| The Epson HX-20, introduced in 1981 and released to market in 1982, is widely regarded as the world’s first true laptop computer. It featured a Motorola MC6801 8-bit microprocessor running at 0.614 MHz and included 16 KB of RAM (expandable to 32 KB), with 32 KB of ROM. The HX-20 came with a built-in 20-character by 4-line LCD screen, a full-sized keyboard, and integrated components unusual for the time: a microcassette tape drive for data storage and a 24-character wide thermal printer. These features made it a self-contained, portable computing solution long before laptops became mainstream. Weighing around 1.6 kg and powered by a rechargeable NiCd battery, the HX-20 was capable of running for several hours on a single charge. It ran a simple built-in operating environment with a BASIC interpreter in ROM and was expandable via RS-232 and proprietary expansion ports. The compact, all-in-one design and standalone capabilities made the HX-20 popular in education, fieldwork, and inventory control, laying the groundwork for modern portable computing. |
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