Atari Portfolio
Encyclopedia
The Atari Portfolio is the first PC-compatible
palmtop computer, and was released by Atari Corporation
in 1989. The Portfolio was licenced from Distributed Information Processing (DIP) based in Guildford, Surrey, UK. The original founding member of DIP was Ian Cullimore
, fresh from his experiences at helping design the early Organiser products at Psion.
, and the other two David Frodsham and Peter Baldwin.
CPU running at 4.9152 MHz and ran a variant of MS-DOS
called "DIP DOS 2.11". It had 128 KB of RAM and 256 KB of ROM which contained the OS and built-in applications. The on-board RAM had to be divided between system memory and local storage (the C: drive). The LCD was monochrome without backlight and had 240x64 pixels or 40 characters x 8 lines.
Power was supplied by three AA size removable alkaline batteries. The computer's memory was preserved during battery changes. There was also an optional AC adapter.
There was an expansion port on the right side of the computer for parallel, serial, modem or MIDI expansion modules. It used a card expansion port for removable memory, which was not compatible with PC card
as it predated that standard. Expansion cards were available in sizes of 32, 64, and 128 KB initially, and later were available in capacities up to 4 MB. The expansion cards were backed up by a replaceable battery, which lasted approximately two years. Built-in applications included a text editor, spreadsheet (Lotus 1-2-3
compatible), phone book and time manager. Expansion cards contained programs such as a chess game, a file manager, and a finance manager. Most text-based MS-DOS applications could be run on the Portfolio as long as they did not directly access the hardware and could fit into the small memory.
Other expansion modules included a floppy drive, and a memory expansion unit. The memory expansion unit gave the Portfolio an additional 256 KB of RAM, which can be partitioned into several drives. It also featured a pass-through expansion connector, allowing the use of more than one expansion unit. In theory, multiple memory expanders can be attached, increasing the available storage to over 640 KB.
There was also a card reader available that connected to a desktop PC to read and write to the expansion cards. The kit contained an ISA card, a special cable, the card reader, and software distributed on floppy disk.
A modem expansion module was available which converted the portfolio into a miniature computer terminal
. The modem was powered from the portfolio and came with an acoustic coupler consisting of two round shells that could be mounted over both ends of a handset with the aid of velcro
strips. A direct connection to a telephone with a standard telephone lead was also possible. The complete terminal and coupler were portable weighing only a few hundred grammes.
Also, using the parallel port expansion module, a standard parallel cable and the software supplied (DOS based), the Portfolio can be connected to a PC for transferring files to and from the unit.
Credits for the development of the product can be found in the "back door" on the Portfolio — go into Setup, then Help, then press + ("Alt" plus "left square bracket").
Another interesting hack is the Portfolio Compact Flash modification. By modifying the RAM card slot and fitting a CF-socket and a small circuit (a 74 series chip and a bit of buffering) CF cards can be used (albeit in partitions no larger than 32 MB each due to limitations of the ROM DOS).
, where it is used by the young John Connor to bypass security on an ATM with a ribbon cable connecting the Portfolio's parallel interface to a magstripe card
. This setup also appears a second time in the movie, when John uses it in the Cyberdyne Systems lab to retrieve the key to the vault containing the arm and CPU of the first Terminator.
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
palmtop computer, and was released by Atari Corporation
Atari Corporation
Atari Corporation was a manufacturer of computers and video game consoles from 1984 to 1996. Atari Corp. was founded in July of 1984 when Warner Communications sold the home computing and game console divisions of Atari to Jack Tramiel. Its chief products were the Atari ST, Atari XE, Atari 7800,...
in 1989. The Portfolio was licenced from Distributed Information Processing (DIP) based in Guildford, Surrey, UK. The original founding member of DIP was Ian Cullimore
Ian Cullimore
Ian Cullimore is an English-born mathematician and computer scientist who has been influential in the pocket PC arena.-Biography:Cullimore has a degree in Mathematics from King's College London, and a PhD in Cognitive and Computer Science from the University of Sussex.He was the original founder ...
, fresh from his experiences at helping design the early Organiser products at Psion.
