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88-543: The first-generation UMPCs were simple PCs running Linux or an adapted version of Microsoft's tablet PC operating system. With the announcement of the UMPC, Microsoft dropped the licensing requirement that tablet PCs must support proximity sensing of the stylus, which Microsoft termed "hovering". Second-generation UMPCs used less electricity and therefore could be used for longer (up to five hours) and also had support for Windows Vista . Originally code-named Project Origami ,

176-404: A PC , is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as word processing , internet browsing , email , multimedia playback, and gaming . Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user , rather than by a computer expert or technician . Unlike large, costly minicomputers and mainframes , time-sharing by many people at the same time

264-442: A TV set or an appropriately sized computer display , and is often used as a digital photo viewer, music and video player, TV receiver, and digital video recorder. HTPCs are also referred to as media center systems or media servers . The goal is to combine many or all components of a home theater setup into one box. HTPCs can also connect to services providing on-demand movies and TV shows. HTPCs can be purchased pre-configured with

352-401: A kit form and in limited volumes, and were of interest mostly to hobbyists and technicians. Minimal programming was done with toggle switches to enter instructions, and output was provided by front panel lamps. Practical use required adding peripherals such as keyboards, computer displays , disk drives , and printers . Micral N was the earliest commercial, non-kit microcomputer based on

440-511: A multitasking operating system . Eventually, due to the influence of the IBM PC on the personal computer market , personal computers and home computers lost any technical distinction. Business computers acquired color graphics capability and sound, and home computers and game systems users used the same processors and operating systems as office workers. Mass-market computers had graphics capabilities and memory comparable to dedicated workstations of

528-553: A portable computer prototype called SCAMP (Special Computer APL Machine Portable) based on the IBM PALM processor with a Philips compact cassette drive, small CRT , and full function keyboard. SCAMP emulated an IBM 1130 minicomputer in order to run APL/1130. In 1973, APL was generally available only on mainframe computers, and most desktop sized microcomputers such as the Wang 2200 or HP 9800 offered only BASIC . Because SCAMP

616-469: A touchscreen display, which can be controlled using either a stylus pen or finger. Some tablets may use a hybrid or convertible design, offering a keyboard that can either be removed as an attachment, or a screen that can be rotated and folded directly over top the keyboard. Some tablets may use desktop-PC operating system such as Windows or Linux, or may run an operating system designed primarily for tablets. Many tablet computers have USB ports, to which

704-702: A 20 cm (8 inch) or smaller touch sensitive screen at a minimum resolution of 800 × 480. To make it more suited for the small form factor, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition was originally used with slight tweaks to the interface and a software add-on known as the Touch Pack Interface to make the interface more suitable for use of a stylus as well as hands. When the UMPC was disclosed at CeBIT 2006, Samsung , Asus , and Founder had near-complete devices on display. The UMPC initiative also included later Windows versions. UMPCs with Windows XP installed are able to run any software that has been written for

792-594: A 40 GB hard disk (or 60 GB on another cheaper brand but also the same device) and a 7-inch (18 cm) screen. It was available for €899 (the cheaper brand was €849). Wibrain launched their first UMPC models, B1E and B1H, in December 2007. In 2007, Bill Gates introduced the OQO model 02 in his keynote at CES 2007 . The OQO model 02 shipped with a 5-inch (13 cm) screen, EV-DO WWAN , Bluetooth , 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi , running Windows XP and Vista . OQO won

880-835: A 4096-color palette, stereo sound, Motorola 68000 CPU, 256 KB RAM, and 880 KB 3.5-inch disk drive, for US$ 1,295. IBM's first PC was introduced on 12 August 1981 setting what became a mass market standard for PC architecture. In 1982 The Computer was named Machine of the Year by Time magazine. Somewhat larger and more expensive systems were aimed at office and small business use. These often featured 80-column text displays but might not have had graphics or sound capabilities. These microprocessor-based systems were still less costly than time-shared mainframes or minicomputers. Workstations were characterized by high-performance processors and graphics displays, with large-capacity local disk storage, networking capability, and running under

