Compaq LTE (1st generation) | 1989
Compaq LTE (1st generation)
The LTE, LTE/286, and LTE/386 were a series of laptop computers manufactured by Compaq from 1989 to 1992. These three models constituted the first generation of the LTE line and were Compaq's second attempt at a laptop, following the SLT released in 1988. They represented the first genuine effort to create a lightweight portable computer. The LTE line became very popular, with hundreds of thousands of units sold across the three models. Subsequently, the LTE line led to follow-up models such as the LTE Lite, LTE Elite, and LTE 5000 series. The LTE became the first commercially successful IBM PC-compatible laptop by utilizing standard technologies like 3.5-inch floppy disks and hard disk drives, paving the way for the growth of the PC laptop industry after previous failed attempts.
The concept of the LTE line was first conceived in 1986 by Christopher J. Gintz, who was the Director of Technology Development and Planning at Compaq. From that time until the LTE's unveiling in 1989, Compaq had released the Portable 386 in 1987 and the SLT/286 in 1988. The category of laptop computers emerged with Epson's HX-20 in 1982, and the popularity of laptops was further spread by Radio Shack's TRS-80 Model 100 in 1983. These laptops were generally about the size of ANSI Letter paper, measuring approximately 8.5 inches × 11 inches (215.9 × 279.4 mm), making them compact enough to fit easily into an average briefcase and light enough to be carried with one hand. The first laptop compatible with the IBM PC was NEC's UltraLite, released in 1988, which was innovative at 4.4 pounds (2.0 kg) but faced low adoption rates due to its lack of an internal floppy disk drive and reliance solely on ROM and RAM cards for data transfer. Around the same time, Zenith Data Systems also released the MinisPort, but it still used a non-standard 2-inch format, failing to provide a viable solution.
The LTE and LTE/286 were true laptops, each precisely sized to ANSI Letter dimensions and measuring 1.9 inches (48 mm) in thickness. To avoid the adoption barriers faced by NEC and Zenith's laptops, Compaq's LTE was the first in the market to adopt a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, with an optional hard disk drive available. Compaq sourced the hard drives from Conner Peripherals. Although the platter diameter of the drives was 3.5 inches, the casing thickness was only 0.75 inches (19 mm), significantly thinner than contemporary desktop drives. This allowed Compaq to incorporate a spinning hard drive within the laptop. The base model of the LTE was equipped with an 8086 processor and could be configured with a 20MB Conner hard drive or without a hard drive. In contrast, the LTE/286 model was offered with 40MB and 20MB hard drive options, as well as a no-hard-drive option. The LTE was also compatible with external 360KB and 1.2MB 5.25-inch floppy drives, allowing for removable storage devices.
Both the LTE and LTE/286 adopted a black-and-white LCD screen measuring 7.7 inches × 3.7 inches, co-designed by Compaq and Citizen Watch. This screen could display CGA graphics in four shades of gray and was equipped with a blue electroluminescent backlight for readability in low-light conditions. The LTE operated with an 80C86 processor at 9.54 MHz, while the LTE/286 featured an 80C286 processor running at 12 MHz. Both models utilized CMOS versions of the 8086 and 80286 processors, designed for low power consumption. The LTE/286 optionally supported the 80C287 math coprocessor, which required partial disassembly of the device for installation. Both models came with 640KB of built-in RAM, with expandable memory capacities of up to 1.6MB for the LTE and 2.6MB for the LTE/286. Additionally, the LTE/286 could be expanded to a maximum of 4.6MB with a 4MB RAM card sold by AMKLY Systems Inc.
Compaq primarily produced the LTE and LTE/286 at its Houston campus, and a few weeks after the announcement, it entered into a contract with Citizen to manufacture and distribute LTE models in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. This marked the first instance of Citizen producing computer systems in full.
In October 1990, Compaq announced the LTE/386s. This model featured an Intel 386SX processor running at 20 MHz, an increase in base memory capacity to 2MB, and the ability to expand up to 10MB. The LTE/386s was equipped with a 9-inch diagonal LCD screen capable of displaying VGA graphics in 16 shades of gray. This model was Compaq's first laptop to support VGA. The LTE/386s also utilized more flexible interconnects and ASICs to reduce weight and was designed with smaller components. It came with either a 30MB or 60MB hard drive, with an 84MB model added in November 1991. The LTE/386s offered an optional docking station, allowing it to function like a desktop computer. The docking station added two 16-bit ISA slots and a 5.25-inch drive bay, along with a VGA monitor and standard desktop keyboard. Additionally, the LTE/386s was compatible with external CD-ROM drives, for which an internal CD-ROM adapter was also provided.
