The Model 100
The very first computer that even remotely looks like a modern laptop, and was fully battery powered, was the Radio Shack Model 100, shown in Figure 1-3. It was an instant, insane success.
The Model 100 was not designed to be IBM PC compatible, which is surprising considering that PC compatibility was all the rage at the time. Instead, it offered users a full-sized, full-action keyboard, plus a tiny 8-row, 40-column display. It came with several built-in programs, including a text editor/word processor, communications, a scheduler/appointment book, plus the BASIC programming language, which allowed users to create their own programs or buy and use BASIC programs written by others. The Radio Shack Model 100 was really all that was needed for portability at the time, which is why the device was a such a resounding success.
_ The Model 100 provided the form factor for laptops of the future. It was about the size of a hardback novel. It ran for hours off of standard AA batteries. It weighed just 6 pounds.
_ Despite its popularity and versatility, people wanted a version of the Model 100 that would run the same software as the IBM PC. Technology wasn’t ready to shrink the PC’s hardware down to Model 100 size, but the Model 100 set the goal for what users wanted in a laptop’s dimensions.