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54-404: The Zenith MinisPort (styled as minisPORT ) is a subnotebook based on an 80C88 CMOS CPU running at two software selectable speeds: 4.77  MHz or 8 MHz. It was released in 1989 by Zenith Data Systems (ZDS). It had 1 (model ZL-1) or 2 MB (model ZL-2) of RAM, ran MS-DOS 3.3 Plus from ROM , had a 640×200 LCD display and CGA and composite monochrome outputs. The MinisPort

108-538: A PowerBook, and was responsible for the power management of the computer. Identical to that of the Macintosh Portable, it controlled the display's backlight , hard drive spin-down , sleep and wake, battery charging, trackball control, and input/output (I/O). The 100 did add a new feature: 3.5 V batteries backed up permanent and expansion random-access memory (RAM) when the PowerBook ;100's battery

162-561: A battery which was intended to be standard rather than only useful for Compaq products. IBM released a Palm Top PC (handheld laptop with 4.7" screen) in 1995. IBM had sold "thin and light" models in its ThinkPad range, such as the ThinkPad 560 ultraportable (1996) and best-selling ThinkPad 600 (1998). It finally entered the subnotebook market in 1999 with the 1.3 kg ThinkPad 240 , targeted at business travellers. The 240 and 240X had 10.4″ screens. Later, however, IBM replaced these with

216-518: A built-in floppy disk drive and was noted for its unique compact design that placed a trackball pointing device in front of the keyboard for ease of use. Apple's then-chief executive officer (CEO) John Sculley started the PowerBook project in 1990, allocating $ 1 million for marketing. Despite the small marketing budget, the new PowerBook line was a success, generating over $ 1 billion in revenue for Apple in its first year. Sony designed and manufactured

270-410: A configuration featuring 4 MB of RAM, a 40 MB hard drive, and a floppy drive was sold for less than $ 1,000, marking a substantial discount from the original list price of the equivalent 2 MB/20 MB configuration. On September 17, 1992, Apple recalled 60,000 PowerBook 100s because of a potential safety problem. It was discovered that an electrical short could lead to the melting of a small hole in

324-454: A desktop Macintosh. This provided a convenient method for software to be installed onto the PowerBook or transferred to the desktop, without the need for the 100's optional floppy disk drive. A specialized SCSI cable with a unique connector was required, however, to use any SCSI device on the PowerBook series. A second dedicated cable was required for SCSI Disk Mode. This feature was unique to the 100 until Apple introduced new PowerBooks more than

378-776: A few notable smaller-than subnotebook PCs at this time, including the Atari Portfolio and HP 95LX — both very small MS-DOS machines, roughly comparable in size to later handheld PCs. At the end of 1992, PCMag magazine described two models as subnotebooks: these were the Gateway HandBook the Dell 320SLi (both less than a 1.6 kg weight), and another was released in Italy: the Olivetti Quaderno . Apple and Compaq did not label their machines as "subnotebooks" in this period, but

432-433: A metal chassis (trademark is still active) The Epson HX-20 , released in 1982, was the first portable computer to be classified by journalists as a " notebook computer ". This nomenclature derives from its footprint roughly occupying the same dimensions as an A4 -sized notebook, small enough to fit inside a briefcase. The similarly designed TRS-80 Model 100 from 1983 was the first commercially successful notebook and

486-464: A new system branding called Ultrabooks ; these very much match the prior description of subnotebooks - they used lower-powered processors (but not as low-end as netbooks) and with each generation of Intel processors, the lower-powered U-series processors became a larger part of mainstream sales. typically lacked optical drives and legacy ports, and were generally compact, but as marketed the two terms were rarely used together. Noticeable releases: In 2007

540-402: A printer or any compatible RS-422 device. It was the first Macintosh to omit an external modem port, instead offering an optional built-in 2400 baud modem for communications. As a result, for the first time a user could not print directly and access AppleTalk or a faster external modem simultaneously, and devices such as advanced MIDI interfaces could not be used because they required

594-575: A small airline coach seat yet typing comfortably on his PowerBook. The ad caption read: "At least his hands are comfortable." Apple unveiled the PowerBook 100 on October 21, 1991, at the Comdex computer expo in Las Vegas, alongside two other models: the PowerBook 140 and PowerBook 170 . Both the promotional campaign and the product itself were successful. Apple set a target of selling over 200,000 units of