However, the initial LTE and LTE/286 models had manufacturing defects. Compaq used a different ABS plastic than in previous models, leading to minor cracks in the cases of some units. This issue marked the first large-scale defect case in Compaq's history. Subsequently, Compaq reverted to the original ABS resin in October 1990 and replaced the newly manufactured cases for users. The LTE/386s utilized a more durable ABS plastic.
Between October 1989 and July 1990, Compaq sold a total of 84,777 units of the LTE and LTE/286 models combined. An additional 10,011 units were sold between July and August 1990, and by December of that year, sales surpassed 100,000 units. Sales of the LTE/386s initially progressed slowly, with approximately 2,700 units sold from November 1990 to February 1991. However, sales surged between March and June 1991, with 35,231 units sold, and 31,356 units sold between June and September.
While all new laptop computers were marketed as innovations in portable computing, the Compaq LTE/286 truly represented a significant breakthrough. The LTE/286 may be one of the most important advancements in the history of portable computers. It offered exceptional power and battery life relative to its size and weight, making it incomparable to other devices of similar dimensions.
The LTE and LTE/286 received acclaim in the computing industry. InfoWorld's Sherwin Levinson particularly praised the LTE/286 as a "breakthrough in portable computing," stating, "I have never seen a device with such powerful performance and battery life in such a small size and light package." He noted that the processor of the LTE/286 was nearly twice as fast as the NEC V20 used in the UltraLite and performed similarly to the much larger SupersPort 286 from Zenith Data Systems. After testing the LTE/286, he remarked that "size, weight, and battery life are all delightful," although he expressed concern about potential interference patterns with the passive matrix display. PC World featured the LTE on the cover of its December 1989 issue, with reviewer Eric Knorr writing, "The compatible large-capacity storage makes the LTE series a truly innovative product." However, he noted that the keyboard layout and feel were inferior to the MinisPort and mentioned that the lack of a docking station option in the early models made it "inconvenient for use as a primary machine." Nevertheless, he predicted that "these drawbacks aside, the LTE will sell like snow chains in ski season."
PC Magazine's Mitt Jones described the LTE and LTE/286 as "the most exciting and user-friendly laptops you can confidently talk about," but pointed out that their prices ranged from $3,500 to $5,000, which was very expensive. He referred to the LTE based on the 80C86 as "almost a miracle product," suggesting that, like the UltraLite, the LTE now seemed impossible given its size. He noted that the power efficiency of the 80C86 was less necessary compared to the LTE/286, allowing the LTE to run for over five hours on a single charge. PC Magazine's Fredric Burke praised the LTE/286 as "the best in the field," highlighting its expandability, LCD readability, and battery performance.
Patrick Lyons, reviewing the LTE/386s for InfoWorld, described the model as "well-designed and powerful," noting that it boasted the fastest speed among laptops reviewed by the magazine up to early 1991. PC Magazine featured the LTE/386s on its cover dated March 12, 1991, with reviewers stating that it was the fastest 386-class laptop for general memory writing, file access, and disk navigation due to DOS API. Its numerical calculation and graphics performance were also rated highly. Reviewer Greg Pastrick remarked, "While price is important to consider, the features, performance, and expandability of the LTE/386s justify its place in business and industry." About a year after its introduction, Joseph Desposito noted, "If you don't need the Compaq brand, you can find better products at lower prices elsewhere." He pointed out that the inverted-L arrow key on the keyboard was inconvenient.
The LTE achieved the first commercial success as an IBM PC-compatible laptop, marking a significant product that heralded the rise of the emerging laptop industry. Compaq's decision to equip its high-end models with the existing 3.5-inch floppy disk drives and standard rotating hard disk drives allowed it to achieve great success based on the compatibility with data storage systems already established on IBM PC-compatible desktops. By 1993, Compaq had shipped the remaining units of the first-generation LTE models, and in 1992, it launched the next-generation model, the LTE Lite.
The unexpected success of the LTE line had a significant impact on the laptop development of both Apple and IBM. Apple released its first laptop, the Macintosh Portable, in September 1989, about a month before the LTE was launched; however, the LTE significantly outperformed the Macintosh Portable in the market due to its smaller size and lower weight. Randy Battat, Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, recalled, "We didn't realize how fast the market was moving," and another Apple manager remarked, "When you put the Portable next to the LTE, you think, 'Where are we?'" In response, Apple launched the PowerBook 100 in 1990. According to Deborah A. Dell, who led IBM's ThinkPad team, the LTE was the driving force that prompted IBM to hasten the development of smaller laptops, resulting in the emergence of the PS/2 Model L40 SX, the precursor to the ThinkPad, in 1991.