968-459: A 7-inch PC which included an aluminum casing and a full keyboard. It was released in mid-2017 after receiving more than $ 3 million in crowdfunding. While not branded as UMPCs, several 7–8 inch Windows tablets with Intel Atom SoCs such as the HP Stream 7 were released between 2014 and 2016 running either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 . Project Origami defined a specification for computers with

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1056-663: A UMPC. While the movie was quickly taken down from its original source, mirrors still existed on many other sites. Later in the week, the Associated Press confirmed that "Origami" was actually to be a regular PC with "limited gaming capabilities". The first UMPCs on the market were AMtek's T700 and Samsung's Q1 . The AMtek T700 was sold in the US as the TabletKiosk eo v7110 , agoPC ago7 , and Azentek GB-810 , in Europe as

1144-464: A VGA-TV output, GPS, 3 USB ports, 60 GB hard drive and 512 MB RAM. It also offered wired/wireless network capabilities. In September 2008 Nova Mobility announced its second generation Side Arm 2 Industrial UMPC. It was designed around the Intel Atom processor and was the first industrial grade UMPC released on that platform. It had GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth standard and 3G as an option. EVDO

1232-410: A computer that could fit on a desk was remarkably small, leading to the desktop nomenclature. More recently, the phrase usually indicates a particular style of computer case . Desktop computers come in a variety of styles ranging from large vertical tower cases to small models which can be tucked behind or rest directly beneath (and support) LCD monitors . While the term desktop often refers to

1320-557: A computer with a vertically aligned computer tower case , these varieties often rest on the ground or underneath desks. Despite this seeming contradiction, the term desktop does typically refer to these vertical tower cases as well as the horizontally aligned models which are designed to literally rest on top of desks and are therefore more appropriate to the desktop term, although both types qualify for this desktop label in most practical situations aside from certain physical arrangement differences. Both styles of these computer cases hold

1408-510: A desk, including a keyboard, a small one-line display, and printer. The Wang 2200 microcomputer of 1973 had a full-size cathode ray tube (CRT) and cassette tape storage. These were generally expensive specialized computers sold for business or scientific uses. 1974 saw the introduction of what is considered by many to be the first true personal computer, the Altair 8800 created by Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) . Based on

1496-415: A few years before. Even local area networking, originally a way to allow business computers to share expensive mass storage and peripherals, became a standard feature of personal computers used at home. An increasingly important set of uses for personal computers relied on the ability of the computer to communicate with other computer systems, allowing interchange of information. Experimental public access to

1584-432: A graphics card installed. For this reason, desktop computers are usually preferred over laptops for gaming purposes. Unlike desktop computers, only minor internal upgrades (such as memory and hard disk drive) are feasible owing to the limited space and power available. Laptops have the same input and output ports as desktops, for connecting to external displays, mice, cameras, storage devices and keyboards. Laptops are also

1672-583: A hardware specification called Handheld PC was later released by Microsoft that run the Windows CE operating system. Samsung Q1#Samsung Q1 The Samsung Q1 (known as Samsung SENS Q1 in South Korea) was a family of ultra-mobile PCs produced by Samsung Electronics starting in 2007. They had a 7" (18 cm) LCD and were made in several different versions with either Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista Home Premium. The Q1

1760-487: A hinged second panel containing a flat display screen. Closing the laptop protects the screen and keyboard during transportation. Laptops generally have a rechargeable battery , enhancing their portability. To save power, weight and space, laptop graphics chips are in many cases integrated into the CPU or chipset and use system RAM, resulting in reduced graphics performance when compared to desktop machines, that more typically have

1848-408: A keyboard or mouse can be connected. Smartphones are often similar to tablet computers , the difference being that smartphones always have cellular integration. They are generally smaller than tablets, and may not have a slate form factor. The ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) is a small tablet computer . It was developed by Microsoft , Intel and Samsung , among others. Current UMPCs typically feature

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1936-569: A large battery. Unlike the previous model, Everun had a full QWERTY keypad, aesthetically similar to a smartphone of the time. On September 17, 2007, OQO launched the model e2 for the European market with a localized keyboard, 1.6 GHz VIA C7-M processor, 120 GB hard drive or a 32 GB SSD option. In October 2007 the Asus Eee PC (model 701) was launched. With a 7-inch screen, full keyboard and Wi-Fi, running Linux, it started

