{"id":21342,"date":"2025-06-19T10:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T14:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=21342"},"modified":"2025-10-29T14:03:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T18:03:02","slug":"vin80","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin80\/","title":{"rendered":"Epson HX-20"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Epson HX-20<\/h2>\n<p>[Vin80]<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-place-400x400-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-21940 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-place-400x400-1-160x160.png\" alt=\"First Ever icon\" width=\"160\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-place-400x400-1-160x160.png 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-place-400x400-1-240x240.png 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-place-400x400-1-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-place-400x400-1-360x360.png 360w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-place-400x400-1.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>The Epson HX-20, released in 1982, is recognized as the world&#8217;s first truly portable, notebook-sized computer, &#8220;the first laptop&#8221;, featuring a full keyboard, built-in LCD display, integrated dot-matrix printer, and rechargeable batteries that allowed up to 50 hours of use on a single charge. Its claim to fame was pioneering the &#8220;laptop&#8221; form factor, compact and lightweight (about 1.6 kg, A4-sized) with all essential computing features, making it a forerunner of modern mobile PCs and earning it the title of &#8220;the fourth revolution in personal computing&#8221; by BusinessWeek. It sold a remarkable quarter of a million units worldwide and was influential in shaping future portable computers.<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-21378\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Epson HX-20 Laptop\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250620_132054730-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Epson (then Shinshu Seiki Co., Ltd.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Laptop<\/li>\n<li><strong>Model<\/strong>: HX-20<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1982<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $795\u00a0 (CAD ~$2,900 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost with peripherals<\/strong>: USD $1,180 (CAD ~$4,300 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.05 (50 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Dual Hitachi 6301 microprocessors at 614 kHz each<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 16 KB (expandable to 32 KB)<\/li>\n<li><strong>ROM<\/strong>: 32 KB<\/li>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: : 4-line by 20-character LCD (monochrome)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keyboard<\/strong>: Full QWERTY, 68 keys<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Built-in microcassette tape drive (optional)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Printer<\/strong>: Integrated 24-column dot-matrix printer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Power<\/strong>: Rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery (up to 50 hours use)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Size\/Weight<\/strong>: A4-sized, approximately 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ports<\/strong>: RS-232 serial, external cassette, barcode reader, expansion connector<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sound<\/strong>: Piezoelectric beeper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW136206418 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: Proprietary Epson operating system, consisting of the EPSON BASIC interpreter and a monitor program<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong><strong>Supported Languages: <\/strong><\/strong>EPSON BASIC (an extended version of Microsoft BASIC, built-in and primary language). Machine code (via the monitor program, allowing direct memory and register access for low-level programming and debugging)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>It was the world\u2019s first notebook-sized portable computer, earning nicknames like &#8220;the first laptop&#8221; and being hailed as the &#8220;fourth revolution in personal computing&#8221; by BusinessWeek.<\/li>\n<li>Its unique features included a built-in dot-matrix printer and microcassette drive\u2014rare for any portable computer, even today.<\/li>\n<li>The HX-20\u2019s A4-sized footprint and lightweight design (about 1.6 kg) made it truly portable, with up to 50 hours of battery life.<\/li>\n<li>It featured dual Hitachi 6301 CPUs, a full-stroke keyboard, and a 4-line LCD display, though the display was notably small and had a narrow viewing angle.<\/li>\n<li>The HX-20 was available in both silver and cream\/beige colors, with some prototypes in dark grey.<\/li>\n<li>It introduced early concepts like a docking station and supported peripherals such as an acoustic coupler, barcode reader, and external floppy drive.<\/li>\n<li>Despite its technical innovation and initial acclaim, it was not a major commercial success outside Japan and is now a prized collectible among vintage computer enthusiasts.<\/li>\n<li>The HX-20 paved the way for later portable computers, influencing the design of future laptops and mobile PCs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21348 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20.jpg\" alt=\"Epson HX-20 Ad\" width=\"800\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20-240x337.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20-400x562.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20-160x225.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20-768x1078.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/Werbung_HX20-360x505.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-21350\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert.jpg\" alt=\"Epson HX-20 Ad2\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1062\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert-240x159.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert-160x106.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/epson-advert-360x239.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Epson HX-20 [Vin80] The Epson HX-20, released in 1982, is recognized as the world&#8217;s first truly portable, notebook-sized computer, &#8220;the first laptop&#8221;, featuring a full keyboard, built-in LCD display, integrated dot-matrix printer, and rechargeable batteries that allowed up to 50 hours of use on a single charge. Its claim to fame was pioneering the &#8220;laptop&#8221; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Epson HX-20 - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Epson HX-20 The Epson HX-20, released in 1982, is recognized as the world&#039;s first truly portable, notebook-sized computer, &quot;the first laptop&quot;, featuring a\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin80\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin80\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin80\/\",\"name\":\"Epson HX-20 - 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