4w ago

Epson HX-20 / HC-20 - first laptop 1980

Original post by Crul@lemm.ee:

Source: Photo by Sandstein - File:Epson HX-20 in case - MfK Bern.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Wikipedia: Epson HX-20
The Epson HX-20 (also known as the HC-20) was the first "true" laptop computer. It was invented in July 1980 by Yukio Yokozawa, who worked for Suwa Seikosha, a branch of Japanese company Seiko (now Seiko Epson), receiving a patent for the invention.
Seen on Functional object - Object, Epson, Epson portable computer, 1980-1989

21 comments

Oh, damn, sorry --- this repost should have gone to the new community. Didn't realize this one had been unlocked.
looks embarrassed
Crossposting.
- Where is the new community please?
  
  !CassetteFuturism@lemmy.world
  The lemm.ee instance is going down at the end of the month.
A cassette AND little rolls of paper! Amazing 😍
- The transparent plastic archive thingy bottom left. Keeps the important pieces of paper. Glorious.
- God microcassetes are so fucking cool
It's dawning on me how much my life could be improved by a receipt printer built into my latop:
Quick grocery list to stuff in my pocket.
Crinkly on-demand business cards.
Okay...I guess that's it. Still - awesome.
- They actually do make little portable battery-powered ones. I was looking at them the other day when I was wondering how much it would cost to set up a Linux teletype terminal in response to some other comment.
  https://www.amazon.com/Sunydog-Portable-Wireless-Compatible-Restaurant/dp/B0CL481GS1
  Not built into the laptop, but can pull it out of a laptop bag and use it.
  
  Yea, they've been around since about 2000, at least. I carried one then for work (I traveled a lot). Thermal printer the size of 2 decks of cards, ran on 4 AA batteries. I don't recall ever replacing the batteries, and I just recycled it a couple years ago (donated to a tech group).
  Oh, it connected either via USB or you could do infrared!
  
  Ooh. Neat. Thanks.
Damn. You could hack into so many mainframes with this!
Literally cassette futurism, love that tape drive
swoon*
Wow even equipped with toilet paper on the left there for those who can't step away from the computer. Seiko sure knew their audience.
My god those kecaps are amazing, loom at that finger hugging deep dish
- Have a look on AliExpress for a decent Gmk Rome SA profile keycap set, that'll get you pretty close.
Not sure I've ever seen one! And not IRL! Had no idea such a thing was on the market when I was 9.
But. Can. You. Play. Doom. On. It.
The only question that matters.

21 comments