The UltraLite is a line of notebook-sized

laptop A laptop computer or notebook computer, also known as a laptop or notebook, is a small, portable personal computer (PC). Laptops typically have a Clamshell design, clamshell form factor (design), form factor with a flat-panel computer scree ...

s first released by

NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...

in 1988. The original model was released in October 1988, alongside the heavier and more-capable ProSpeed. The UltraLite was the first notebook computer on the market

compatible Compatibility may refer to: Computing * Backward compatibility, in which newer systems can understand data generated by older ones * Compatibility card, an expansion card for hardware emulation of another device * Compatibility layer, component ...

with the

IBM PC The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the List of IBM Personal Computer models, IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible ''de facto'' standard. Released on ...

. Quoted in The original model was based on the

NEC V30 The NEC V20 is a microprocessor that was designed and produced by NEC. It is both pin compatible and object-code compatible with the Intel 8088, with an instruction set architecture (ISA) similar to that of the Intel 80188 with some extensio ...

microprocessor; the computer includes

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few op ...

3.3 built into

ROM Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...

. ''

PC Magazine ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and continues . Overview ''PC Mag ...

'' featured the UltraLite on its cover in November 1988Front Cover:NEC's Incredible 4-Pound DOS Laptop
1988-11-15, Volume 7 Number 19, PC Magazine and shortly thereafter journalists began referring to any A4-sized computer as "notebooks", to distinguish them from the larger and heavier laptops of the time.

Specifications

* Storage: battery-backed storage memory (non-volatile RAM drive) ** PC-17-01 had 1 MB ** PC-17-02 had 2 MB * RS-232C port * ROM/RAM card slot (NEC proprietary interface) * optional accessories: ** external 3.5 inch floppy drive reader ** SRAM cards using proprietary interface ** ROM cards using proprietary interface ** parallel port adapter cable * internal software in 456 Kb integrated ROM **

3.3 ** Laplink 2 ** Microsoft DOS Manager Version 2.0

History

The product was originally developed by an NEC Japan telecommunications engineering team that was trying to make an inexpensive lightweight terminal for programming

PABX A business telephone system is a telephone system typically used in business environments, encompassing the range of technology from the key telephone system (KTS) to the private branch exchange (PBX). A business telephone system differs from ...

systems. In 1988, as

was trying to create products to update their best selling MultiSpeed, the NEC engineering team in charge of developing personal computers showed the UltraLite to a product management team from NEC Home Electronics USA. Tom Martin, the Vice President in charge of the group, asked, "Can you make this thing run MS-DOS"? When an affirmative response was received, the NEC team knew they had a hit product on their hands. The product was launched shortly before COMDEX in October 1988 at a gala event in New York City. It was applauded by the media, who were dying to find a small lightweight computing platform that could be used for note-taking and article writing. Unfortunately the publicity surrounding the UltraLite did not reflect itself in consumer demand. This was due to the UltraLite's two

Achilles heel An Achilles' heel (or Achilles heel) is a weakness despite overall strength, which can lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, idiomatic references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to do ...

s ... the lack of a

hard drive A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating hard disk drive platter, pla ...

which prevented storage of one's work (for more than a week or so without charging the internal RAM drive) and the use of a relatively slow

8086 The 8086 (also called iAPX 86) is a 16-bit microprocessor chip designed by Intel between early 1976 and June 8, 1978, when it was released. The Intel 8088, released July 1, 1979, is a slightly modified chip with an external 8-bit data bus (allo ...

-compatible processor when the market was moving to the

80286 The Intel 80286 (also marketed as the iAPX 286 and often called Intel 286) is a 16-bit microprocessor that was introduced on February 1, 1982. It was the first 8086-based CPU with separate, non-multiplexed address and data buses and also the fi ...

class. The main downside to the Ultralite (which weighed only 4 pounds) was its price. It sold for between 4 and 5 thousand dollars which was significantly higher than other, albeit heavier, less innovative, computers of the time. Given its use of the ram drive boot times were actually faster than 80386 class computers. So although the UltraLite ushered in a new era in portable computing, its original design as a telecommunications maintenance terminal proved to be its commercial downfall. Commercial success in that product category was not achieved until

Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation was an American information technology, information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced some of the first IBM PC compati ...

launched its

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brand nearly 12 months later.

Data storage

Data storage can be done by an optional external 720 kb (in fact it supported "Japanese" 1.2 Mb format but did not support more common 1.44 Mb) 3.5-inch floppy drive, by the internal non-volatile RAM drive (silicon hard drive), or by proprietary RAM and ROM cards. The internal ram drive is powered by an auxiliary battery inside the unit which needs to be recharged every week or so in order to keep the contents of the ram drive. The credit-card sized, battery-powered RAM cards come with capacity sizes of 256 kb or 512 Kb. Both RAM cards and ROM cards use a proprietary NEC interface because this laptop came out at a time when there were no standard portable computing interfaces. The

PCMCIA The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) was an industry consortium of computer hardware manufacturers from 1989 to 2009. Starting with the PCMCIA card in 1990 (the name later simplified to ''PC Card''), it created v ...

standard did not exist until 1990. The RAM cards were powered by a replaceable 3 volt lithium coin battery and had a write-protect switch.

ROM cards

Software can be bought running from ROM cards. Examples include: *

Lotus 123 Lotus 1-2-3 is a discontinued spreadsheet program from Lotus Software (later part of IBM). It was the first killer application of the IBM PC, was hugely popular in the 1980s, and significantly contributed to the success of IBM PC-compatibles i ...

* Lotus Agenda * Lotus Metro/Express *

Wordperfect WordPerfect (WP) is a word processing application, now owned by Alludo, with a long history on multiple personal computer platforms. At the height of its popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s, it was the market leader of word processors, disp ...

5.0 *

Wordstar WordStar is a discontinued word processor application for microcomputers. It was published by MicroPro International and originally written for the CP/M-80 operating system (OS), with later editions added for MS-DOS and other 16-bit computing, ...

Microsoft Works Microsoft Works is a discontinued office suite, productivity software suite developed by Microsoft and sold from 1987 to 2009. Its core functionality includes a word processor, a spreadsheet and a database management system. Later versions have a ...

Other models

There are other models in the NEC Ultralite series—for example, the Ultralite SX/20, which was released in 1991. The Ultralite SX/20 had a

80386 The Intel 386, originally released as the 80386 and later renamed i386, is the third-generation x86 architecture microprocessor from Intel. It was the first 32-bit processor in the line, making it a significant evolution in the x86 architect ...

processor and runs Microsoft Windows 3.0 Others in the series include the NEC Ultralite 286F, 286V, and the NEC UltraLite Versa models.

References

External links

NEC Ultralite: Last of a Breed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nec UltraLite UltraLite Computer-related introductions in 1988