Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!DENNETT@SRI-NIC.ARPA
From: DENNETT@SRI-NIC.ARPA (Steve Dennett)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: re: very portable
Message-ID: <501@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 7-Aug-85 19:14:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.501
Posted: Wed Aug  7 19:14:59 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Aug-85 23:51:32 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Lines: 36


Steve,

I've owned a Compaq "transportable" for over a year and am quite pleased
with it as a computer.  However, the Compaq (and other "transportables")
are really rather a nuisance to carry farther than from home => car =>
work, etc.  At ~30 pounds and sewing-machine size, they probably aren't
what your friend wants.

Money is probably the crucial factor.  The lightest, highest quality
lap-top are the GRID machines.  They recently introduced a line of
fully IBM PC compatibles called the GRiDCase 1, 2, and 3.  These
weigh about 12 pounds, have an 80C86 cpu, and 1 720K 3-1/2" disk
drive.  Accessories include a 5-1/4" drive (external) for loading IBM PC
programs, an expansion chassis, and an internal 1200 baud modem.  Prices
depend on how much you value your eyes, as follows:

GRiDCase I (LCD regular LCD screen)		$2975
GRiDCase II (enhanced [backlit] LCD screen)	$3150
GRiDCase III (plasma display screen)		$4350
    RGB video out port				$ 350
    Internal 300/1200 baud modem		$ 795

As you can see, not cheap.

A new machine your friend might be more interested in is the
Panasonic Executive Partner (not to be confused with the older Sr. Partner).
This machine is a laptop with a plasma display screen and built in thermal
printer, and supposedly will sell for around $2600.  [I've only seen ads
for this one-- see the August issue of Byte, pg. 63].

Hope this helps.

Steve Dennett
dennett@sri-nic.arpa
-------