Rugged Portable

Computers and Displays for the Real World

  • Home
  • Contact
  • History of portable computers
    • AGS MilPAC-III C4ISR Portable with 3 x 17.3″ displays
    • AGS-MRPC-4 – Lunchbox Computer – 2011
    • Dolch FlexPAC
    • Getac B300
    • GRiD Compass – 1982
    • IBM ThinkPad 700
    • iTronix GoBook XR-1 (General Dynamics)
    • Kontron IN-Lite
    • Kontron IP-Lite
    • Panasonic Toughbook CF-25
You are here: Home / History of portable computers with a rugged bias / IBM Convertible PC

IBM Convertible PC

IBM 5140 Convertible PC

Pretty ugly semi-clamshell design

IBM Convertible PC – 5140

First IBM Laptop

Released on April 3rd 1986, the IBM 5140 was the first laptop from IBM.  Sporting a semi-clamshell design where the display closed over the keyboard. but there’s a big lump of computer behind the open display. the 5140 was not a very attractive unit.  With 2 new-fangled 3.5″ floppy disk drives, and a pretty good keyboard, the IBM convertible PC had one really glaring deficiency – the mono, reflective and low-res LCD screen with no backlight.  The best part of the display was that is was removable, so you could put a hulking great CRT on top of the laptop when using it at the office!  On second thoughts the best part was that the floppy disk drives tilted upwards when you opened the display.  Very cool!

low res lcd with no backlight

PC Convertible LCD display

The 5140 weighed 13 pounds (5.8 kg) and featured a built-in carrying handle, which sort-of doubled as a wrist rest. Size: 12 x 15.94 x 2.76 in, 30.5 x 40.5 x 7 cm.

Very early “suspend mode”

Not sure if it was a first – but certainly one of the earlier implementations of a suspend mode for a PC.  The IBM convertible ran off batteries and used a CMOS core 80c88 processor, which could be clocked down to zero Hz thereby conserving power.

Portable computer with integrated printer

The optional printer clipped to the back, making the brute even less portable.

side view of long laptop with printer

IBM Convertible with Printer

Original brochure and Features

 

<<Osborne Vixen – 1986 – Compaq Portable III>>

Search Rugged Portable

RSS RSS Feed

  • Rugged Fiber KVM Monitors 10km Away May 25, 2021
  • Aircraft Power Supplies – MIL-STD-704 May 4, 2021
  • Unlock Your Rugged Laptop with FireWire 1394B and 1394A April 5, 2021
  • Rugged Dual Monitors February 24, 2021
  • Getting Physical with COM Ports – Overview October 9, 2018

Latest updates

  • Rugged Fiber KVM Monitors 10km Away
  • Aircraft Power Supplies – MIL-STD-704
  • Unlock Your Rugged Laptop with FireWire 1394B and 1394A
  • Rugged Dual Monitors
  • Getting Physical with COM Ports – Overview

Previous posts:

  • Contact
  • First Garfield comic strip
  • History of portable computers with a rugged bias
    • AGS MilPAC-III C4ISR Portable with 3 x 17.3″ displays
    • AGS-MRPC-4 – Lunchbox Computer – 2011
    • Compaq Portable III lunchbox computer
    • Dolch FlexPAC
    • Fieldworks FW7500 – 1994
    • Getac A320 Rugged Notebook
    • Getac B300
    • Getac Z710 – Rugged Android Tablet
    • GRiD Compass – 1982
    • IBM Convertible PC
    • IBM Portable 5155 – questionably rugged, questionably portable
    • IBM Portable PC 5110
    • IBM ThinkPad 700
    • iTronix GoBook XR-1 (General Dynamics)
    • Kontron IN-Lite
    • Kontron IP-Lite
    • Kookaburra PC / Dulmont Magnum 1983
    • Osborne 1 – The first portable PC
    • Osborne Vixen rugged luggable
    • Panasonic CF19
    • Panasonic Toughbook CF-25
    • PSION Series 5
    • Sharp PC-1211
    • TRS-80 Model 100 (Radio Shack)
    • TRS-80 Tandy/Radio Shack
  • Rugged Handheld Computers

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in