[inforoots] Portable (Was: GRiD and the IEEE 488 GPIB)

[John C Green Jr]

I believe the Sylvania MOBIDIC was the largest of the US Army's
late '50s vintage portable FIELDATA computers.  It was housed in
two tractor-trailers.

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/MOBIDIC
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Fieldata

2001 CHM Fellow Jean Sammet worked on the MOBIDIC software effort:

http://www.computerhistory.org/events/hall_of_fellows/sammet/

Early in my career I worked at Litcom, a division of Litton
Industries.  One of our products was a portable Loran C Navigation
Transmitter.  It was basically a 100KW radio station.  It fit in
three 40' tractor-trailers.

The army considers equipment to be portable if it has hooks on the
top of the 19" RETMA racks.  The ARPAnet IMP was portable.

Regards,
John Green

>Sigh.  The question is not "Wheels".  The IBM 650, an earlier
>computer, also had wheels (on each of its three components) --
>it was not a portable computer.
>
>The IBM 610 was designed to be portable - to be easily moved
>about by its users, from office to office, for individuals use
>as required.  It was not "carry by one hand" portable.  It was
>not "take home on bicycle" portable.   It was not
>a-lot-of-other-qualifications portable.
>
>But "portable" -- without qualifications -- it was.
>
>dick w