Hewlett Packard 150
| Manufacturer: | Hewlett Packard |
| Year Introduced: | 1983 |
| Cost (new): | approx. $4,000 |
| Processor: | Intel 8088 |
| Speed: | 8 Mhz |
| Transistors: | 29,000 |
| RAM: | 256 KB - 640 KB |
| Storage Media: | Two 3.5" Floppy Drives |
| Expansion Slots: | Four Internal |
| I/O Ports: | IEEE 488 RS422 Serial (2) |
| Operating System: | MS-DOS 2.01 - 3.2 |
| System Bus: | 8-bit |
The Hewlett-Packard 150 was the first "touchscreen" computer. The 150 series consisted of three different computers: the 45611A (HP 150A), 45611B (HP 150B), and 45851A (HP 150 II).
The 150A was the original model. It shipped with 256 KB of RAM and MS-DOS 2.1. The 150B added support for new disk drives and a new RFI shield to reduce radio interference. The 150C feature many upgrades and enhancements, including a larger 12" display (instead of 9") and four internal expansion slots (instead of two). The 150 II was also known as the Touchscreen II.
The HP 150 used its own interface program (or "shell"), called the Personal Application Manager (PAM), instead of the typical DOS command line. It allowed users to run applications from a semi-graphical interface, as well as run system utilities.
The 150 series was not IBM-compatible. Most of its software was proprietary, and it would not run IBM PC software.
Image courtesy of www.old-computers.com.