2024-540: A larger screen or use with video projectors. IBM PC-compatible suitcase format computers became available soon after the introduction of the PC, with the Compaq Portable being a leading example of the type. Later models included a hard drive to give roughly equivalent performance to contemporary desktop computers. The development of thin plasma display and LCD screens permitted a somewhat smaller form factor, called

2112-465: A little more expensive compared to desktops, as the miniaturized components for laptops themselves are expensive. Notebook computers such as the TRS-80 Model 100 and Epson HX-20 had roughly the plan dimensions of a sheet of typing paper ( ANSI A or ISO A4 ). These machines had a keyboard with slightly reduced dimensions compared to a desktop system, and a fixed LCD display screen coplanar with

2200-739: A microprocessor, the Intel 8008 . It was built starting in 1972, and a few hundred units were sold. This had been preceded by the Datapoint 2200 in 1970, for which the Intel 8008 had been commissioned, though not accepted for use. The CPU design implemented in the Datapoint 2200 became the basis for x86 architecture used in the original IBM PC and its descendants. In 1973, the IBM Los Gatos Scientific Center developed

2288-427: A mono speaker and a single microphone. Manufacturer Part #: NP-Q1-F000 This is almost identical to the original Q1 but with a faster 1 GHz Intel Pentium M processor (723) which enables SpeedStep technology for better battery usage. It is possible to buy a 6-cell battery instead of the default 3-cell to double the time on all these devices. The Pentium edition also has: The Q1 Ultra series differed greatly from

2376-481: A new naming scheme: devices without an integrated phone are called Windows Mobile Classic instead of Pocket PC, while devices with an integrated phone and a touch screen are called Windows Mobile Professional. Palmtop PCs were miniature pocket-sized computers running DOS that first came about in the late 1980s, typically in a clamshell form factor with a keyboard. Non-x86 based devices were often called palmtop computers, examples being Psion Series 3 . In later years

2464-406: A preview of features that would later become staples of personal computers: e-mail , hypertext , word processing , video conferencing , and the mouse . The demonstration required technical support staff and a mainframe time-sharing computer that were far too costly for individual business use at the time. Early personal computers‍—‌generally called microcomputers‍—‌were often sold in

2552-615: A shared mainframe computer system was demonstrated as early as 1973 in the Community Memory project, but bulletin board systems and online service providers became more commonly available after 1978. Commercial Internet service providers emerged in the late 1980s, giving public access to the rapidly growing network. In 1991, the World Wide Web was made available for public use. The combination of powerful personal computers with high-resolution graphics and sound, with

2640-530: A single 800 x 480 7-inch (18 cm) touchscreen display. Input could be selected with a single hardware button, with the Windows Mobile half limited to 640 x 480. Behind the display was a sliding and tilt mechanism, similar to that seen on the HTC TyTN II , to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Wibrain launched the second models of B1L series with Ubuntu Linux on February 27, 2008. The starting price

2728-655: A television already in the home as the computer display, with low-detail blocky graphics and a limited color range, and text about 40 characters wide by 25 characters tall. Sinclair Research , a UK company, produced the ZX Series‍—;‌the ZX80 (1980), ZX81 (1981), and the ZX Spectrum ; the latter was introduced in 1982, and totaled 8 million unit sold. Following came the Commodore 64 , totaled 17 million units sold,

Ultra-mobile PC - Misplaced Pages Continue

2816-406: A time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems . Workstations are used for tasks such as computer-aided design , drafting and modeling, computation-intensive scientific and engineering calculations, image processing, architectural modeling, and computer graphics for animation and motion picture visual effects. Before the widespread use of PCs,

2904-601: A wide range of users, not just experienced electronics hobbyists who had the soldering skills to assemble a computer kit. The Apple I as delivered was still technically a kit computer, as it did not have a power supply, case, or keyboard when it was delivered to the Byte Shop. The first successfully mass-marketed personal computer to be announced was the Commodore PET after being revealed in January 1977. However, it

2992-550: Is Origami?" and pictures of the rumored prototypes were passed around and covered extensively on Engadget , Scobleizer , Thatedeguy and other technology sites. Finalization of the Origami project was announced in time for CeBIT . Much speculation had positioned Origami as a portable gaming device that would directly compete with Nintendo 's DS and Sony 's PlayStation Portable . This rumor gained credibility after videos were leaked showing Halo: Combat Evolved being played on

