The 40-Year Evolution of the Laptop Computer

Better, faster, cheaper...

Today's laptops let people work from just about anywhere, including airliners, doctors' offices and hospitals, ships at sea and the International Space Station.

The desktop has gone through many changes over four decades, but they pale in comparison to the absolute revolution in portable computing, Fox Van Allen reports on techrepublic.com.

From the "portable" 1975 IBM behemoth to the ultra-expensive oddities of the 1980s, from the neon designs of the 1990s to the machines we use today, this is a visual history of the most important and interesting portable computers ever made, Van Allen wrote.

For a slide show of the 40-year evolution of the laptop:  http://www.techrepublic.com/google-amp/pictures/the-evolution-of-the-laptop-computer/

The 50-pound IBM 5100, 1975.

The IBM portable computer, 1986.

Photos: Pinterest, techrepublic.com.

Next time on The Allen Report: 

Timeless NYC Spots Worth a Visit.