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648-454: A tight budget." The PowerBook 100 continues to receive recognition from the press. PC World named the PowerBook 100 the 10th-greatest PC of all time in 2006, and in 2005, US magazine Mobile PC chose the PowerBook 100 as the greatest gadget of all time, ahead of the Sony Walkman and Atari 2600 . The PowerBook 100 received multiple awards for its design, including

702-444: A wallet or briefcase. Brunner said: "It says something about the identity of the person who is carrying it". Crystal Waters of Home Office Computing praised the PowerBook 100's "unique, effective design" but was disappointed because the internal modem did not receive faxes, and the 100 had no monitor port. The low-capacity 20 MB hard drive was also criticized. Once a user's core applications had been installed, little room

756-473: A year later. There are two versions of the PowerBook 100's QWERTY layout keyboard: a domestic US version with 63 keys and an international ISO version with 64 keys. The caps lock key on the PowerBook 100 did not have a locking position or a lighted indicator of its status, and to compensate, the System ;7 operating system software includes an extension file that causes an icon of

810-598: Is credited with spawning an industry of smaller portable computers. Like the HX-20, the Model 100 was smaller than contemporary clam-shell machines; both use a slate form factor, with no hinge and the keyboard and screen on the same plane. The Model 100's later sibling the Tandy 200 was a clam-shell design and smaller than contemporary laptops. The NEC UltraLite , launched in 1988, was the first clamshell "notebook computer" compatible with

864-559: The ASUS Eee PC became the first of a new class of low-cost laptops commonly called netbooks . Netbooks are typically based upon the Atom processors, while other subnotebooks use more powerful processors such as ULV types. In 2008, Apple introduced the MacBook Air , which the company claimed was the world's thinnest notebook. This model was notable for offering no built-in optical drive. In

918-517: The IBM PC , a platform whose market share dominated the microcomputer industry throughout the 1980s onward. Its relatively small dimensions — 48 × 220 × 280 mm (1.4 × 8.3 × 11.75 inches) — matched those of a pair of stacked US Letter (similar to A4 ) size paper notebooks. Owing to its lack of a floppy drive (in favor of proprietary solid-state storage), the UltraLite did not see massive uptake by

972-515: The Pentium 4 mobile chips, the mobile Pentium III remained available because of high power consumption on the Pentium 4 leading to high heat and short battery life. This was followed by the Pentium M , which was a dedicated line of mobile processors with no desktop equivalent. This era also featured processors from Transmeta , intended to be extremely power efficient. One of the most notable Sony models

1026-785: The Portege T3400 and T3400CT, claiming that "It's the first subnotebook computer with all the functionality of a much larger computer"; the T3400CT was the first subnotebook with a color screen. in 1995, Tosbiba introduced the Libretto 20 , with a 6.1″ screen; CNet reported about the Libretto 50CT that "[it] is the first full-fledged Windows 95 notebook in the United States weighing less than two pounds". Compaq introduced its own short lived subnotebook line in 1994 called Contura Aero , notable for using

1080-532: The PowerBook Duo and Compaq LTE Lite otherwise qualify, and both lines were among the first to broadly popularize docking stations . Another early model was the Hewlett-Packard OmniBook 300 , which was launched as a "superportable" in 1993; it was one of the first examples to use a flash memory disk instead of a hard drive, to reduce the weight. Toshiba , also entered the market that year with

1134-556: The Ultrabook branding for premium thin-and-light laptops. Over the next several years, specific marketing of laptops as "subnotebooks" died out, and since 2017 the term is essentially dead in mainstream branding. As of the early 2020s plenty of smaller laptops remain on the market which could adequately be described as subnotebooks, ranging from the likes of the GPD Pocket (7-inch display) to Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (12-inch display), and

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1188-462: The power adapter socket on the motherboard, which required a $ 400 replacement motherboard if the warranty had expired. Most of the PowerBook 100's internal components were based on its predecessor, the Macintosh Portable . It included a Motorola 68HC000 16 MHz processor, had 2 MB memory, no floppy disk drive , and cost approximately $ 2,500 with external floppy drive. Later

