Today, laptops are an integral part of our lives: we work on them, study, communicate and have fun. But few people realize that 50 years ago, portable computers seemed like a fantasy. First laptop weighed more than 10 kg, cost as much as a car and had characteristics that would seem ridiculous today. So when did this revolutionary gadget appear?

The answer is not as clear-cut as it might seem. The fact is that the term “laptop” (from English. notebook - “notebook”) took hold later, and the first portable computers were called differently: laptop (“kneeling”), portable computer (“laptop”) or even luggable (“dragged”) In this article, we will look at what devices claim to be the “first laptop,” how they evolved, and why modern laptops became the way they are.

1975–1981: The "ancestral" era - the first portable computers

Historians of technology often argue which device can be considered the first laptop computer. Most agree that the era began with IBM 5100 (1975) - a machine weighing 25 kg, which could be carried in a special suitcase. However, it was more of a “portable” computer than a real laptop.

It became closer to the modern understanding Osborne 1 (1981), weighing “only” 10.7 kg. Its creator Adam Osborne, marketed the device as "the first true laptop for business." Osborne 1 had a 5-inch monochrome screen, 64 KB of RAM and two 5.25-inch floppy drives. Price - $1,795 (about $6,000 in 2026 terms).

  • 💻 IBM 5100 (1975) - 25 kg, price ~$20,000, PALM processor (1.9 MHz), 16–64 KB RAM
  • 📺 Osborne 1 (1981) - 10.7 kg, 5" screen, Z80 processor (4 MHz), 64 KB RAM
  • 🔋 Epson HX-20 (1982) - 1.6 kg, the first with an LCD screen and battery
⚠️ Warning: Many of the "first laptops" of the 1970s and 1980s were technically terminals or microcomputers, requiring connection to the mainframe. Fully standalone portable PCs only appeared in the early 1980s.
📊 Which of the first portable computers surprises you the most?
  • IBM 5100 (25 kg, 1975)
  • Osborne 1 (10 kg, 1981)
  • Epson HX-20 (1.6 kg, 1982)
  • Grid Compass (5 kg, 1982)
  • I don't know

1982–1985: Grid Compass Revolution and emergence of the cloned standard

The real breakthrough came in 1982, when the company Grid Systems released Grid Compass 1101 - a device that many historians call first real laptop. Its features:

  • 🖥️ Electroluminescent screen (not CRT!)
  • 🔋 Built-in nickel-cadmium battery (working time up to 10 hours)
  • 💾 340 KB of internal memory (without disk drive)
  • ⚡ Weight 5 kg (including charger)

Grid Compass cost $8,000–$10,000 and was used by NASA in the Space Shuttle program. But the main thing is that its design (keyboard above the screen, “laptop” layout) has become the standard for future models. In 1984 Compaq released Compaq Portable - The first IBM-compatible portable PC that could be connected to a printer or an external disk drive.

Model Year Weight Processor Features
Grid Compass 1101 1982 5 kg Intel 8086 (8 MHz) First with clamshell design, used by NASA
Compaq Portable 1983 12.5 kg Intel 8088 (4.77 MHz) First IBM-compatible laptop PC
Kaypro II 1982 10 kg Zilog Z80 (2.5 MHz) Popular among journalists, 9-inch screen
💡

If you see it at auction Grid Compass 1101 in working order, it is a rarity and can be worth more than $20,000!

1986–1991: The era of IBM and Toshiba - the birth of the modern laptop

In 1986 IBM presented IBM PC Convertible - the first device to be officially named laptop (notebook computer). It weighed 5.4 kg, had 3.5-inch floppy disks and a backlit LCD screen. But the real revolution was made by a Japanese company Toshiba.

Released in 1989 Toshiba T1000 — the first mass-produced laptop with:

  • 🖥️ Monochrome LCD screen 640×200
  • 💾 3.5-inch drive
  • 🔋Battery for 3-4 hours
  • ⚖️ Weighing 3.3 kg

Its $1,900 price point made the laptops accessible to a wide range of professionals. And in 1991 Apple released PowerBook 100, which laid the foundations for modern design: trackball, front-mounted keyboard, ergonomic shape.

Why did the PowerBook 100 become a cult favorite?

This laptop was developed by the Sony team commissioned by Apple. Its uniqueness lies in its combination of compactness (2.3 kg) and full performance (Motorola 68000 processor). The design of the PowerBook 100 influenced all subsequent laptops, including the modern MacBook.

1992–1999: Technology race - color screens, CD-ROM and Wi-Fi

The 1990s were a time of rapid development for laptops. In 1992 NEC released UltraLite Versa — the first subnotebook weighing less than 2 kg. And in 1994 IBM presented ThinkPad 700C - the first laptop with color TFT screen (640x480, 256 colors). This was a real breakthrough: previously, all laptops had monochrome or passive matrix displays.

Key milestones of the 1990s:

  • 💿 1995 — Toshiba Satellite Pro with CD-ROM (the first laptop with an optical drive)
  • 📡 1997 — IBM ThinkPad 600 with Wi-Fi support (802.11b standard)
  • 🔋 1999 — Dell Latitude CPi with lithium-ion battery (instead of nickel-metal hydride)
⚠️ Warning: Laptops of the 1990s often suffered from overheating problems. For example, Compaq LTE could turn off during prolonged operation due to a weak cooling system. This forced manufacturers to introduce active cooling (fans) at the end of the decade.

