[inforoots] Laptop

[Peter Jennings]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Capek" <capek at ieee.org>
To: <inforoots at computerhistory.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 4:51 PM
Subject: [inforoots] Laptop

Has any looked in the Oxford English Dictionary for the earliest
citation?   It's usually quite good for this kind of thing....   I'll look
next time I'm near a current copy, but maybe some other reader will be able
to do it sooner....

            Peter Capek


Here is what is in the OED:

lap-top a. [after desk-top], (of a computer) small and light enough to be 
used on one's lap; = lap-held adj. above; also ellipt. as n.

1984 Sunday Times 26 Aug. 49/3 (heading) *Laphelds contend with luggables. 
1985 Daily Tel. 29 July 14/2 Then came the desk-top computer+and then+the 
lapheld micro.  1986 What Micro? Nov. 101/1 Multi-user systems and lap-helds 
are listed separately.

1984 Fortune 28 May 75/1 Led by Tandy's four-pound Radio Shack Model 100+the 
*lap-tops are selling briskly.  1984 Byte Nov. 105/1 Laptop portables such 
as Gavilan were stealing the show.  1986 Guardian 14 Apr. 22/5 Laptops are 
battery-powered micros about the size of a telephone book, with small LCD 
screens and typewriter-style keyboards.  1986 What Micro? Nov. 6/3 Unusually 
for a laptop machine, provision is made to add an 8087 maths co-processor.


I have also been thinking about whether we ever used the term at Gavilan (I 
was involved there for the entire history), and can't recall. But I do have 
some of the early press kits and literature which I will dig into next time 
I am excavating in my storage area.

I also used the MCM around 1975-6 and don't recall it ever being taken off 
the desk. Although it would have worked on a lap, it would have creased our 
well ironed dress pants....

Peter