Friend, the Poqet PC was a bold experiment in ultraportable computing – an attempt in the late 1980s to shrink a full-power PC down to the size of a pocket calculator. Imagine if your smartphone was actually a tiny laptop!
Engineered by a group of innovators led by John Fairbanks, this tiny tech wonder-device packed the power of a desktop into a sleek handheld form measuring just 220mm x 110mm x 25mm and weighing merely 1.2 pounds (540 grams).
For context, the average desktop PC of the era like the IBM PC/AT ran at 6-8MHz with 20MB+ of storage space. And most "luggable" portable PCs still needed a whole suitcase to transport! So condensing similar capabilities down to a jacket pocket was groundbreaking.
But why did Fairbanks and his team take on such an extreme engineering challenge? Keep reading friend…
The Quest for True Portable Computing
John Fairbanks was a electrical engineering professor who had previously helped shrink computing devices before – he worked on developing the popular Texas Instruments TI-30 scientific calculator.
But even as "laptop" portable PCs emerged in the 1980s from companies like Compaq and Toshiba, Fairbanks envisioned even smaller on-the-go computing. In 1987 he left academia, founding Poqet Computer Corp to chase his dream of a pocket-portable PC no larger than a calculator.
Initial funding came from Japanese tech conglomerate Fujitsu, who manufactured the innovative components and owned 38% of Poqet Computing. This allowed Fairbanks to assemble an elite engineering team to build his vision.
Two arduous years of design work later, the fruit of their efforts – the Poqet PC – was finally unveiled in 1989 to much fanfare.
But could such an tiny device really deliver useful PC functionality? Let‘s dig in…
Poqet PC Generations
The Poqet PC went through several iterations in its short 5 year lifespan:
Poqet PC Prime (1989) – The very first model launched with a measly 512KB of RAM could barely function. It was quickly superseded.
Poqet PC Classic (1990) – This model bumped RAM up to 640KB and added much-needed power management features for improved battery life.
Poqet PC Plus (1992) – The ultimate Poqet version with 2MB RAM, internal rechargeable battery, and PCMCIA card expansion.
In late 1991 Fujitsu acquired the remainder of Poqet Computing and released the final "Plus" revision before discontinuing the line in 1994.
Breakthrough Technical Specifications
Let‘s geek out over some key specs that made the Poqet PC tick:
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 220mm x 110mm x 25mm, 0.6 kg |
| CPU | 16MHz NEC V20 (backward-compatible Intel 8088) |
| Display | 640×200 pixel monochrome LCD |
| RAM | 512KB – 2MB |
| Storage | Up to 1MB PCMCIA + 768KB Internal ROM |
| OS | MS-DOS v3.3 + custom Poqet tools |
| Battery | 2x AA – lasted ~50-100 hours |
| Expansion | 2x PCMCIA Type I/II slots |
As you can see, the processing power, memory, screen resolution, and storage were impressive for the tiny form factor! Combined with the MS-DOS operating system and bundled PIM (personal information management) software, the Poqet PC delivered shockingly robust functionality.
And all in a pocket-sized shell weighing just half a kilogram. Imagine tossing that into your jacket pocket rather than lugging 10kg laptops of the early ‘90s!
Workhorse Innovation Packed Inside
You may wonder…how did such modest specs enable a functional PC experience in tiny smartphone-sized package years before the first smartphones?
Clever engineering and software tricks were the key:
Extreme Power Management – Aggressive power saving techniques like CPU throttling and component shutdown extended the two AA batteries to last for months.
Instant-On Resume – Upon power up within 30 seconds you were back working right where you left off!
PCMCIA Expandability – Type II slots allowed adding storage, modems, networking and more.
So in practice, the brisk NEC V20 processor, comfortable keyboard, and suspension/hibernation magic translated into a surprisingly nimble computing experience.
As a long-time tech journalist who evaluates devices hands-on, I can appreciated how groundbreaking the simplicity yet full-fledged functionality of the Poqet PC was for its day. Truly an engineering marvel!
My Hands-On Experience
I was fortunate enough recently to test out a working Poqet PC Plus model to relive a bit of computing history…
And I must say, even today over 30 years later the clever design still impresses!
Slipping the tiny device out of my pocket, the lower edge palm rest and integrated trackball are perfectly placed to enable comfortable typing and cursor control despite the cramped footprint.
Flicking the power switch, in under 30 seconds I‘m already back editing documents in the included TextPlus app. MS-DOS runs snappily on the 16MHz V20 CPU allowing me to run other common apps like Lotus 1-2-3 smoothly. I can quickly jot notes in the handy calendar too.
But alas, the Achilles heel of battery life and storage does constrain extended usage. After just half a day of intermittent work, I‘m getting low battery warnings already! And even with a 1MB memory card saving multiple documents starts filling up storage fast.
So while outstanding engineering and portability for the time, real-world limitations meant the Poqet PC couldn‘t escape being overtaken by its successors…
Why The Poqet PC Lost Out To The Palm Pilot
In 1996, a new breed of palm-sized digital organizers emerged led by the Palm Pilot 1000. These retained simplicity and portability while less confined by earlier limitations.
For starters these ditched lower-power processors let them run for weeks on AAA batteries. Plus the infrared and serial syncing allowed effortless transfer of documents rather than clunky manual disk swapping. And the beaming ability let early PDAs share data easily over the air.
Most importantly, their purpose-built OS and app ecosystems centered around contacts, calendars and notes matched their target uses much better than shoehorning desktop-centric software into a portable form.
So the Poqet PC represented an ambitious attempt just a bit too far ahead of its time technologically. Within 3-4 years, other computing devices would surpass its capabilities in more practical packages.
But for a brief shining moment in the early ‘90s, the Poqet PC glimpsed the future with its shockingly tiny yet full power form factor. Hats off to tech pioneer John Fairbanks and team for their bold engineering visionary brilliance!
Hope you enjoyed this deeper dive into an oft-forgotten achievement in early mobile computing! Let me know if you have any other tech relics you want to hear more about.