1242-499: The Portable took 5.4 and 2.6 seconds respectively. PC Week tested the battery life, which delivered 3 hours 47 minutes of use. Byte magazine ' s review concluded, "The PowerBook 100 is recommended for word processing and communications tasks; the higher-end products offer enough power for complex reports, large spreadsheets and professional graphics." MacWEEK described it as "ideal for writers and others on

1296-430: The PowerBook 100 was offered without the external floppy drive for $ 2,300. The dimensions of the PowerBook 100 were an improvement over the Portable. It was 8.5 inches (22 cm) deep, 11 inches (28 cm) wide, and 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) high, compared to the Portable, which was 14.83 inches (37.7 cm) deep, 15.25 inches (38.7 cm) wide and 4.05 inches (10.3 cm) high. Another significant difference

1350-524: The PowerBook to weigh less than its competitors. Sculley allocated a $ 1 million marketing budget to the PowerBook product line, in contrast to the $ 25 million used to market the Macintosh Classic . Medica, Battat, and Selvin used most of the money to produce and air a television commercial that viewers would remember. Advertising agency Chiat/Day filmed retired Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sitting uncomfortably in

1404-436: The PowerBook within the first year, with peak demand anticipated in the initial three months following its release. By January 1992, Apple had already sold more than 100,000 PowerBooks, a milestone that was reached despite the product facing shortages in supply. Apple soon solved the supply problems, and the proceeds from PowerBook sales reached $ 1 billion in the first year after launch. Apple surpassed Toshiba and Compaq as

1458-501: The PowerBook 100 as the greatest gadget of all time in 2005. From 1990, John Sculley, then CEO of Apple, oversaw product development personally to ensure that Apple released new computers to market more quickly. His new strategy was to increase market share by lowering prices and releasing more "hit" products. This strategy contributed to the commercial success of the low-end Macintosh Classic and Macintosh LC , desktop computers released by Apple in 1990. Sculley wanted to replicate

1512-587: The PowerBook 100 did not last. Sales decreased, and by December 1991 the 140 and 170 models had become more popular because customers were willing to pay more for a built-in floppy disk drive and second serial port, which the PowerBook 100 lacked. In early 1992, the PowerBook 100 was offered at $ 2,300 without the external floppy drive. By August 10, 1992, Apple quietly dropped the PowerBook 100 from its price list but continued to sell existing stock through its own dealers and alternative discount consumer-oriented stores such as Price Club . In these outlets,

1566-471: The PowerBook 100 in collaboration with the Apple Industrial Design Group , Apple's internal design team. It was discontinued on September 3, 1992, and superseded by the PowerBook 145 and PowerBook Duo series. Since then, it has been praised several times for its design; PC World named the PowerBook 100 the tenth-greatest PC of all time in 2006, and US magazine Mobile PC chose

1620-490: The PowerBook 100 top priority. Sony president Norio Ohga gave project manager Kihey Yamamoto permission to recruit engineers from any Sony division. Robert Brunner , Apple's head of industrial design at the time, led the design team that developed the laptop, including its trackball and granite color. Brunner said he designed the PowerBook "so it would be as easy to use and carry as a regular book". The dark granite grey color set it apart from other notebook computers of

1674-492: The US in 1997 as the VAIO 505GX. This was followed by the even thinner Sony VAIO X505, which measured just 0.8 × 8.2 × 10.2 inches, and reached 0.3″ at its thinnest. However, it was very expensive and had poor battery life, and was soon withdrawn. Apple replaced the aging PowerBook Duo line with relatively light-weight (4.4 lb (2.0 kg)) but short-lived PowerBook 2400c ; this

Zenith MinisPort - Misplaced Pages Continue

1728-507: The X range, with 12.1″ screens. In 1997 Mitsubishi Electric released ultra-compact 12.1" Mitsubishi Pedion laptop line with ultrathin magnesium case (18 × 218 × 297 mm) and chiclet keyboard. This short-living model line was sold only in Japan, and was discontinued after some hardware issues. Sony launched an ultraportable (ultrathin) less than an inch thick in Japan - the PCG-505, which reached

1782-411: The casing. This issue affected three out of the 60,000 notebooks manufactured between October 1991 and March 1992. On the day of the recall, Apple shares closed at $ 47, down $ 1.25, but some analysts discounted the recall's importance. In addition, the original power supplies had problems with insulation cracks that could cause a short in a fuse on the motherboard ; and the computer was prone to cracks in

