Compaq Concerto
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | February 1, 1982 in Houston, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Rod Canion, Jim Harris, Bill Murto |
| Headquarters | Houston , United States |
| Products | Computers, laptops, tablets |
The Compaq Concerto was a pioneering detachable laptop computer launched by Compaq in 1993. Representing Compaq’s inaugural mass-market tablet device, it stood as an early iteration of a 2-in-1 PC.
Specifications
The Concerto was available in three variants, distinguished by their hard drive size and processor clock speed. Each unit came equipped with 4 MB of RAM soldered directly onto the motherboard, with the option to expand memory up to 20 MB using proprietary expansion modules.
Processor choices consisted of an Intel 486SL running at either 25 MHz or 33 MHz. The 25 MHz versions were paired with either a 120-MB or 240-MB IDE hard disk, whereas the 33 MHz model featured a 240-MB IDE drive exclusively. All configurations included an integrated 3.5" floppy disk drive supporting 1.44 MB capacity.
The system operated on MS-DOS 6.2 enhanced by Compaq’s custom DOS extensions designed for improved power management and system configuration. It also came preloaded with Windows for Pen Computing Version 1, which was built upon Windows 3.1 and incorporated pen-input capabilities such as handwriting recognition. The touchscreen and stylus technology were developed in collaboration with Wacom.
Additional specifications included:
- Optional internal modem available as an accessory
- Two Type II PCMCIA card slots or alternatively one Type III slot
- A proprietary docking station for expanded connectivity
Although it did not achieve commercial success, the Concerto introduced innovative elements like a detachable keyboard and a touchscreen operated exclusively via its specialized stylus, placing it ahead of contemporary devices.
The display utilized Wacom’s digitizer technology:
- The stylus featured a button that could perform double-click or right-click actions; touching the screen registered as a single click.
- The device detected the pen’s position up to approximately one centimeter above the screen surface, enabling pointer visualization and tooltip functionality.
The hardware was uniquely arranged "upside-down," with critical components such as the motherboard, storage drives, and expansion interfaces located behind the display panel. The detachable keyboard acted as a protective cover but could be fully removed to transform the system into a slate-style tablet PC. Communication between the pen and device occurred via an RF connection, and the stylus was stored within a dedicated slot in the unit.