3080-542: Is a desktop computer that generally comprises a high-performance video card , processor and RAM, to improve the speed and responsiveness of demanding video games . An all-in-one computer (also known as single-unit PCs) is a desktop computer that combines the monitor and processor within a single unit. A separate keyboard and mouse are standard input devices, with some monitors including touchscreen capability. The processor and other working components are typically reduced in size relative to standard desktops, located behind

3168-495: Is a portable computer that provides the full capabilities of a desktop computer . Such computers are currently large laptops. This class of computers usually includes more powerful components and a larger display than generally found in smaller portable computers, and may have limited battery capacity or no battery. Netbooks , also called mini notebooks or subnotebooks , were a subgroup of laptops suited for general computing tasks and accessing web-based applications . Initially,

3256-553: Is identical to the Q1 except that the 40 GB hard disk drive has been replaced by Samsung's 32 GB solid-state drive . At release, the SSD version was about twice as expensive as the normal Q1. The Q1b was Samsung's second UMPC device, with a much improved battery life and 30% brighter screen compared to the Q1. The CF card slot and the Ethernet port were removed on this version. It also had

3344-566: Is largely because UMPC hardware at the time was too close to the minimum Vista requirements to be comfortably used. A new text input method was implemented for ultra-mobile PCs. Consisting of two rings of keys around the lower corners of the screen, DialKeys was intended for use with the thumbs. Several companies developed accessories exclusively for the 7" UMPC platform. These included carry cases, screen protectors, styli, protective bump cases and docking stations . In addition, several prototypes of "mounting solutions" were previewed which permitted

3432-466: Is most often proprietary, or free and open-source software , which is provided in ready-to-run , or binary form. Software for personal computers is typically developed and distributed independently from the hardware or operating system manufacturers. Many personal computer users no longer need to write their programs to make any use of a personal computer, although end-user programming is still feasible. This contrasts with mobile systems, where software

3520-527: Is not used with personal computers. The term home computer has also been used, primarily in the late 1970s and 1980s. The advent of personal computers and the concurrent Digital Revolution have significantly affected the lives of people. Institutional or corporate computer owners in the 1960s had to write their own programs to do any useful work with computers. While personal computer users may develop their applications, usually these systems run commercial software , free-of-charge software (" freeware "), which

3608-400: Is often available only through a manufacturer-supported channel, and end-user program development may be discouraged by lack of support by the manufacturer. Since the early 1990s, Microsoft operating systems (first with MS-DOS and then with Windows ) and Intel hardware – collectively called Wintel – have dominated the personal computer market, and today the term PC normally refers to

Ultra-mobile PC - Misplaced Pages Continue

3696-408: Is one of the first ultra-mobile computers (UMPC) produced under Microsoft 's "Origami" project. The Q1 can boot into two different modes: typical Windows XP (OS can be replaced), and AVS mode running Windows XP Embedded. AVS mode runs in a separate partition and boots directly to a music, photo, and video player with no Windows Explorer interface. The AVS feature is unique to the Q1. The SSD version

3784-911: The PaceBlade EasyBook P7 Archived 2010-05-25 at the Wayback Machine and its Label Origami , and in Australia the TabletKiosk eo v7110 and the Pioneer DreamBook UMPC 700 and in Japan the PBJ SmartCaddie . Sony made a first attempt in this direction in 2004 with its Vaio U series . OQO also sold UMPCs. The OQO model 01 and OQO model 01+ were launched prior to the ultra-mobile PC era, but its specifications were very similar to those of most UMPC models. In July 2006, Sony released

3872-536: The Apple I computer circuit board, which was fully prepared and contained about 30 chips. The Apple I computer differed from the other kit-style hobby computers of era. At the request of Paul Terrell , owner of the Byte Shop , Jobs and Wozniak were given their first purchase order, for 50 Apple I computers, only if the computers were assembled and tested and not a kit computer. Terrell wanted to have computers to sell to