1836-406: The dedicated use of both ports. A third-party serial modem port could, however, be installed in the internal modem slot for consumers who needed traditional functions. When the computer was not in use, contents of the memory were preserved as long as the main lead-acid battery remained charged. The PowerBook 100 Power Manager was an integrated circuit , usually placed on the logic board of

1890-786: The distinction between regular-size and 'subnotebook' laptops has largely disappeared. To the extent that it still exists, 'subnotebook' could be defined as machines with screen smaller than 13" but with a permanently-attached keyboard intended for two-handed typing. Prior to this convergence, subnotebooks were also distinguished from netbooks and ultra-mobile PCs , based on both size and market position. Subnotebooks run full desktop class operating systems. Classic subnotebooks were smaller than full-sized laptops but larger than handheld computers . They were distinguished by smaller screens and bodies and lighter weights relative to contemporaneous laptops. The savings in size and weight were often achieved partly by omitting ports , and these were typically

1944-642: The existing product line. Apple approached Sony in late 1989 because it did not have enough engineers to handle the number of new products that were planned for delivery in 1991. Using a basic blueprint from Apple, including a list of chips and other components, and the Portable's architecture, the 100 was miniaturized and manufactured by Sony in San Diego , California , and Japan . Sony engineers had little experience building personal computers but nonetheless completed Apple's smallest and lightest machine in under 13 months, cancelling other projects and giving

1998-497: The first improvements to the PowerBook line as Apple benefited from the lessons learned in developing the more powerful models' enclosure. The 100 was designed between September and December 1990, and retained the same design elements, which were a variation on the Snow White design language Apple had been using since 1984. Specifically, 2 mm (0.079 in) raised ridges spaced 10 mm (0.39 in) apart intended to tie it into

2052-415: The first machines to omit optical disc drives or on some of the earliest models, floppy disk drives. They were also some of the first systems which could be paired with docking stations to compensate. One notable form-factor of subnotebook-oriented docks were "slice docks" — a more transportable version of the classic docking station. 2018-current (Asia only) most often Intel Atom particularly

2106-741: The general public. The first commercially successful notebook in this vein, the Compaq LTE , was released in 1989 to critical acclaim and high sales. The success of the LTE convinced IBM and Apple to release their own slimmer laptops, starting with the PS/2 Model L40 SX and the PowerBook 100 , respectively. IBM replaced the L40 SX with the PS/2 note in early 1992 and the ThinkPad line in late 1992. There were also

2160-518: The international caps lock symbol (⇪) to appear in the upper right-hand corner of the menu bar when Caps Lock is active. The internals of the PowerBook 100 were the basis of the Apple Wizzy Active Lifestyle Telephone prototype. Both the PowerBook 140 and 170 were designed before the 100 by the Apple Industrial Design Group , from March 1990-February 1991. The 100's styling was based on those computers and represents

2214-703: The introduction of the Intel Atom , ultra-low-voltage processors which has since having become mainstream, and the use of ARM microprocessors. Another notable implementation was a migrate from CCFL screen backlit to more energy-efficiently and compact LED-backlit screens. On the other hand, over the course of the 2010s, with growing of sales for mainstream users, optical drives and legacy ports became uncommon, and some classic subnotebook features (like additional replaceable batteries, alternative input methods, docking options, Smart Cards, mobile broadband modules, additional storage) become rare. At Computex 2011 Intel announced

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2268-403: The market leader in worldwide share of portable computer shipments. The PowerBook 100, 140, and 170 contributed greatly to Apple's financial success in 1992. At the end of the financial year, Apple announced its highest figures yet, $ 7.1 billion in revenues and an increase in global market share from 8% to 8.5%, the highest it had been in four years. However, the initial popularity of

2322-572: The same year Lenovo released last widely known hi-end 12" subnotebook line without touchpad, the ThinkPad X200, X200s and X200 Tablet models. In 2010 saw a number of semi-rugged low-end subnotebooks for the education market, including the Dell Latitude 2100, Lenovo ThinkPad x100e, and HP ProBook Education Edition; these notably had laptop charging trolley support. In 2011, the first Chromebooks were introduced by Google, and Intel's introduced

