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That depends on what you define as a laptop. There is no firmly agreed definition, so choose your own.

The first self contained laptop size and weight machine that used an LCD screen was the Epson HX-20 introduced November 1981. It had 20 characters of text on each of 4 lines of display and weighed 3.5lbs.

The widest consensus agrees the Osbourne 1 introduced in April 1981 was the first "true" portable computer. It had a handle, the keyboard folded up to cover the 5" Cathode Ray Tube(CRT) screen, a battery pack was an option. However at 24.5lbs a person was not likely to use it on their lap.

Earlier, September 1975, IBM released their model 5100 considered to be the first self contained "portable" computer. It had everything needed to operate in a single unit that could be carried from place to place. The built in keyboard did not fold. There was no factory battery option. 55lbs makes laptop use even less plausible.

Early on, some machines were called "portable" if they could be moved with a forklift or hand truck and did not require being custom built within their own dedicated room where they would remain for their useful life.

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13y ago

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