.jpg) Grid Compass 1101, from 1982 | |
| Developer | Bill Moggridge[1] |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | GRiD Systems Corp. |
| Type | Laptop computer |
| Release date | April 1982 (1982-04) |
| Introductory price | US$8,150 (equivalent to $26,550 in 2024)[2] |
| Operating system | CCOS (Compass Computer Operating System), optionally MS-DOS 2 |
| CPU | Intel 8086 |
| Memory | 256KB[3] |
| Storage | 384KBmagnetic bubble[3][4] |
| Display | 320 × 240 |
| Connectivity | 19-pin "serial", Telephone line+Audio1,200 bit/smodem,GPIB[4] |
| Successor | GridCase 2 |
TheGrid Compass is a family oflaptop computers introduced in 1982 by theGrid Systems Corporation. The design for the Compass was rendered byBill Moggridge. Owing to itsclamshell design—the first in aportable computer—some historians credit the original Compass as the first ever laptop.[5]
This original model of Compass lacked an internal battery compartment, requiringAC power from the wall.[5] Grid sold the succeeding model, the Compass II, in 1984 with an optional external battery unit.[6]: 91 Grid replaced the Compass with theGridCase line in 1985.[7]
Development of the Compass began in 1979, and the main buyer was the U.S. government. NASA used it on the Space Shuttle during the early 1980s, as it was powerful, lightweight, and compact. The military Special Forces also purchased the machine, as it could be used by paratroopers in combat.[8]
Along with theGavilan SC andSharp PC-5000 released the following year, the GRiD Compass established much of the basic design of subsequent laptop computers, although the laptop concept itself owed much to theDynabook project developed atXerox PARC from the late 1960s. GRiD Systems Corporation subsequently earned significant returns on itspatent rights as its innovations became commonplace.
The portableOsborne 1 computer sold at around the same time as the GRiD, was more affordable and more popular, and ran the popularCP/M operating system. But, unlike the Compass, the Osborne was not a laptop and lacked the Compass's refinement and small size.
The Compass ran its own operating system, GRiD-OS. Its specialized software and high price (US$8,000–$10,000) meant that it was limited to specialized applications.
The initial model, the 1101, was introduced in April 1982;[3] The 1100 model designation were never released commercially, but featured in some pre-release marketing material.[9][10] The computer was designed byBritishindustrial designerBill Moggridge.
The design used aclamshell case (where the screen folds flat to the rest of the computer when closed), which was made from a magnesium alloy. The computer featured anIntel 8086processor, a320 × 240-pixelelectroluminescent display, 340-kilobytemagnetic bubble memory, and a1200 bit/smodem. Devices such ashard drives and floppy drives could be connected via theIEEE-488 I/O (also known as GPIB or General Purpose Interface Bus). This port made it possible to connect multiple devices to the addressable device bus. It weighed5 kg (11 lb). The power input is ~110/220 V AC,47–66 Hz,75 W.
The Compass II was released in 1984; known as 1121, 1129, 1131 and 1139 models.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(July 2021) |
| Key people |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | ||
| Other | ||