3960-590: The Bendix G15 and LGP-30 of 1956, and the Soviet MIR series of computers developed from 1965 to 1969. By the early 1970s, people in academic or research institutions had the opportunity for single-person use of a computer system in interactive mode for extended durations, although these systems would still have been too expensive to be owned by a single person. The personal computer was made possible by major advances in semiconductor technology. In 1959,

4048-627: The GPD Win 2 as a successor to the GPD Win. In January 2021, GPD announced the GPD Win 3 . Unlike previous models, which relied on low-power Intel Atom or Intel Core-M processors, the Win 3 was available with higher power Core i5 and Core i7 processors with Intel's Iris Xe Graphics. The Win 3 also dropped the clamshell form-factor in favor of a sliding screen. GPD also released the GPD Pocket,

4136-656: The Galaksija (1983) introduced in Yugoslavia and the Amstrad CPC series (464–6128). In the same year, the NEC PC-98 was introduced, which was a very popular personal computer that sold in more than 18 million units. Another famous personal computer, the revolutionary Amiga 1000 , was unveiled by Commodore on 23 July 1985. The Amiga 1000 featured a multitasking, windowing operating system, color graphics with

4224-623: The Guinness World Records recognition of its model 02 as the world's smallest fully functional computer (where a 'computer' means ability to run Windows). In August 2007, Raon Digital launched their second UMPC 'Everun' which had built in Wi-Fi and HSDPA . It used the AMD Geode LX900. Later, Everun was introduced as the UMPC with the longest battery life—as much as 6–7 hours with its standard battery and 12 hours with

4312-624: The IBM Personal Computer incorporated the designation into its model name, the term originally described personal computers of any brand. In some contexts, PC is used to contrast with Mac, an Apple Macintosh computer. Since none of these Apple products were mainframes or time-sharing systems, they were all personal computers but not PC (brand) computers. In 1995, a CBS segment on the growing popularity of PC reported: "For many newcomers PC stands for Pain and Confusion." The "brain" [computer] may one day come down to our level [of

4400-689: The Ockel Sirius B . Ockel introduced its successor, the Ockel Sirius B Black Cherry, in November 2016. Ockel was also working on a UMPC, which included a 6’’ touchscreen. The Ockel Sirius A was launched mid-2016 as a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo . In 2017 the company started shipping the device to backers. GamePad Digital (GPD) released the GPD Win , an x64 Windows 10-powered handheld gaming PC, in October 2016. In May 2018, GPD released

4488-621: The VAIO UX , including a model which contained a solid state drive (SSD). Because of this, the VAIO UX was the first flash-memory SSD based PC available. Sony continued releasing and selling VAIO UX models until early 2009. In late August 2006, TabletKiosk launched a line of Intel-based UMPCs, the eo i7210 and i7209. It followed this up in March 2007 with a ruggedized VIA based UMPC, the eo TufTab v7112XT. In September 2006, Raon Digital launched

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4576-405: The lunchbox computer. The screen formed one side of the enclosure, with a detachable keyboard and one or two half-height floppy disk drives, mounted facing the ends of the computer. Some variations included a battery, allowing operation away from AC outlets. A laptop computer is designed for portability with clamshell design, where the keyboard and computer components are on one panel, with

4664-493: The netbook revolution. HTC launched the Shift in January 2008. It ran both Windows Vista and a PDA mode called SnapVUE simultaneously. The Windows Vista half ran on an Intel A110 Stealey CPU at 800 MHz, with 2 GB of RAM, Intel GMA 950, and a 40/60 GB HDD. The PDA mode ran on an ARM11 CPU with 64 MB of RAM. The two operating systems shared quadband GSM , triband UMTS , Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0 radios as well as

4752-460: The silicon integrated circuit (IC) chip was developed by Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor , and the metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) transistor was developed by Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs . The MOS integrated circuit was commercialized by RCA in 1964, and then the silicon-gate MOS integrated circuit was developed by Federico Faggin at Fairchild in 1968. Faggin later used silicon-gate MOS technology to develop

4840-661: The "1977 trinity". Mass-market, ready-assembled computers had arrived, and allowed a wider range of people to use computers, focusing more on software applications and less on development of the processor hardware. In 1977 the Heath company introduced personal computer kits known as Heathkits , starting with the Heathkit H8 , followed by the Heathkit H89 in late 1979. With the purchase of the Heathkit H8 you would obtain

