyocera shows the development. The NEC 8201A and the Tandy Radio Shack Model 100 came on the market in Europe in 1983. They were later followed by the Olivetti M-10 and Tandy Radio Shack Model 200.

Above left: NEC 8201A (on loan from Hans van Nieuwkerk; photograph: Collection Jak Boumans); top right: Tandy Radio Shack Model 100 (computer and photograph: Collection Jak Boumans), bottom left: Olivetti M-10 (Catawiki); below right: Tandy Radio Shack Model 200 (Catawiki)

Both laptops are icons of a time when portable computers were more lugables weighing about 10 kg. Around 1982 to 1984 light weight laptop computers arrived, ranging between  1.5 and 2 kg. From 1983 onwards the ultimate form for a laptop computer was sought. A family of laptop computers manufactured by the Japanese Kyocera shows the development. The NEC 8201A and the Tandy Radio Shack Model 100 came on the market in Europe in 1983. They were later followed by the Olivetti M-10 and Tandy Radio Shack Model 200.

The case of the first two laptop computer had a keyboard on top and a 8-line screen.But in contrast to the NEC 8201A and Tandy Radio Shack Model 100,Italian manufacturer Olivetti ordered a model with a separate movable screen of 8-lines. The Tandy Radio Shack Model 200 however had a separate movable screen the size of the case, offering a 16-line screen. In this way the Tandy Radio Shack Model 200 became the prototype for the laptop. 

At the auction there was a slight competition between a laptop computer design and a prototype laptop while basically the case was the same, be it different with memory specifications. The design laptop computer took only 26 euros at auction, while the Tandy Radio Shack Model 200 yielded 100 euros, while the auctioneer estimated the portable computer could fetch 50 to 260 euros. 

It is amazing to see two vintage laptop computers, so iconic because of their movable screens, showed such a difference in price.

BPN 1122 Small, smaller, smallest

I have been working with my ASUS EEE for two weeks now. And I am discovering all kind of details. Bit by bit I discover how the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) works. Internet by LAN was no problem. Internet by WiFi started to work fine, when my WiFi device got hooked up properly. And the first Skype session with the UMPC, linking to a relative, was a success. It has also given me the occasion to look back at my earlier mobile PCs.

My first portable PC was a Tandy-Zenith Model 100. For its time, 1983, it was great. It was a lightweight PC. Its specs were, according to the Wikipedia:
- Processor: Eight-bit Intel 80C85, CMOS, 2.4 MHz
- Mine had a 32K read-only memory, 32K static random-access memory.
- Display: Eight lines, forty characters LCD with 240 by 64 pixel addressable graphics. The screen was not backlit.
- Peripherals: The basic package included: Built-in 300 baud modem, parallel printer port, serial communication port (shared by internal modem), bar-code reader input, cassette audio tape, real-time clock.
- Dimensions: 300 by 215 mm by 50 mm, mass about 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb) with batteries
- Power supply: Four penlight (AA) cells, or external power adapter 6V (>180 mA, tip negative configuration).
- The Model 100 was promoted as being able to run up to 20 hours and maintain memory up to 30 days on a set of four alkaline AA batteries.
Given the time frame the PC had some interesting aspects. The 1.4 kilograms was unknown in that time; lugables like the Osborne and KayPro were en vogue for early adaptors like consultants. In these days of Giga memories you would not believe that the machine had only 32K memory. Can you imagine that in 1985 I wrote the Online Handboek (a Dutch language pocket of 125 pages) on it; when I delivered it on diskette and on paper at the publisher, he had it retyped!

The real first UMPC for me was a Sony Vaio PCG-C1F, which I bought in 1999. Funny thing is that Sony called it a Notebook Computer. It was very portable, ad it had the dimensions of a lady’s purse. Just look at the specs:
- Processor: Intel Pentium MMX 266 Mhz
- Memory: 64MB, upgradeable to 128MB
- Hard disk: 4.3Gb
- Display: 8.9" TFT Ultra Wide XGA 1024x480
- Peripherals: modem 4 in 1 PC Card Modem
- Weight: 1100 grams
- Dimensions: 240mm x 37mm x 140 mm
- Power supply: PCGA-AC5E; PCGA-BP11
It was a fabulous UMPC: a real lightweight; had a good keyboard. With the screens I had problems; it was difficult to link it to a beamer (while this was the reason for buying it). It was also one of the first, perhaps the first one with a camera. I started to use this feature by photographing people present at meeting.

