Making Computers Mobile

From firesticks to clay tablets, we’ve always sought ways to carry our tools and information with us.

Early computers were big, fragile, expensive, and power-hungry — none of which suited them to portability. Making them mobile required new technology, new user interfaces, and creative thinking about new uses.

The Shape of Things We Carry

Portability isn’t a modern concept. It’s a return to our roots.

Our nomadic ancestors designed transportable tools. Over time common sizes and shapes emerged, based on how we held and used them. The smallest, like wristwatches, were worn. Small knives could be pocketed. Saws were carried. Cannons were transported as vehicles.

Many early mechanical calculating tools were portable, including slide rules, sextants, and calculators.

Computers have appeared in all these formats. The most successful so far have been carried or handheld, not vehicle-based or worn.