Osborne 1
A 24-pound portable computer sold with software included, shown in April 1981.
Adam Osborne introduced the Osborne 1 at the West Coast Computer Faire in April 1981. Lee Felsenstein designed the hardware. The machine had a Z80 processor, a five-inch screen, two floppy disk drives and a keyboard that folded up as a lid. It weighed about 24 pounds.
The price of $1,795 included WordStar, SuperCalc and other software. Osborne announced newer models while the Osborne 1 was still selling, and customers delayed buying. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1983, an episode known as the Osborne effect.
Why it matters
The Osborne 1 was the first commercially successful portable computer and showed that bundling software could be a selling point.
Key facts
- Introduced in April 1981.
- Weighed about 24 pounds.
- Priced at $1,795 with software included.
- Company went bankrupt in 1983.
Sources
- Campbell-Kelly, Martin, and William Aspray, et al. Computer: A History of the Information Machine. 3rd ed. Westview Press, 2013.
- Freiberger, Paul, and Michael Swaine. Fire in the Valley. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2000.
- Osborne, Adam, and John Dvorak. Hypergrowth: The Rise and Fall of Osborne Computer Corporation. Idthekkethan, 1984.