Ibm Pc110, The Game-Less Father Of Pandora

[torpor]

Still got my Portfolio, and managed to get another one (spare, for my son..) recently as well. I wrote tons of code on that thing, it was the perfect companion for the many cross-US trips I had to do on a frequent basis in those days (ops center support between east and west coast branches) .. heck, maybe I'll boot it up some day soon (AA batteries, ftw!) and give Turbo C 1.0 a little session ..

 

[craigix]

What about the Z88?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Z88

Also look at the evolution of it, from when it was called, um, the Pandora:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9574086@N02/sets/72157600856913881/

 

[Consequence_9]

wuuuuuuuut

 

[Polossatik]

Still got my Portfolio, and managed to get another one (spare, for my son..) recently as well. I wrote tons of code on that thing, it was the perfect companion for the many cross-US trips I had to do on a frequent basis in those days (ops center support between east and west coast branches) .. heck, maybe I'll boot it up some day soon (AA batteries, ftw!) and give Turbo C 1.0 a little session ..

I still regret the day they broke into my car and stole my portfolio.
it was a wonderfull usefull device in that time, take notes during meetings, hook up the // port and to the daisy printer here you go, the report of the meeting.

I got me a psion 5 after it was stolen, loved that little one also (untill it decided to try swimming a few years later... it can't)

 

[Asmo]

Pfft, talk Atari Portfolio for grandparent of the PDA I say

jeff

Since we've veered off just DOS based ones, you'd have to give the Psions before it a mention.

 

[torpor]

Portfolio is DOS.

 

[Spirit]

That keyboard looks fantastic!

 

[Awakening]

That one is just so ugly.

 

[strider_mt2k]

So...it'll play Doom then? B)

 

[God Ginrai]

What about the Z88?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Z88

Also look at the evolution of it, from when it was called, um, the Pandora:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9574086@N02/sets/72157600856913881/

Yes, but this IBM's case looks remarkably similar to a case we all know so well. <.<

-God Ginrai

 

[Asmo]

Portfolio is DOS.

Yeah I know, but somebody dragged the Z88 into it so I mentioned the Psions since non-DOS machines were being included

 

[dgame]

One thing to watch out for is.... the LCD screen. Those old screens were terrible when it came to displaying anything that was fast moving.
Screen refresh on these older machine's LCD were great for relatively static displays but absolutely the pits for games.

I still think the Pandora with DOSBOX will be a much better DOSBOX machine. DOSBOX is so much easier to run old games than an actual DOS box!

In fact DOSBOX for the Pandora could be one of it's killer apps - especially with that neat little keypad and analog nubs.

If the Pandora DosBox can do 33MHz 486 [80486sl33 low power 33MHz 486 without math co-pro] like the PC 110 that would be awesome!

I have a HP 95lx and a couple HP 320lx's so I hope the Pandora can handle it, just look at these screen shots:

From: http://www.basterfield.com/pc110/pc110idx.htm

 

[Dan Pora]

I still have a Psion Series 5. What a fantastic device. That form factor would be a perfect 3G PDA/MID/Palmtop computer with today's colour touch screens, 3G, Wifi, Bluetooth, SD card technologies etc.

Also doesn't the Toshiba Libretto U105 pretty much replicate the PC110?

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=4873

I have one of those too. Currently dual booting XP and Ubuntu. Admittedly the keyboard is bit small for any serious work, but this is a fully fledged mini PC in comparison to todays Netbooks.

 

[moxie]

Ohh - palm computer time!!!

I have a small pile of them, like some of you too - A Portfolio, a hp95lx, and a Psion 5mx. The Psion really is a most brilliant machine - I haven't really gotten into the others as much as they'd deserve. Perhaps we should spend the waiting time by setting up a repository with good info and software for the PoFo and the lx? I'd like a 100lx or 200lx, though - Still proper DOS machines (I'm not much for windows, and even less WinCE), but with a standard 80char wide screen. Sooo many things I would be able to run natively and portably...

There is another line through the development of small portable computers, that starts out with something like the Epson HX-20, over things like the NEC PC-8201A and going on to the Z88, which I believe is actually the latest development along those lines. I have a Amstrad NC100 lying about somewhere from that kind of line.

The real badass machine, though, is my Husky Hunter 2. From -84, runs CP/m, and apparently can work underwater and withstand being dropped from 5 meters into a concrete floor without breaking a sweat. Sometimes I bring it on my commuter train and use it to play Zork, as a (probably totally incomprehensible) contrast to all the designer people with their shiny Vaios and Macbooks

 

[ThaDSman]

...Mr. Craigix, did you steal the Pandora's name from that machine's prototype? <_<

 

[Wheels]

...Mr. Craigix, did you steal the Pandora's name from that machine's prototype? <_<

That machine was so far ahead of its time, it stole Craigix's idea from the future!

 

[Asmo]

Ohh - palm computer time!!!

There is another line through the development of small portable computers, that starts out with something like the Epson HX-20

I have a couple of Epson PX-4s. Still like new, the build quality is something to behold, nobody would bother making keys that luxurious anymore!

 

[skeezix]

Holy shit, I have a Z88, had no idea it was also referred to as a Pandora. That is too funny. The name 'Pandora' really seems to have been used in a lot of interesting places

I keep digging out my Portfolio, since it was actually quite powerful (being DOS based) .. but then I remember how annoying the storage cards were, and the battery (Open)Pandora ftw!

jeff

 

[j.pickens]

Another crazy, early subnotebook was the HP Omnibook 300.
It had a reflective LCD monochrome display, had only 3MB ram, and had Windows 3.1, Word, Office, and other suite software on ROM.
Because it executed on rom, and had only a 1.8" PCMCIA microdrive, and no backlight, it would run 5 or 6 hours on a single battery charge under real use conditions.
Weirdest of all, the mouse docked into the side of the case, and was attached with a "popsicle stick" tether to the computer.
There was no ball or optical position sensor on the mouse itself, mouse position was inferred by an encoder which read the position of the stick relative to the computer.
Because of this, you could use the mouse hanging in space or on a desktop, so this was a truly portable device.

OS on ROM, integrated mechanical pointing device, low power consumption...very innovative, and very similar in many ways to the Pandora.

 

[Wheels]

I keep reading the thread's title as "Ibm Pc 110, The Gormless Father of Pandora."