4928-615: The 2006 holiday season, they were not expected to reach the $ 500 range market analysts felt was necessary to achieve mainstream success. Most UMPCs were available with Windows 7 , although many later UMPCs came with the option to have XP or Linux installed, as some devices were too sluggish to run the Vista kernel on which Windows 7 is based. One example of this is the Samsung Q1 Ultra which originally launched with only Vista versions, but subsequently launched Windows XP versions. This

5016-555: The 8-bit Intel 8080 Microprocessor, the Altair is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution as the first commercially successful personal computer. The computer bus designed for the Altair was to become a de facto standard in the form of the S-100 bus , and the first programming language for the machine was Microsoft's founding product, Altair BASIC . In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sold

5104-733: The DialKeys, below). Since the devices have standard USB 2.0 connectivity, external keyboards and mice can also be attached. UMPC devices included either Intel or VIA processors, 256 MB to 2 GB of RAM, and a 30 to 160 GB hard disk, depending on the manufacturer. Other ultra mobile devices featured AMD or Transmeta Crusoe CPUs. Some ultra-mobile PCs also featured Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, webcams , fingerprint readers , stereo speakers , TV tuners , and memory card readers. Bluetooth , Wi-Fi , Ethernet and WWAN connections were sometimes included as well. UMPCs had enough processing power to support audio, video, and gaming at

5192-522: The S5 and X70 were tablets. They featured GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth, 3G availability, SSD options with Intel Z520 processors and integrated GMA500 graphics with hardware acceleration for H264 HD video playback. The starting prices were around $ 599 with a battery life of five hours or longer. Also in 2009, Panasonic introduced the Toughbook U1 UMPC, what was then the world's first fully rugged UMPC on

5280-486: The UMPC device to be mounted in the car, on the wall or attached to an adjustable arm. User interface software was created enabling UMPCs to become portable infotainment devices. There were touch-friendly, voice-controlled, user interface software platforms designed to run on Windows XP and Vista-based UMPCs allowing users to control Windows without the need of a mouse and keyboard. Handheld gaming PCs Personal computer A personal computer , often referred to as

5368-525: The Vega running an AMD Geode LX800 , 256 MB of RAM, and a 30 GB hard drive. It had a 4.3-inch (11 cm) screen, a 500 MHz processor, and a battery life of 5.5 hours. It ran Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and retailed for 680,000 Korean won (US$ 700–750). However it did not have WiFi capability. In early October 2006 Samsung quietly launched the Q1B , bringing the ultra-mobile platform closer to

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5456-559: The Windows XP platform, though the small form factor often mandates some changes to the interface. The standard Windows XP interface is the default, though a choice of having an interface more suited for the small form factor is available with the Touch Pack Interface . As the units are so small, many UMPCs do not feature a physical keyboard, but an on-screen virtual keyboard provided in the Touch Pack Interface (such as

5544-490: The Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Linux operating system , and low-voltage Intel Atom or VIA C7-M processors. A pocket PC is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer ( personal digital assistant , PDA) that runs the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system . It may have the capability to run an alternative operating system like NetBSD or Linux . Pocket PCs have many of

5632-473: The ability to be programmed in both APL and BASIC for engineers, analysts, statisticians, and other business problem-solvers. In the late 1960s such a machine would have been nearly as large as two desks and would have weighed about half a ton. Another desktop portable APL machine, the MCM/70 , was demonstrated in 1973 and shipped in 1974. It used the Intel 8008 processor. A seminal step in personal computing

5720-477: The capabilities of desktop PCs . Numerous applications are available for handhelds adhering to the Microsoft Pocket PC specification, many of which are freeware . Microsoft-compliant Pocket PCs can also be used with many other add-ons like GPS receivers , barcode readers, RFID readers and cameras. In 2007, with the release of Windows Mobile 6, Microsoft dropped the name Pocket PC in favor of

5808-577: The chassis and CPU card to assemble yourself, additional hardware such as the H8-1 memory board that contained 4k of RAM could also be purchased in order to run software. The Heathkit H11 model was released in 1978 and was one of the first 16-bit personal computers; however, due to its high retail cost of $ 1,295 was discontinued in 1982. During the early 1980s, home computers were further developed for household use, with software for personal productivity, programming and games. They typically could be used with

