Data General Walkabout: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:59, 13 November 2023

Revision as of 10:45, 13 November 2023

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Introduced in December 1989,<ref name=pcw /> the original Walkabout has a built-in modem capable of communicating at speeds of either 1,200&nbsp;baud or 2,400&nbsp;baud, depending on the model ordered.<ref name=cw>{{cite journal | date=February 12, 1990 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pq-eT9Lz6gkC&pg=PA30 | title=I/O devices | work=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=XXIV | issue=7 | page=30 | via=Google Books}}</ref> Aside from its terminal emulation functionality, the original Walkabout contains in [[Read-only memory|ROM]] a rudimentary [[word processor]] application, capable of composing and storing up to 16&nbsp;KB of text. An [[autodialer]] utility allows users to store contact information in a virtual [[phone book]] and automatically dial out one's phone number over the [[public switched telephone network]] via its modem. The laptop also includes a [[real-time clock]] application that displays the time in the corner of the screen, as well as a timer function allowing users to set timed reminders over the course of using the machine.<ref name=pcw />

The original Walkabout, with its non-backlit monochrome [[Liquid-crystal display|LCD]], measures {{convert|12|by|10.6|by|1.9|in|cm}} and weighs {{convert|5|lb|kg}}.<ref name=cw /><ref name=pcw /> The Walkabout takes five [[AA battery|AA batteries]] to operate; alternatively, users could have bought a rechargablerechargeable [[Nickel–cadmium battery|Ni–Cd battery]] pack to power the system.<ref name=pcw />

===Walkabout/SX===

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The laptop comes with 1&nbsp;MB of [[Random-access memory|RAM]] stock, expandable to up to 8&nbsp;MB with the use of [[SIMM]] slots on the motherboard, in increments of 1&nbsp;MB or 2&nbsp;MB.<ref name=iw1 /> Two propriety [[expansion slot]]s on the side take Data General's proprietary expansion cards for the machine. One slot is reserved for 8-bit cards, while the other is for 16-bit cards. Available in 1990 were a 2400-baud [[modem]] card, a [[StarLAN]] [[Ethernet]] networking card, and a [[barcode reader]] card; in 1991, the company released an expansion chassis card, allowing [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA]] cards to be used with the Walkabout/SX.<ref name=pcmreview />{{rp|148, 151}} Data General also included two [[RS-232]] serial ports and one [[parallel port]] on the back of the Walkabout/SX allowing common peripherals like mice and printers to be used with the laptop.<ref>{{cite journal | date=March 26, 1990 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A8279932/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=DG debuts 386SX portable | work=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=7 | issue=12 | page=15 | via=Gale}}</ref>

The Walkabout/SX's backlit VGA display measures 8.25&nbsp;inches wide by 5.25&nbsp;inches high, making for a somewhat irregular [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]] of 1.70:1, and can only display monochrome images, with 32 shades of grey. However, users can hook up an external monitor to obtain color display in a truer 1.33:1 aspect ratio.<ref name=pcmreview>{{cite journal | last=Brown | first=Bruce | date=September 25, 1990 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LVCsAZClkfUC&pg=PT162 | title=Data General Corp.: Walkabout/SX | work=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=9 | issue=17 | pagepages=148–151 | via=Google Books}}</ref>{{rp|151}}

The Walkabout/SX measures {{convert|15.7|by|14.2|by|3.2|in|cm}} and weighs, depending on the configuration, between {{convert|16|lb|kg}} and {{convert|22|lb|kg}}.<ref name=cwmeasure>{{cite journal | date=May 21, 1990 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0trZRzRZHd0C&pg=PP92 | title=Laptops and notebooks (4 to 14 lbs.) | work=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=XXIV | issue=21 | page=92 | via=Google Books}}</ref> The computer's stock Ni–Cd battery lasts between three and five hours on a single charge. Power conservation features include the aforementioned underclocking on battery power, as well as automatic screen blanking and automatic hard drive shutoff [[Terminate-and-stay-resident program|TSR programs]] included on one of seven application floppy disks.<ref name=pcmreview />{{rp|148, 151}}<ref name=workout>{{cite journal | last=Athey | first=((Robert D., Jr.)) | date=November 1990 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A9670803/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=A Workout for the Walkabout | work=DG Review | publisher=New Media Publications | volume=11 | issue=5 | page=50 ''et seq''. | via=Gale}}</ref>

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==Reception==

Robert D. Athey, Jr., reviewing the Walkabout/SX in ''DG Review'', found the computer overall comfortable to use and its processor speedier than advertised. He also gave the built-in LCD high marks for readability and graphical reproduction. Athey called the built-in floppy disk quite slow and found the keyboard occasionally intermittent, however.<ref name=workout /> Van Van Horn, also writing about the Walkabout/SX in the same publication, deemed the computer heavier than most laptops on the market at the time (at 22&nbsp;lb for his configuration) but found it nonetheless roadworthy and sturdy. Horn rated the laptop's PC compatibility well and found parallel communications with other computers speedy. Unlike Athey, Horn found the LCD mediocre in most reading environments except broad daylight.<ref name=otr>{{cite journal | last=Van Horn | first=Van | date=January 1991 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A9391120/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=On the Road | work=Van Horn | publisher=New Media Publications | volume=11 | issue=7 | page=14 ''et seq''. | via=Gale}}</ref> ''[[PC Magazine]]''{{'s}} Bruce Brown, reviewing the Walkabout/SX, concluded that while the average user would not want to transport the machine "back and forth every day or use it as a constant computing companion" due to its heft, the machine overall was "a viable portable candidate for those who want a full-featured machine".<ref name=pcmreview />{{rp|151}}

==References==