Zenith ZP-150

The ZP-150 was one of the early commercially available portable computers. It was released in late 1984 by Zenith data systems and sold by Heathkit.

Market Life

The ZP-150 was offered for US$1995 when bundled with the US$800 Works software, but could be found in the Fall 1985 Heathkit catalog for US$1195. The price came down in the same catalog to US$999 in the Winter 1986 edition and US$699 in the Fall 1987 edition (as it was being phased out with the release of the Z-181 and Z-183).

Hardware Specifications

Weight: 7.7 lb
Dimensions: 13"W x 11.1"D x 1.8"H
RAM: 32K, expandable to 416K
ROM: 224K, plus 2 sockets for software expansion
Power: 12VDC or 10 AA Alkaline batteries (providing 15 hours run-time w/o modem), plus internal Nickel-Cadmium battery for retaining memory while off, up to 8 days
Ports:

Parallel Printer

RS-232C

Telephone Line (300-baud modem)

system bus

BCR (for a bar code reader)

CMT (for data cassette recorder)

ACP (for acoustic coupler, a type of external modem)

Handset (of telephone)

LCD Monitor (80 characters/ine with 16 lines) & contrast control, volume control, and low-battery indicator
QWERTY keyboard

Software Specifications

The ZP-150 included a special version of Microsoft Works 1.10 stored in its ROM. Most programs are very similar to the desktop versions, but with reduced functionality.

Word word processing; can work with up to 10 tyewritten pages in the 32K RAM

Plan electronic spreadsheet; spreadsheet size up to 255 rows x 63 columns

Calendar appointment organizer with alarm

File database manager

Telecom telecommunications package

BASIC program editor and compiler

Accessories

ZP-150-1 power transformer
ZP-150-2 32K RAM module
ZP-150-4 Parallel to Centronics printer cable
CB-5063-27 File transfer software

Historical Significance

The most significant aspect of the ZP-150's history is that it is not remembered as one of the first portable computers, despite its relatively early appearance in the marketplace and being refered to in advertising as a "laptop".

References

ZP-150 User's guide, (1985) Zenith Data Systems Corporation, St. Joseph, MI and Heath Company, Benton Arbor, MI
Heathkit catalogs, Fall 1985 (No. 870R) pp90-91, Winter 1986 (No. 201) p89, Fall 1987 (No, 207) p84

External Links

IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
Tandy 600 and Zenith ZP150 photographic comparison of the internal hardware of the Tandy 600 and the Zenith ZP-150