5896-673: The common people] and help with our income-tax and book-keeping calculations. But this is speculation and there is no sign of it so far. In the history of computing , early experimental machines could be operated by a single attendant. For example, ENIAC which became operational in 1946 could be run by a single, albeit highly trained, person. This mode pre-dated the batch programming, or time-sharing modes with multiple users connected through terminals to mainframe computers. Computers intended for laboratory, instrumentation, or engineering purposes were built, and could be operated by one person in an interactive fashion. Examples include such systems as

5984-479: The first single-chip microprocessor , the Intel 4004 , in 1971. The first microcomputers , based on microprocessors, were developed during the early 1970s. Widespread commercial availability of microprocessors, from the mid-1970s onwards, made computers cheap enough for small businesses and individuals to own. In what was later to be called the Mother of All Demos , SRI researcher Douglas Engelbart in 1968 gave

6072-556: The infrastructure provided by the Internet, and the standardization of access methods of the Web browsers , established the foundation for a significant fraction of modern life, from bus time tables through unlimited distribution of free videos through to online user-edited encyclopedias. A workstation is a high-end personal computer designed for technical, mathematical, or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at

6160-519: The introduction of the IBM PC, portable computers consisting of a processor, display, disk drives and keyboard, in a suit-case style portable housing, allowed users to bring a computer home from the office or to take notes at a classroom. Examples include the Osborne 1 and Kaypro ; and the Commodore SX-64 . These machines were AC-powered and included a small CRT display screen. The form factor

6248-549: The keyboard. These displays were usually small, with 8 to 16 lines of text, sometimes only 40 columns line length. However, these machines could operate for extended times on disposable or rechargeable batteries. Although they did not usually include internal disk drives, this form factor often included a modem for telephone communication and often had provisions for external cassette or disk storage. Later, clamshell format laptop computers with similar small plan dimensions were also called notebooks . A desktop replacement computer

6336-489: The market. Several companies developed handheld personal computers in very small sizes after Microsoft ended its UMPC marketing effort in the early 2010s. In 2010, Ocosmos announced the OCS1, a gaming UMPC with the latest CPU from Intel, which featured Windows 7 Home Premium and front and rear-facing cameras. It, along with several other models introduced by Ocosmos, were never released. In early 2015, Ockel Computers developed

6424-455: The monitor, and configured similarly to laptops. A nettop computer was introduced by Intel in February 2008, characterized by low cost and lean functionality. These were intended to be used with an Internet connection to run Web browsers and Internet applications. A Home theater PC (HTPC) combines the functions of a personal computer and a digital video recorder . It is connected to

6512-407: The original Q1 series with more features, including: The Ultra model runs on a 600/800 MHz Intel A100/A110 (Stealey) processor and includes dual cameras, a 40GB/60GB hard disk, HSDPA and just like its predecessor, it comes installed with either Windows XP or Vista. All Q1U models offer a new split keyboard, 1GB of RAM (user upgradeable to 2GB), a SD card slot (excluding the base model), and

6600-503: The primary defining characteristic of netbooks was the lack of an optical disc drive, smaller size, and lower performance than full-size laptops. By mid-2009 netbooks had been offered to users "free of charge", with an extended service contract purchase of a cellular data plan. Ultrabooks and Chromebooks have since filled the gap left by Netbooks. Unlike the generic Netbook name, Ultrabook and Chromebook are technically both specifications by Intel and Google respectively. A tablet uses

6688-485: The project was launched in 2006 as a collaboration between Microsoft, Intel, Samsung , and a few others. After largely being supplanted by tablet computers , production of ultra-mobile PCs was discontinued in the early 2010s. The term "UMPC" has been used unofficially to describe other similar products since then. In February 2006, a viral marketing campaign was quietly launched for the UMPC, then still referred to by its codename, "Project Origami". Speculation over "what

6776-498: The required hardware and software needed to add television programming to the PC, or can be assembled from components. Keyboard computers are computers inside of keyboards, generally still designed to be connected to an external computer monitor or television . Examples include the Atari ST , Amstrad CPC , BBC Micro , Commodore 64 , MSX , Raspberry Pi 400 , and the ZX Spectrum . The potential utility of portable computers

