Today, laptops are an integral part of our lives: we work on them, study, have fun and communicate. But few people think that first laptop computers weighed tens of kilograms, cost as much as a car and had the capabilities of a modern calculator. When did he appear first real laptop, and why did its creation become a revolution?

The answer to the question “when did the first laptop come out” is not as clear as it seems. The fact is that the term “laptop” (notebook) appeared later, and the first portable devices were called laptop computers or even “backpacks with electronics.” In this article we will look at the exact release date of the first commercial laptop - IBM 5100 (1975), and also trace the evolution from 25-kilogram monsters to ultra-light devices of the 2020s.

1975: IBM 5100 - the first laptop computer in history

Officially the first laptop in the world considered IBM 5100 Portable Computer, presented in September 1975. However, calling it a “laptop” in the modern sense is hard to come by: the device weighed 24 kg, was the size of a suitcase and cost $8975 (about $45 000 in terms of 2026).

Despite the dimensions, IBM 5100 was revolutionary:

  • 🔋 Autonomous operation: The built-in battery made it possible to use it without an outlet (albeit only for 2–3 hours).
  • 📟 Built-in display: monochrome 5 inch screen with resolution 16x64 characters.
  • 💾 Memory: from 16 KB to 64 KB RAM (for comparison, a modern smartphone has ~8 million KB).
  • 🖥️ Programming languages: supported BASIC And APL "out of the box".

Interesting fact: IBM 5100 was developed for the military and engineers, but found application even in NASA. For example, it was used for calculations when preparing missions Space Shuttle. However, the device was not available to the general consumer, both in price and functionality.

📊 How much do you think the first laptop weighed?
  • Less than 5 kg
  • 5–10 kg
  • 10–20 kg
  • More than 20 kg

1981: Osborne 1 - the first commercially successful “portable” PC

If IBM 5100 was a pioneer, then Osborne 1 (released in April 1981) became the first mass-produced laptop computer. Its creator Adam Osborne, set the goal of making a device that can be carried on an airplane - and he succeeded! Weight Osborne 1 made up 10.7 kg, and the price is $1795.

What was remarkable about him:

  • 📚 Full keyboard (unlike IBM 5100, where she was miniature).
  • 💾 Two disk drives for 5.25-inch floppy disks (a luxury at that time!).
  • 📺 Screen: still the same monochrome, but narrower 5 inches with permission 52x24 characters.
  • 🔋 Autonomy: operation from mains or battery (up to 1 hour).

The main secret of success Osborne 1 — software. Included were WordStar (text editor), SuperCalc (spreadsheets) and even two games. This made it attractive to businessmen and journalists. However, a year later the company Osborne Computer went bankrupt due to mistakes in marketing - but that's another story.

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If you ever see Osborne 1 at an auction, don’t rush to buy: its screen fades over time, and the batteries have long lost their capacity. Better look at it like a museum piece!

1982–1984: era Compaq Portable, Kaypro II and the struggle for the standard

After success Osborne 1 The laptop market has exploded. B 1982–1984 models have appeared that we can already call “laptop prototypes”:

Model Year of manufacture Weight Price (USD) Features
Compaq Portable 1982 12.5 kg 2995 The first 100% IBM PC compatible laptop
Kaypro II 1982 13 kg 1595 Metal case, built-in modem
Epson HX-20 1983 1.6 kg 795 First real laptop with LCD screen
Sharp PC-5000 1983 3 kg 1295 The first portable PC with MS-DOS

Stands apart Epson HX-20 - it is often called first real laptop due to compactness. The device weighed only 1.6 kg, had 120x32 pixel LCD screen and worked from Ni-Cd batteries up to 50 hours! True, its capabilities were modest: BASIC, a simple text editor and 16 KB of memory.

⚠️ Attention: if you see it on sale Epson HX-20 at a lower price $500, most likely it is a fake. Original copies in good condition are worth $1000–3000 and are a collector's item.

1985: Toshiba T1100 - the first mass-produced laptop in the modern sense

Exactly Toshiba T1100, Released in 1985, has become the device that we associate with laptops today. Its features:

  • 📏 Weight: 4 kg (twice lighter Compaq Portable).
  • 💻 Processor: Intel 8088 (clock frequency 4.77 MHz).
  • 🖥️ Screen: monochrome CGA with permission 640×200.
  • 💾 Storage: two disk drives for 3.5-inch floppy disks
  • 🔋 Autonomy: up to 3 hours from Ni-Cd battery.

Toshiba T1100 became the first laptop that could comfortable to place on your lap (hence the name laptop). He worked under MS-DOS, making it compatible with most programs of the time. I wonder what Toshiba specially designed for him shockproof housing, since the device was positioned for business trips.

