GridCase (stylized as GRiDCASE ) is a line of rugged tablets and laptops by Grid Systems Corporation released as a successor of the GRiD Compass line. The first model was released in 1985.
17-457: 1590 1985; low-contrast LCD screen with green background (instead of orange/yellow plasma screen with black background on a Compass laptops). This model was based on a MSDOS 2.11 and a bunch of apps burned on ROM that fit in the ROM tray in front. 1986; returning to a plasma screens (but with red/orange text color and wide aspect ratio ). The internal power supply can be ejected and a battery-pack
34-466: A 320 × 240-pixel electroluminescent display , 340- kilobyte magnetic bubble memory , and a 1200 bit/s modem . Devices such as hard drives and floppy drives could be connected via the IEEE-488 I/O (also known as GPIB or General Purpose Interface Bus). This port made it possible to connect multiple devices to the addressable device bus. It weighed 5 kg ( 11 lb ). The power input
51-841: A built in 2400 bps modem and weights 5.5 kg (12 lbs.) without battery or power supply. 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-1550sx In the period from 1990–1994, the Tandy Corporation together with GRiD Systems Corporation produced the following models: GRiD 1450SX – 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-1450sx GRiD 1810 – 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-1810 GRiD 1660 and 1660C – 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-1660 GRiD 1680 and 1680C – 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-1680 GRiD 1720, 1750, 1755 – 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-1755 GRiD 4025N and 4025NC – 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-4025nc Reintroduced in 1995 line. There
68-424: Is 100–240 V AC 50/60/400 Hz , 80 W . The 400 Hz utility frequency is common on airplanes and submarines . 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-1537e 1990; This model has an integrated pointing device, and was based on an Intel 80386sx processor. The 1550sx version has 4 MB RAM, a 100 MB hard disk, a 1.44 MB floppy drive, a hardly visible B/W VGA-LCD screen,
85-742: Is a rugged laptop with a 80386 CPU , an optional 80387 floating-point processor and up to 8 Mbyte of DRAM . It was first flown into space in December 1992 on the STS-53 for use of the HERCULES geolocation device. The 1535EXP was also the first rugged portable PC to attain full TEMPEST accreditation from the NSA. Another modification – the Grid GRiDCASE 1537EXP – has another screen (640×480 instead of 640×400, but with less physical size). The power input
102-522: Is a family of laptop computers introduced in 1982 by the Grid Systems Corporation . The design for the Compass was rendered by Bill Moggridge . Owing to its clamshell design —the first in a portable computer —some historians credit the original Compass as the first ever laptop. This original model of Compass lacked an internal battery compartment, requiring AC power from the wall. Grid sold
119-462: Is also a Tempest version of this model (1580T). Pentium and pointing stick (initial model, 1995) or Pentium II and touchpad (1580 XGA, 1998). 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-1580 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-1580-tempest 3D view: https://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-1580-XGA This computing article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Grid Compass The Grid Compass
136-420: Is installed in its place. 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-3 1986; the rugged version of GRiDCASE 3 with electromagnetic protection. 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-tempest 1988; can be equipped with plasma or LCD screen. Was based on a 286 CPU. 3D view: http://vintage-laptops.com/en/grid-case-1520 Source: The modification of 1530 – the Grid GRiDCASE 1535EXP
153-547: Is ~ 110/220 V AC, 47–66 Hz , 75 W . The Compass II was released in 1984; known as 1121, 1129, 1131 and 1139 models. Grid Systems Corporation Grid Systems Corporation (stylized as GRiD ) was an early portable computer manufacturer, based in the United States and oriented for the production of rugged and semi-rugged machines. Currently, the Grid computer brand still exists as Grid Defence Systems Ltd. in
170-491: The GRiDCASE laptops, and the first GRiDPad tablet also was released in 1989; Also a few rebranded models of another manufacturers were released, include Tandy/ Victor Technologies Grid 386 ( Compaq SLT clone), GRiDPad SL 2050 (Samsung PenMaster clone) and AST GRiDPad 2390 (Casio Zoomer/ Tandy Z-PDA clone). Edens co-founded Waveform Corp and in 2003 joined the board of F5 Networks Inc., and John Ellenby went on to co-found
187-604: The Gavilan SC and Sharp PC-5000 released the following year, the GRiD Compass established much of the basic design of subsequent laptop computers, although the laptop concept itself owed much to the Dynabook project developed at Xerox PARC from the late 1960s. GRiD Systems Corporation subsequently earned significant returns on its patent rights as its innovations became commonplace. The portable Osborne 1 computer sold at around
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#1732895697673204-481: The 1101, was introduced in April 1982; The 1100 model designation were never released commercially, but featured in some pre-release marketing material. The computer was designed by British industrial designer Bill Moggridge . The design used a clamshell case (where the screen folds flat to the rest of the computer when closed), which was made from a magnesium alloy. The computer featured an Intel 8086 processor ,
221-511: The United Kingdom. Grid Systems Corporation was founded in late 1979 by John Ellenby , who left his job at Xerox PARC and joined Glenn Edens, Dave Paulsen and Bill Moggridge to form one of Silicon Valley's first stealth companies . The company went public in March 1981. It was located at 47211 Lakeview Boulevard, Fremont, California , 94537. The "GRiD" name with the unusual lowercase "i" in
238-531: The companies Agilis and augmented reality pioneer GeoVector . Grid Defence Systems formed in London, England by former employees during a management buyout of the former GRiD Computer Systems UK Ltd. in 1993. The UK Grid company starts with a simply "GRiD 1###"-branded rugged laptop line, and in 1995 was reintroduced the GRiDCASE line. Grid developed and released several pioneering ideas: OldComputers.net called
255-446: The middle was the result of discussion between John Ellenby, Glenn Edens and John Ellenby's wife, Gillian Ellenby, who pushed for the final choice. The lowercase "i" was a note of thanks to Intel for helping in the early days. In 1988, Tandy Corporation purchased the Grid company. AST Computer acquired the US wing of company, and was itself later acquired by Samsung. Grid still produced
272-504: The same time as the GRiD, was more affordable and more popular, and ran the popular CP/M operating system. But, unlike the Compass, the Osborne was not a laptop and lacked the Compass's refinement and small size. The Compass ran its own operating system, GRiD-OS. Its specialized software and high price ( US$ 8,000 – $ 10,000 ) meant that it was limited to specialized applications. The initial model,
289-616: The succeeding model, the Compass II, in 1984 with an optional external battery unit. Grid replaced the Compass with the GridCase line in 1985. Development of the Compass began in 1979, and the main buyer was the U.S. government. NASA used it on the Space Shuttle during the early 1980s, as it was powerful, lightweight, and compact. The military Special Forces also purchased the machine, as it could be used by paratroopers in combat. Along with
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