Now I am using the ASUS EEE (Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play). It is real UMPC, although some computer magazine still us the term sub notebooks (like the Sony Vaio). The specs:
- Type processor: Intel Celeron M
- RAM geheugen: 512MB
- Harde schijf: 4Gb
- Display: 800 x 480 pixels
- Intern modem
- Weight: 0,92 kg
- Dimensions: 4 x 22,5 x16,5 cm
- Webcam: built in
- Wifi
As I am text oriented, this PC is great. I can produce my blogs, transfer my pics get online via Land or Wifi. As a travelling PC, it suffices. So far I have not had any problems with Linux and the programs. The only small problem has occurred with exchanging files from USB sticks, which was a little bit laborious.

Blog Posting Number: 1122

Tags: sub-notebook, UMPC

My museum of content related artefacts (20)

1983: Tandy TRS Model 100

I consider the Tandy TRS-80 Model 100 (serial number 305100123) as one of centre pieces of my museum. It was one of the first portable PCs, which had everything. The Model 100 came with:
- Microsoft BASIC programming language;
- word processing software;
- telecommunications software;
- built-in 300 baud modem.
(Nice detail is that Bill Gates wrote a significant amount of the code; in fact it was the last piece of code he wrote as said in the Bill Gates Interview from the Smithsonian Institute).

This portable computer was introduced in 1982. It was made by Kyocera, and originally sold in Japan as the Kyotronic 85, although it was at first a slow seller. The rights to the machine were purchased by Tandy Corporation, and the computer was sold through the Radio Shack distribution chain in the US. It was also sold as the Olivetti M-10 and the NEC PC-8201.

There was no boot up routine. The Model 100 was in operation as soon as you flipped the on switch and selected an application (enlarge the photograph of the machine to see the menu). The ROM contained a terminal program, TELCOM; an address/phone book organizer, ADDRSS; a to-do list organizer, SCHEDL; and a simple text editor, TEXT. The TELCOM program allows automation of a login sequence to a time sharing system under control of the BASIC interpreter. Although this A4 size machine was much larger, the Model 100 actually bears a close resemblance to modern PDA's.

It was a nice portable PC of 1,5 kilo. At the time that the Moidel 100 came onto the market, there were only lugables of 10 kilo or more such as the Osborne and Kaypro. Of course these lugables were fully equiped with floppy disc drives and a lot more internal memory. But a decent portable was not on the market.

And can you believe that it worked for 20 hours with only 4 AA batteries; there was of course an external power adaptor. You could also link the machine to a printer. It had also a cover for transport, so you could take it along. I still remember people looking up in the London underground, not because of the novelty, but because of the noise the keys made. It was a fine machine. Whenever I still have it in my hands and turn it on, I still consider it fabulous, despite the screen with eight line and the 32K internal memory. More than 6,000,000 units were sold worldwide.

The feature that attracted me most was the telecom. The modem was built in and the software was pre-loaded. So whenever you could connect to a telephone line, there was a chance that you could reach a host like Dialog or mail server like BT Telecom Gold. I used the Model 100 a lot on my business trips to the UK and in 1986 I even wrote a book (see photograph of cover) on it. Whenever I reached the limit of memory, I loaded the text off to the mail server and picked it up later on the company’s Superbrain.

I saw the Tandy TRS Model 100 for the first time in London in 1982 when I and a colleague had dinner with a US guy. He had worked for Westinghouse, a telecom company which was much into e-mail services. Once the software was operational Don saw great opportunities and started to work as a freelancer. And he hit the million dollar bucket in less than two years. He produced complete accounting report systems for companies. And one of his group of clients was the rock music bands. He treated this very confidentially. But one of his clients was David Bowie. For his tours he had developed a report system from the preparation team, the roadies to the stage team. When the concert was over, the manager could see how much money they had made that night.

I wrote this blog on the Tandy TRS Model 100 and sent it to Blogger.

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Blog Posting Number: 829

Tags: digital heritage