Look for models with a TFT screen (not STN)|

Check for PCMCIA port (for upgrade)|

Make sure the battery is not “swollen”|

Test your keyboard - membrane keys often break

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2000–2010: The era of netbooks, ultrabooks and touchscreens

The new millennium began with a boom netbooks — ultra-compact and cheap laptops for the Internet. In 2007 Asus released Eee PC 701 (7-inch screen, 900 g, $299), which sparked a miniaturization race. However, the real revolution was made Apple MacBook Air (2008) - first ultrabook only 1.9 cm thick.

Key innovations of the 2000s:

  • 🌐 2000 — IBM ThinkPad TransNote with touch screen and handwriting input
  • 🔄 2006 — Sony VAIO UX (first UMPC - Ultra-Mobile PC)
  • ☁️ 2010 — Google Chromebook (Chrome OS laptop)

In 2010 Apple presented iPad, which many perceived as a threat to laptops. However, instead of competition, there was convergence: 2-in-1 hybrids appeared (for example, Lenovo Yoga in 2012) and transformers with a detachable keyboard.

2011–2026: The era of thin bezels, ARM processors and AI

Over the past 10 years, the development of laptops has followed several key directions:

  1. Displays: transition to Retina (Apple, 2012), OLED matrices (Dell XPS 13, 2015), refresh rate 120+ Hz (Razer Blade, 2019).
  2. Processors: dominance Intel Core (until 2020), return Apple Silicon (M1, 2020) and growth ARM laptops (Microsoft Surface Pro X).
  3. Design: frameless screens (Dell XPS 13 InfinityEdge, 2015), folding displays (Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, 2020).
  4. Autonomy: laptops with operating time up to 20 hours (MacBook Air M1, 2020).

Today, the lines between laptops, tablets and smartphones are blurring. For example, Microsoft Surface Neo (2026) with two screens or Asus ZenBook Fold with a 17-inch flexible display show that the evolution is not yet complete.

💡

Modern laptops have become 80% thinner and 10 times more powerful than models of the 1990s, while their price in terms of inflation has decreased by 2-3 times.

Myths and misconceptions about the first laptop

There are many myths surrounding the history of laptop computers. Let's look at the most common ones:

  • 🚫 Myth 1: “The first laptop was released by Apple.”
    Reality: Apple released PowerBook only in 1991, when the market had already formed.
  • 🚫 Myth 2: "Osborne 1 was commercially successful."
    Reality: Company Osborne Computer went bankrupt in 1983 due to marketing mistakes.
  • 🚫 Myth 3: “Laptops in the 1980s were slower than desktops.”
    Reality: Grid Compass 1101 (1982) with processor Intel 8086 (8 MHz) was ahead of many desktop computers of the time.

Another misconception is that the first laptops were strictly business tools. In fact, gaming portable PCs were already appearing in the 1980s, e.g. Tandy 1000 HX (1987) with support for games like King’s Quest.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the history of laptops

🔍 Why were the first laptops so heavy?

Main reasons:

  • 🔋 Use of lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries (weighed up to 2 kg).
  • 🖥️ CRT screens (in early models) or passive LCD matrices with backlight.
  • 💾 Mechanical hard drives and drives (3.5-inch weighed ~300 g).
  • 🛠️ Housing made of metal or thick plastic to protect against vibrations.

It wasn't until the mid-1990s that engineers learned how to reduce weight using lithium-ion batteries and thin-film transistors (TFTs).

💰 How much did the first laptop cost in modern money?

Prices for the first laptop computers (adjusted for inflation for 2026):

  • IBM 5100 (1975) — ~20 000$ → ~$120,000 today.
  • Osborne 1 (1981) — 1795$ → ~6000$ today.
  • Grid Compass 1101 (1982) — 8000$ → ~$25,000 today.
  • Toshiba T1000 (1989) — 1900$ → ~$4500 today.

For comparison: flagship MacBook Pro 2026 costs ~$3500, which is 3–4 times cheaper than the “first laptops”, adjusted for inflation.

🖥️ What was the first Windows laptop?

The first laptop with pre-installed Windows became Compaq SLT/286 (1988) from Windows 2.1. However, mass distribution began with Windows 3.0 (1990) on models like Toshiba T3100.

Interesting fact: Windows 95 (1995) became the first OS optimized for laptops - it included support APM (Advanced Power Management) to save battery power.

🔋 When did laptops learn to run on battery power for longer than 1 hour?

The evolution of autonomy:

  • 1980s: 30–60 minutes (nickel-cadmium batteries).
  • 1990s: 2–4 hours (nickel-metal hydride batteries).
  • 2000s: 4–6 hours (lithium-ion batteries).
  • 2010s: 8–12 hours (processor optimization + lithium polymer batteries).
  • 2020s: 15–20 hours (Apple M1/M2, Intel Evo).

Became a record holder MacBook Air M1 (2020) with a runtime of up to 18 hours when watching video.

🎮 When did gaming laptops appear?

First attempts to create gaming laptop date back to the late 1990s, but they were unsuccessful due to overheating. The breakthrough occurred in the 2000s:

  • 🎮 2004 — Alienware Area-51m (the first laptop with a discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce Go).
  • 🔥 2008 — Dell XPS M1730 (the first with two GPUs in SLI configuration).
  • 💥 2012 — Razer Blade (the first thin gaming laptop with a thickness of 22 mm).

Today gaming laptops (eg. ASUS ROG Zephyrus) are not inferior to desktop PCs in terms of performance.