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IBM PC 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. It was the follow-up to the IBM Portable and was model number 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. The display was capable of resolutions of 80x25 (text), 640x200, and 320x200.

The machine sold very poorly for a number of reasons. The Convertible was heavy, not much faster than the Portable it replaced (despite the newer CMOS processor and use of static RAM), didn't come with traditional PC expansion ports (such as serial ports and a parallel port) without an add-on, and had a hard-to-read, oddly-shaped LCD screen (the first screens lacked a backlight). It also 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.

It was replaced in 1991 by the IBM PS/2 L40 SX, and in Japan by the IBM Personal System/55note, which was the predecessor to the ThinkPad.

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International Business Machines Corporation

Public (NYSE:  IBM )
Founded 1889, incorporated 1911
Headquarters Armonk, New York, USA

Key people Samuel J.
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laptop computer, or simply laptop (also notebook computer or notebook), is a small mobile computer, which usually weighs 2-18 pounds (1-6 kilograms), depending on size, materials, and other factors.

A laptop computer is much smaller than a desktop.
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The IBM Portable Personal Computer 5155 model 68 was an early portable computer developed by IBM after the success of Compaq's suitcase-size portable machine (the Compaq Portable). It was released in February, 1984, and was eventually replaced by the IBM Convertible.
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Intel Corporation

Public (NASDAQ:  INTC , SEHK: 4335 )
Founded 1968 1
Headquarters Santa Clara, California
 United States

Key people Paul S.
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central processing unit (CPU), or sometimes simply processor, is the component in a digital computer capable of executing a program.(Knott 1974) It interprets computer program instructions and processes data.
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Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) ("see-moss", IPA: /ˈsiːmɒs/), is a major class of integrated circuits.
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Intel 8088
Central processing unit

An Intel 8088 microprocessor
Produced: From 1979 to 1982
Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speeds: 4.
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Floppy Disk Drive

8 inch, 5 ¼ inch, and 3.5 inch drives
Date Invented: 1969 (8 inch), 1976 (5 ¼ inch), 1983 (3.5 inch)
Invented By: IBM team led by David Noble
Connects to:
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CGA may stand for:
  • Casual Games Association
  • Certified General Accountant
  • Charitable Gift Annuity
  • CGA Directory of CGA Organizations
  • Christian Gamers Alliance
  • Color Graphics Adapter
  • Column Grid Array, a large surface mounted electronic component

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liquid crystal display (commonly abbreviated LCD) is a thin, flat display device made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector.
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ISA
Industry Standard Architecture

Five 16-bit and one 8-bit ISA slots on a motherboard
Year created: 1981
Created by: IBM
Superseded by: PCI (1993)

Width:

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Modem (from modulate and demodulate) is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information.
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Hard disk drive

An IBM hard disk drive with the metal cover removed. The platters are highly reflective.
Date Invented: September 13 1956
Invented By: An IBM team led by Reynold Johnson
Connects to:
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Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) ("see-moss", IPA: /ˈsiːmɒs/), is a major class of integrated circuits.
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Static random access memory (SRAM) is a type of semiconductor memory. The word "static" indicates that the memory retains its contents as long as power remains applied, unlike dynamic RAM (DRAM) that needs to be periodically refreshed (nevertheless, SRAM should not be
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serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time (contrast parallel port). Throughout most of the history of personal computers, data transfer through serial ports connected the computer to devices such as
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parallel port is a type of socket found on personal computers for interfacing with various peripherals. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port. The IEEE 1284 standard defines the bi-directional version of the port.
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liquid crystal display (commonly abbreviated LCD) is a thin, flat display device made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector.
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This article is about backlights in LCD displays. Backlight is also used to refer to the rear window of an automobile. A third meaning for backlight is the practice of lighting from the back in the context of lighting design.

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286
Central processing unit

An Intel 80286 Microprocessor
Produced: From 1982 to 1986
Common Manufacturers:
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Compaq Computer Corporation was an American personal computer company founded in 1982, and is now a brand name of Hewlett-Packard.

The company was formed by Rod Canion, Jim Harris and Bill Murto — former Texas Instruments senior managers.
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Toshiba Corporation
株式会社東芝

Corporation TYO: 6502 , (LSE:  TOS )
Founded Tokyo, Japan (1904)
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan

Key people Atsutoshi Nishida, President & CEO
Industry Electronics & engineering
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Zenith Electronics Corporation

Electronics
Founded 1918
Headquarters Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA

Revenue US$444.7 million (1999)
Employees 976
Parent LG Group
Website Zenith Electronics

Zenith Electronics Corporation
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ThinkPad is a range of portable laptop and notebook computers originally designed and sold by IBM. Since early 2005 the ThinkPad range has been manufactured and marketed by Lenovo, which purchased the IBM PC division.
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The IBM Portable Personal Computer 5155 model 68 was an early portable computer developed by IBM after the success of Compaq's suitcase-size portable machine (the Compaq Portable). It was released in February, 1984, and was eventually replaced by the IBM Convertible.
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Personal System/2 or PS/2 was IBM's second generation of personal computers. The PS/2 line, released to the public in 1987, was created by IBM in an attempt to recapture control of the PC market by introducing an advanced proprietary architecture.
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