who invented the laptop

Imagine a world where your entire computer was the size of a small suitcase, a revolutionary idea in the 1970s when computers still filled entire rooms. The journey to the sleek, powerful laptop we know today wasn’t a single stroke of genius but a series of innovations by brilliant minds. So, who do we credit for this incredible invention?

The Early Vision of a Portable Computer

While the term “laptop” came later, the first truly portable computer is widely considered to be the Osborne 1, created by Adam Osborne in 1981. It was a “luggable” computer that weighed about 24 pounds and featured a tiny 5-inch screen. Its key innovation was that it was a complete system you could actually carry, complete with bundled software. Around the same time, Bill Moggridge designed the Grid Compass 1101 for NASA and the military. This device was a technological marvel, with a clamshell design we’d recognize today, but its sky-high price kept it out of public hands.

The Design That Set the Standard

So, who invented the laptop as we know it? The answer gets a bit more complex. The first computer to be sold as a “laptop” was the Gavilan SC, created by Manuel “Manny” Fernandez in 1983. His company was the first to market a machine with a flip-up form factor and a built-in touchpad. However, many give significant credit to a team at IBM Japan. In 1985, they began work on a project to create a lightweight, portable PC, which eventually led to the IBM PC Convertible in 1986, a machine that helped set industry standards.

A Collective Achievement in Technology

It’s more accurate to think of the laptop as an evolutionary invention rather than the work of one person. Adam Osborne proved a computer could be portable. Bill Moggridge perfected the clamshell design. Manny Fernandez was the first to call it a laptop and add features we still use. Each of these pioneers, along with many engineers and designers, contributed a crucial piece of the puzzle.

From the heavy Osborne 1 to the feather-light devices of today, the laptop’s invention was a relay race of innovation. It stands as a powerful reminder that progress often comes from many minds building on each other’s ideas to create something that changes the world.