6864-418: The systems hardware components such as the motherboard , processor chip and other internal operating parts. Desktop computers have an external monitor with a display screen and an external keyboard, which are plugged into ports on the back of the computer case. Desktop computers are popular for home and business computing applications as they leave space on the desk for multiple monitors . A gaming computer

6952-491: The time, in addition to rich support for browsing the internet as well as for other communication and networking applications. Windows Media Player was included with a special skin designed to provide a better experience on the small screen. The devices also featured DirectX 9 –class graphics. In 2006, UMPC prices were approximately $ 1000 in the United States, and although Microsoft made efforts to push down prices for

7040-572: The ubiquitous Wintel platform. Alternatives to Windows occupy a minority share of the market; these include the Mac platform from Apple (running the macOS operating system), and free and open-source , Unix-like operating systems, such as Linux . Other notable platforms until the 1990s were the Amiga from Commodore , and the PC-98 from NEC . The term PC is an initialism for personal computer. While

7128-493: The vision that Microsoft created. The Q1b featured a VIA C7-M ULV processor running at 1 GHz, up to five hours of battery life, and a lower price than the Samsung Q1 . It also featured optional modules for HSDPA or WiBro for ubiquitous internet connectivity in major cities around the world. AMtek also released their T770, a Windows Vista powered device with a 1200 MHz processor and 1024 MB of RAM. It had

7216-592: Was also available via the PCI Express card slot in the top of the unit. Two USB ports, a 7-inch (18 cm) touch screen and QWERTY keyboard were available. The device weighed less than 2 pounds (910 g) and offered up to ten hours of battery life. Yukyung introduced the Viliv S5 in mid-2009 followed by Viliv X70 models. In July 2010, the Viliv N5 was introduced. The N5 was a small notebook-style UMPC whereas

7304-508: Was apparent early on. Alan Kay described the Dynabook in 1972, but no hardware was developed. The Xerox NoteTaker was produced in a very small experimental batch around 1978. In 1975, the IBM 5100 could be fit into a transport case, making it a portable computer, but it weighed about 50 pounds. Such early portable computers were termed luggables by journalists owing to their heft. Before

7392-550: Was around $ 500.00. Wibrain UMPC featured a 4.8-inch (12 cm) touch enabled LCD screen at 1024x600 resolution, a 1.0 GHz or 1.2 GHz VIA C7M CPU, 512 MB or 1 GB of memory, a 30 GB or 60 GB harddisk, a full QWERTY keyboard and built-in WiFi (802.11b/g). Around the same date, CHIP.DE featured an article about the R2H and R50A from ASUS , which ran a Windows Tablet PC edition OS on its Intel Celeron system. It had

7480-705: Was back-ordered and not available until later that year. Three months later (April), the Apple II (usually referred to as the Apple) was announced with the first units being shipped 10 June 1977, and the TRS-80 from Tandy Corporation / Tandy Radio Shack following in August 1977, which sold over 100,000 units during its lifetime. Together, especially in the North American market, these 3 machines were referred to as

7568-401: Was intended to allow these systems to be taken on board an airplane as carry-on baggage, though their high power demand meant that they could not be used in flight. The integrated CRT display made for a relatively heavy package, but these machines were more portable than their contemporary desktop equals. Some models had standard or optional connections to drive an external video monitor, allowing

7656-453: Was the 1973 Xerox Alto , developed at Xerox 's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) . It had a graphical user interface ( GUI ) which later served as inspiration for Apple's Macintosh , and Microsoft's Windows operating system. The Alto was a demonstration project, not commercialized, as the parts were too expensive to be affordable. Also in 1973 Hewlett Packard introduced fully BASIC programmable microcomputers that fit entirely on top of

7744-500: Was the first to emulate APL/1130 performance on a portable, single user computer, PC Magazine in 1983 designated SCAMP a "revolutionary concept" and "the world's first personal computer". This seminal, single user portable computer now resides in the Smithsonian Institution , Washington, D.C.. Successful demonstrations of the 1973 SCAMP prototype led to the IBM 5100 portable microcomputer launched in 1975 with

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