Osborne 1
[Vin18]
The Osborne 1, introduced in April 1981, was the first commercially successful portable computer-often called the first “luggable” due to its 24.5 lb (11.1 kg) weight and suitcase-style design. Its most notable features included a built-in 5-inch monochrome CRT display, dual 5.25-inch floppy drives, a detachable full-sized keyboard, and a bundled software package valued at nearly the cost of the machine itself. The Osborne 1’s claim to fame was making computing truly portable for business users, setting a new price/performance benchmark, and establishing the practice of bundling valuable software with hardware, which influenced the industry. It was highly popular, selling over 125,000 units during its production run from 1981 to 1983 and peaking at 10,000 units per month.
- Manufacturer: Osborne Computer Corporation
- Type: Luggable (portable) computer
- Release Date: April 1981
- Cost at release: USD $1,795 (CAD ~$7,000 adjusted for inflation)
- MIPS: 0.57 (570 KIPS)
Technical Specifications
- CPU: Zilog Z80 @ 4 MHz
- RAM: 64 KB
- ROM: 4 KB
- Display: 5-inch monochrome CRT, 52 x 24 characters
- Storage: Dual 5.25-inch single-sided, single-density floppy drives (about 91 KB per disk)
- Ports: Parallel (IEEE-488), serial (RS-232C/modem)
- Keyboard: Detachable, full-sized with numeric keypad
- Weight: 24.5 lb (11.1 kg)
- Power: AC only (no built-in battery; aftermarket battery pack available)
Operating System & Programming Languages
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Operating System: CP/M 2.2
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Supported Languages: MBASIC and CBASIC (bundled), and could run other CP/M-compatible languages such as FORTRAN, Pascal, and dBase II
Notables
- The Osborne 1 was the first portable computer to achieve widespread use and is credited with starting the portable/luggable computer market.
- Its bundled software package was nearly equal in value to the hardware, a pioneering marketing move.
- WordStar was bundled with the Osborne 1 at launch and was widely used for text editing, document creation, and word processing tasks on this system.
- The tiny 5-inch screen was often criticized, but the unit’s portability and value offset this drawback for many users.
- The Osborne 1’s premature announcement of a successor (the Osborne Executive) while the Osborne 1 was still selling led to a sharp drop in sales-a phenomenon now known as the “Osborne Effect” in business.
- Nicknamed a “luggable” due to its suitcase-like form factor and weight.
- It was designed to fit under an airplane seat, emphasizing its portability for business travelers.
- No significant Canadian-specific connections are documented in its development or marketing.
Donated by: Arlen Michaels, Andrew Miles