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T1100
| Manufactured in | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Manufactured by | Toshiba Corporation |
| Owner | Toshiba Corporation |
| Location of historical materials | Toshiba Science Museum 2F Lazona Kawasaki Toshiba Bldg., 72-34, Horikawa-Cho, Saiwai-Ku, Kawasaki 212-8585, Japan |
| Visitor information | Open to the public |
| Contact | Toshiba Science Museum Tel.+81-44-549-2200 http://toshiba-mirai-kagakukan.jp/en/ |
Toshiba developed the "T1100", the world's first IBM PC/XT compatible laptop PC, and launched it in Europe in April 1985. Until then, PCs had been installed in the office or home and were too bulky to move from place to place. The T1100, that could be battery-operated and was a lightweight as well (about 4.1kg), allowed people to carry PCs with them and to use them any place they desired.
To develop the T1100, Toshiba spared no efforts in incorporating a number of breakthroughs: (1) integrating the CPU peripheral parts and the display controller in a gate array; (2) applying its world-leading miniaturization know-how to key parts and components including a high-resolution LCD and low-power 3.5 inch FDD; (3) using a rechargeable NiCad battery to achieve eight hours of battery-powered operation for the first time ever; (4) adopting a two-axis clamshell mechanism to protect the LCD and keyboard from shock; and (5) lowering the overall cost by using DRAM, a component not widely used in battery-operated devices back then.
Commercialization of the T1100, with its innovative clamshell design, directly addressed diversifying user needs and laid the ground work for the continued evolution of notebook PCs and for what eventually became a huge market. That development also stimulated the growth of related parts and component industries.
To develop the T1100, Toshiba spared no efforts in incorporating a number of breakthroughs: (1) integrating the CPU peripheral parts and the display controller in a gate array; (2) applying its world-leading miniaturization know-how to key parts and components including a high-resolution LCD and low-power 3.5 inch FDD; (3) using a rechargeable NiCad battery to achieve eight hours of battery-powered operation for the first time ever; (4) adopting a two-axis clamshell mechanism to protect the LCD and keyboard from shock; and (5) lowering the overall cost by using DRAM, a component not widely used in battery-operated devices back then.
Commercialization of the T1100, with its innovative clamshell design, directly addressed diversifying user needs and laid the ground work for the continued evolution of notebook PCs and for what eventually became a huge market. That development also stimulated the growth of related parts and component industries.