2376-577: The success of these products with Apple's new PowerBook line. Sculley began the project in 1990 and wanted the PowerBook to be released within one year. The project had three managers: John Medica, who managed engineering for the new laptop; Randy Battat, who was the vice president for product marketing; and Neil Selvin, who headed the marketing effort. In 1991, the two leaders in the laptop computer industry were Toshiba and Compaq , both of which had introduced models weighing less than 8 lb (3.63 kg). Medica, Battat, and Selvin deliberately designed

2430-503: The term is still sometimes used informally although is no longer used by manufacturers. PowerBook 100 The PowerBook 100 is a notebook-sized laptop computer designed and manufactured by Sony for Apple Computer and introduced on October 21, 1991, at the COMDEX computer expo in Las Vegas , Nevada. Priced at US$ 2,500 with external floppy drive, the PowerBook 100

2484-419: The time and also from Apple's other products, which traditionally were beige or platinum grey. The trackball, another new design element, was placed in the middle of the computer, allowing the PowerBook to be easily operated by both left- and right-handed users. The designers were trying to create a fashion statement with the overall design of the laptop, which they felt made it a more personal accessory, like

2538-490: Was being replaced or when the 100 was otherwise temporarily removed from all power sources. This made it a perfect candidate for use with Apple's RAM disk to help increase battery life by accessing the hard disk less frequently, since the 100 was the only PowerBook that maintained the contents of RAM on shutdown in order to reduce startup time. The PowerBook 100 was the first PowerBook to incorporate SCSI Disk Mode , which allowed it to be used as an external hard disk on

2592-477: Was co-designed by IBM, and manufactured for Apple by IBM Japan. In 2000 Compaq released a more compact successor of Digital HiNote line - the 10.3" Armada M300 , with magnesium case and 1.6 kg weight. Sony also launched the C1 range of subnotebooks, starting in Japan in 1998. This period was notable for a major split between lower-power-consumption and higher power x86 processors in laptops; although Intel released

2646-467: Was covered in non-computer magazines including GQ, FHM, Elle and Rolling Stone. In 2006, Microsoft introduced a new ultra-mobile PC format, under the code-name Origami. These were smaller versions of Tablet PC computers; One example was the Samsung Q1 . Since 2007, the laptop computer market has seen an increased segmentation of microprocessor lines to different purposes and power levels, including

2700-454: Was left for optional programs and documents. Waters concluded: "Having used the 100 constantly in the past few weeks, I know I wouldn't feel cheated by buying it - if only it had a 40MB hard-disk drive option." PC Week benchmarked the PowerBook 100, measuring it against its predecessor, the Macintosh Portable . The PowerBook 100 took 5.3 seconds to open a Microsoft Word document and 2.5 seconds to save it, while

2754-451: Was one of the first actual subnotebooks , apart from a contemporary NEC model. The MinisPort is 12.5-inch wide × 9.8-inch deep × 1.29-inch tall (318 mm × 249 mm × 33 mm), (lid closed), 7.75-inch (197 mm) tall (lid open). It weighs 5.9 lb (2.7 kg) with the battery. Subnotebook As typical laptop sizes have decreased over the course of the 2010s, and other distinguishing features have become mainstream,

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2808-522: Was the Vaio PCG-C1VE or PictureBook (2001). It was one of the first machines with a digital camera built into the lid, which could be used for video conferencing or swiveled to photograph a scene. This was followed in 2005 by the Flybook convertible with a 8.9 inch touch screen. The Flybook featured a built-in phone connection for GPRS or 3G networking, and is available in a range of bright colors. This

2862-601: Was the less expensive passive matrix display used instead of the sharper active matrix used on the Portable (and the 170). The PowerBook 100 included the System 7.0.1 operating system as standard, with support for all versions up to System 7.5.5 . Apple, however, released System 6.0.8L , which allowed the PowerBook 100 to run System 6 . It could also be used with some earlier System 6 versions, although Apple did not officially support this. The PowerBook 100 had one external serial port, designed for use with

2916-440: Was the low-end model of the first three simultaneously released PowerBooks . Its CPU and overall speed closely resembled those of its predecessor, the Macintosh Portable . It had a Motorola 68000 processor at 16 MHz , 2-8  megabytes (MB) of RAM, a 9-inch (23 cm) monochrome backlit liquid-crystal display (LCD) with 640 × 400  pixel resolution, and the System 7.0.1 operating system. It did not have

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