HP 95LX

Hewlett-Packard 95LX
Like most pocket computers, the HP 95LX owner's manual is larger and heavier than the computer itself.
Also known asJaguar
ManufacturerHewlett-Packard[1]
TypePalmtop PC
Release dateApril 1991; 33 years ago (1991-04)[2]
Introductory priceUS$550 (equivalent to $1,230 in 2023)
Discontinued1 January 2003 (2003-01-01)
Units shipped400,000 (estimated production run)
Operating systemMS-DOS 3.22[3]
CPUNEC V20 @ 5.37 MHz
Memory512 KB (F1000A) or 1 MB (F1010A)[4]
Removable storageSRAM card (0.5 MB – 32 MB)
Display40 × 16 characters LCD screen (4.8 inch × 1.8 inch)
Graphics240 × 128 pixels (quarter-CGA resolution) monochrome STN, 2 scales
SoundPC speaker (piezo)
InputThumb keyboard with 80 keys and a dedicated numeric keypad[5][6]: 76 [7]
ConnectivityRS-232-compatible serial port, infrared port, PCMCIA 1.0 type II (3.3 mm or 5 mm)
Power2× AA-size removable batteries, 1× CR2032 coin cell backup, optional AC adapter
DimensionsLength 8.5 cm, width 15.9 cm, height 2.6 cm (3.4 inches × 6.3 inches × 1 inch)[5]
Mass312 g (11 ounces)
Backward
compatibility		Intel 8088
SuccessorHP 100LX

The HP 95LX Palmtop PC (F1000A, F1010A), also known as project Jaguar,[8] is Hewlett Packard's first DOS-based pocket computer, or personal digital assistant, introduced in April 1991 in collaboration with Lotus Development Corporation. The abbreviation "LX" stood for "Lotus Expandable".[9] The computer can be seen as successor to a series of larger portable PCs like the HP 110 and HP 110 Plus.

Hardware

HP 95LX has an Intel 8088-clone NEC V20 CPU running at 5.37 MHz with an Intel system on a chip (SoC) device. It cannot be considered completely PC-compatible because of its quarter-CGA (MDA)-resolution LCD screen.[10]

The device includes a CR2032 lithium coin cell for memory backup when the two AA main batteries run out. For mass storage, HP 95LX has a single PCMCIA slot which can hold a static RAM card with its own CR2025 back-up coin cell. An RS-232-compatible serial port is provided, as well as an infrared port for printing on compatible models of Hewlett Packard printers.[3]

Display

In character mode, the display shows 16 lines of 40 characters, and has no backlight. While most IBM-compatible PCs work with a hardware code page 437, HP 95LX's text mode font is hard-wired to code page 850 instead.[3] Lotus 1-2-3 internally used the Lotus International Character Set (LICS), but characters are translated to code page 850 for display and printing purposes.[3]

Software

The palmtop runs MS-DOS 3.22[3] and has a customized version of Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.2 built in.[6]: 72 [11] Other software in read-only memory (ROM) includes a calculator, an appointment calendar, a telecommunications program, and a simple text editor.

Successors

Successor models to HP 95LX include HP 100LX, HP Palmtop FX, HP 200LX, HP 1000CX, and HP OmniGo 700LX.

See also

References

  1. ^ Francis, Peter (December 1991). "HP 95LX. (palmtop computer) (Evaluation)]". Compute! (136): 128. Archived from the original on 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  2. ^ "Hewlett-Packard 95LX computer". oldcomputers.net. Archived from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  3. ^ a b c d e HP 95LX User's Guide (PDF) (2 ed.). Corvallis, Oregon, USA: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis Division. June 1991 [March 1991]. pp. E-1–E-3, F-1–F-7. F0001-90003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2016-11-27. The HP 95LX character set is equivalent to code page 850, the IBM PC multilingual character set. (Note that your HP 95LX contains MS-DOS 3.22, which does not support code-page switching.) All the HP 95LX applications use this set except 1-2-3, which uses LICS, the Lotus International Character Set. Most LICS characters are included in code page 850; the few that are not will not display […] If your HP 95LX cannot display […] or if your printer cannot print a LICS character, the HP 95LX uses a fallback presentation for that character […] if you use the © symbol and your printer cannot print it, the HP 95LX might display (c) or c as the fallback presentation (depending on the capabilities of your printer).
  4. ^ "95LX". HP Computer Museum. Archived from the original on 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  5. ^ a b Kendrick, James (2015-04-07). "HP 95LX: Remembering the early mobile DOS PC". ZDNet. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  6. ^ a b "HP95LX". InfoWorld. 13 (50). InfoWorld Publishing Inc. / IDG Communications Inc.: 72, 76. 1991-12-16. ISSN 0199-6649. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  7. ^ "HP 95LX". Old Organizers Collection. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  8. ^ Lunduke, Bryan (2022-08-01). "The story of the 1991 HP DOS Palmtop - Evolving from an enhanced calculator... to a full DOS compatible PC in your pocket". Substack / The Lunduke Journal of Technology. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-24. [1]
  9. ^ "History of the HP 95LX computer". HPNEWS. Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. 2012. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  10. ^ "DOS Palmtop: HP 95LX Details and specs". Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. (List of DOS-based palmtop computers)
  11. ^ Matzkin, Jonathan (July 1991). "Hewlett-Packard Co. HP 95LX Palmtop PC". PC Magazine. Vol. 10, no. 13. Ziff-Davis Publishing Company / Ziff Communications Company. pp. 216, 220, 222. Retrieved 2016-11-26.

Further reading

  • Kaser, Everett (November–December 1993). "The Evolution of the HP Palmtops - An HP engineer on both design teams describes the development of the HP 95LX and HP 100LX". The HP Palmtop Paper. Vol. 1993, no. 12. Hewlett-Packard Company: Thaddeus Computing, Inc. Archived from the original on 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2023-11-25. [2]
  • Lott, Chris (2020-12-21). "The First Real Palmtop". Hackaday. Archived from the original on 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2023-11-25.

External links

  • Hewlett Packard Web site on HP 95LX
  • HP 95LX technical information (contains PCB photos)
  • Skolob's Hewlett Packard 95LX Palmtop Page (Information and FAQ on HP 95LX)
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