History
DIP officially stood for "Distributed Information Processing", although secretly it actually stood for "David, Ian and Peter", the three founding members of the company, all ex-Psion. The original founder of the company (first called "Crushproof Software") was Ian CullimoreIan Cullimore
Ian Cullimore is an English-born mathematician and computer scientist who has been influential in the pocket PC arena.-Biography:Cullimore has a degree in Mathematics from King's College London, and a PhD in Cognitive and Computer Science from the University of Sussex.He was the original founder ...
, and the other two David Frodsham and Peter Baldwin.
Technology
It was built around an Intel 80C88Intel 8088
The Intel 8088 microprocessor was a variant of the Intel 8086 and was introduced on July 1, 1979. It had an 8-bit external data bus instead of the 16-bit bus of the 8086. The 16-bit registers and the one megabyte address range were unchanged, however...
CPU running at 4.9152 MHz and ran a variant of MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
called "DIP DOS 2.11". It had 128 KB of RAM and 256 KB of ROM which contained the OS and built-in applications. The on-board RAM had to be divided between system memory and local storage (the C: drive). The LCD was monochrome without backlight and had 240x64 pixels or 40 characters x 8 lines.
Power was supplied by three AA size removable alkaline batteries. The computer's memory was preserved during battery changes. There was also an optional AC adapter.
There was an expansion port on the right side of the computer for parallel, serial, modem or MIDI expansion modules. It used a card expansion port for removable memory, which was not compatible with PC card
PC card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...
as it predated that standard. Expansion cards were available in sizes of 32, 64, and 128 KB initially, and later were available in capacities up to 4 MB. The expansion cards were backed up by a replaceable battery, which lasted approximately two years. Built-in applications included a text editor, spreadsheet (Lotus 1-2-3
Lotus 1-2-3
Lotus 1-2-3 is a spreadsheet program from Lotus Software . It was the IBM PC's first "killer application"; its huge popularity in the mid-1980s contributed significantly to the success of the IBM PC in the corporate environment.-Beginnings:...
compatible), phone book and time manager. Expansion cards contained programs such as a chess game, a file manager, and a finance manager. Most text-based MS-DOS applications could be run on the Portfolio as long as they did not directly access the hardware and could fit into the small memory.
Other expansion modules included a floppy drive, and a memory expansion unit. The memory expansion unit gave the Portfolio an additional 256 KB of RAM, which can be partitioned into several drives. It also featured a pass-through expansion connector, allowing the use of more than one expansion unit. In theory, multiple memory expanders can be attached, increasing the available storage to over 640 KB.
There was also a card reader available that connected to a desktop PC to read and write to the expansion cards. The kit contained an ISA card, a special cable, the card reader, and software distributed on floppy disk.
A modem expansion module was available which converted the portfolio into a miniature computer terminal
Computer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
. The modem was powered from the portfolio and came with an acoustic coupler consisting of two round shells that could be mounted over both ends of a handset with the aid of velcro
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
strips. A direct connection to a telephone with a standard telephone lead was also possible. The complete terminal and coupler were portable weighing only a few hundred grammes.
Also, using the parallel port expansion module, a standard parallel cable and the software supplied (DOS based), the Portfolio can be connected to a PC for transferring files to and from the unit.
Credits for the development of the product can be found in the "back door" on the Portfolio — go into Setup, then Help, then press + ("Alt" plus "left square bracket").
Legacy
The Portfolio still enjoys some popularity today. Many people value them for their strict simplicity and lack of unnecessary features. In addition, several hacks have been made for the Portfolio, including an accessory that allows the use of an electroluminescent backlight on the unit.Another interesting hack is the Portfolio Compact Flash modification. By modifying the RAM card slot and fitting a CF-socket and a small circuit (a 74 series chip and a bit of buffering) CF cards can be used (albeit in partitions no larger than 32 MB each due to limitations of the ROM DOS).
Atari Portfolio in pop culture
The Portfolio appears in the film Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
, where it is used by the young John Connor to bypass security on an ATM with a ribbon cable connecting the Portfolio's parallel interface to a magstripe card
Magnetic stripe card
A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card...
. This setup also appears a second time in the movie, when John uses it in the Cyberdyne Systems lab to retrieve the key to the vault containing the arm and CPU of the first Terminator.