Why Toshiba T1100 didn't have a hard drive?

In 1985, laptop hard drives were too expensive and unreliable. Floppy disk drives were used instead. The first laptops with HDD appeared only in 1986–1987 (for example, Zenith Data Systems SupersPort).

1989–1991: revolution Apple And IBM - the birth of modern laptops

By the end of the 1980s, laptops became smaller, but still remained expensive and bulky. Two models changed the situation:

  1. Apple Macintosh Portable (1989) - the first portable Mac with a graphical interface. Weighed 7.2 kg, had 9.8 inch screen with resolution 640×400 and cost $6500. The main disadvantage is no screen backlight (had to use external light).
  2. IBM ThinkPad 700 (1992) is a legendary series that set the standards for business laptops. Weight 3.5 kg, TrackPoint (red “pacifier” instead of a touchpad), modular design. Exactly ThinkPad became a symbol of reliability for the next 20 years.

Key changes occurred during this period:

  • 🔄 Appeared color screens (for example, in Toshiba T4400 1991).
  • 💾 Hard drives have become the standard (capacity 20–40 MB).
  • 🔋 Lithium-ion batteries have begun to displace Ni-Cd.
  • 🖱️ Touchpads and trackpoints have appeared.

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1991 was a turning point: it was then that laptops ceased to be a “toy for the rich” and began to be widely used in business and education.

Evolution after the 1990s: from Netbook to Ultrabook

The 1990s and 2000s brought the explosive development of laptops. Here are the key milestones:

  • 📱 1995: IBM ThinkPad 701 with sliding keyboard (Butterfly keyboard).
  • 🌐 1999: the first laptop with Wi-Fi (Apple iBook).
  • 💼 2007: era netbook (Asus Eee PC 701 — 7-inch screen, weight 0.9 kg).
  • ⚡ 2011: standard Ultrabook from Intel (thin, light, with SSD).
  • 🎮 2017: gaming laptops with NVIDIA Maxwell/Pascal (For example, MSI GT75 Titan).

Today laptops are divided into categories:

  • 📒 Ultrabooks (1–1.5 kg, battery for 10+ hours).
  • 🎯 Gaming (video cards RTX 40-series, screen 240 Hz).
  • 🖥️ Replacement desktops (processors Intel Core i9/AMD Ryzen 9).
  • 💼 Business class (Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell Latitude).

⚠️ Attention: If you're looking for a vintage laptop for your collection, avoid models with Ni-Cd batteries - they swell and leak, damaging the board. It is better to choose devices with Ni-MH or early Li-ion batteries (for example, IBM ThinkPad 600 1998).

FAQ: answers to popular questions about the first laptops

🔍 Why IBM 5100 not considered a “real” laptop?

IBM 5100 was rather portable terminalthan a laptop in the modern sense. It had no operating system (only built-in BASIC/APL), did not support external devices and weighed as much as a small elephant. They were called "laptops" retroactively when the term became popular in the 1990s.

💰 How much did the first laptop cost in the USSR?

In the Soviet Union, portable computers appeared only in the late 1980s. For example, Electronics MS 1504 (1989, analog Osborne 1) cost about 5000 rubles - this is average salary for 2–3 years. Most Soviet "laptops" were homemade or military designs.

🔋 How long did the first laptops last on battery power?

Autonomy was highly dependent on the model:

  • IBM 5100: 2–3 hours (Ni-Cd).
  • Epson HX-20: Up to 50 hours (thanks to simple processor).
  • Toshiba T1100: 2–3 hours.
  • Apple Macintosh Portable: 8–10 hours (but weighed 7 kg due to lead acid battery).

🖥️ What screen resolution did the first laptops have?

The screens were monochrome and low resolution:

  • IBM 5100: 16x64 characters (actually 128x64 pixels).
  • Osborne 1: 52x24 characters (240x120 pixels).
  • Epson HX-20: 120x32 pixels (LCD screen).
  • Toshiba T1100: 640×200 (CGA, monochrome).

Color screens (VGA, 640×480) appeared only in the late 1980s.

🛠️ Is it possible to launch the first laptop today?

Technically yes, but it will be difficult:

  • 🔌 Problem #1: food. Most older laptops require 110V (not 220V as in Russia).
  • 💾 Problem #2: carriers. Floppy disks 5,25" And 3,5" are no longer produced, and hard drives are failing.
  • 🖥️ Problem #3: screens. B IBM 5100 And Osborne 1 CRT monitors were used, which often burn out.
  • 🔧 Problem #4: renovation. Spare parts for vintage models are almost impossible to find.

If you really need to “feel history”, it is better to visit a computer museum (for example, Computer History Museum in the US) or find an emulator (for example, PCem for IBM PC-compatible laptops).