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My First Osborne Portable Computers
Osbourne I and II (the II is pretty cool!)
My dad gave these to me in 1985.
Updated September 22, 2005

Osborne 1

Model: OCC-1
Introduced: April 1981
Price: US $1795
Weight: 24.5 pounds
CPU: Zilog Z80, 4.0 MHz
RAM: 64K RAM
Display: built-in 5" green monitor
  53 X 24 text
Ports: parallel/IEEE-488 interface
  modem/serial port, video out.
Peripherals: optional 300 baud modem
Storage: two internal floppy
  drives, 5-1/4 inch, 91K each
OS: CP/M
Front View
My original software
Historical Notes
Released in 1981, The Osborne 1 is considered to be the world's first true portable computer. It even has an optional battery pack, so it doesn't have to be plugged into a 110VAC outlet for power. 

Intentional or not, the Osborne 1 has a very military-like appearance, with its small screen, beige color, and its many knobs and compartments. Designed as a true portable computer system, it can be considered airline carry-on luggage, and it will fit under the passenger seat of any commercial airliner. The system pictured above is actually the second release of the Osborne portable. It has a sturdier case than the original release model. 

While it was a good deal at $1795, the Osborne also came bundled with about $1500 of free software:
  • Digital Research CBASIC programming language
  • Microsoft MBASIC programming language
  • WordStar word processing software
  • SuperCalc spreadsheet software
  • CP/M operating system

I plan to just keep it and maybe make a display for it, like a museum piece.

OSBORNE II EXECUTIVE

Osborne OCC-2 Executive

Model: OCC-2
Introduced: February 1983
Price: US $1995
Weight: 21.2 pounds
CPU: Zilog Z80A, 4.0 MHz
RAM: 124K RAM (bank-switched)
VIDEO: 4K x 12 RAM
ROM: 8k
Display: built-in 7" amber monitor: 24 lines of 80 characters
Ports: Two RS-232-C serial
Parallel Port: IEEE 488 or Centronics protocols
Peripherals: optional 300 baud modem
Storage: two internal floppy drives, 5-1/4 inch, 91K each, Double Density
OS: CP/M
Clinical Factory-New Front View
My Osbourne OCC-2 Executive

In 1983, the Osborne Computer Company announced a successor, the Executive model OCC-2 (seen here above, right), with a larger screen and a cooling fan.

Shortly thereafter, they announced the next system, the Vixen, an MS-DOS compatible portable.

Unfortunately, potential customers stopped buying the Osborne 1, waiting for the Executive and the Vixen, which wasn't even ready to ship yet. Additionally, the new Kaypro was now available for less money. Osborne sales plummeted and Osborne quickly ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy in September of 1983.

It probably wasn't the company's fault, since by this time most of the serious computer users were gravitating towards the new IBM PC, which had already been available since 1981.

Anything that wasn't IBM compatible was bound to fail. In 1983, the Compaq Portable came out - a portable computer similar to the Osborne, except that it was IBM compatible and ran MS-DOS. It wasn't a great success.

This Executive Model OCC-2 has been sitting in my father's office garage for the last 5 years, and was coated with what I will describe as "asphaltic, brake dust-like material" and I am being kind in that description. I cleaned the exterior case for 30 minutes with my home sink sponge and 15 sheets of paper towel before I unsealed the case. And you know what? The interior was totally clean. I powered it up, and inserted a boot disk and got a nice and clean C:\DOS prompt!

I immediately programmed in the first DOS program I learned when I was 10 years old:

10: PRINT "SCROTUM"
20: RUN
30: GOTO 10

I laughed like a little 10-year-old-schoolboy once again...my old childhood friend Bob Z will howl in laughter on seeing this.

--Tony

Copyright © 2003 Tony Rogers