What is this?
Black rectangular housing, hinged at top center to open, clamshell-style, revealing a screen and keyboard.
Why is this in our collection?
In 1980, Bill Moggridge and his firm had the opportunity to design a complete computer. The result was the GRiD Compass portable computer, considered to be one of the first laptop computers. The initial brief was to design the exterior case: a minimal, low, rectangular black box, the top horizontally bisected with a hinged section that lifts to reveal the screen and keyboard. Upon taking a prototype home and using it, Moggridge found that the user’s interaction with the object (hardware) and the software was just as important as the design of the physical form. Object and user interaction were both essential design elements that combined to create a complete experience. This prototype for the GRiD Compass... more