Digital HiNote
| Industry | Computer hardware |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 16, 1957 in Hudson, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Fate | Acquired by Compaq in 1998 |
| Successor | Compaq Armada series (HiNote design rebranded) |
| Products | Digital HiNote laptop series |
The Digital HiNote series comprised laptops developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) between 1994 and 1998, and subsequently by Compaq from 1998 until 2002. This lineup included VP and Ultra variants that utilized i486, Pentium, Pentium MMX, and Pentium II CPUs. Following Compaq's acquisition of Digital in 1998, the HiNote series was gradually discontinued.
History
Launched in November 1994 as the successors to DEC's DECpc x86 portable computers, the HiNote family debuted alongside the Venturis desktop range, effectively replacing machines branded under DECpc. The initial offerings consisted of a standard HiNote model and a more compact HiNote Ultra subnotebook, with the former later reclassified as VP models. These devices came equipped with either passive- or active-matrix LCD panels, processors ranging from Intel 486SX to 486DX2, and hard disk drives between 120 MB and 340 MB in capacity. The conventional HiNote incorporated a removable internal 3.5-inch floppy disk drive that could be exchanged for an additional lithium-ion battery, whereas the Ultra model relied on an external floppy drive. Both models featured integrated trackballs.
The HiNote Ultra received acclaim for its refined aesthetics and modular design. Its lithium-ion battery attached via a latch located on the rear of the unit rather than underneath the chassis. This battery design allowed it to pivot, elevating the laptop to improve typing ergonomics while providing space beneath for the external floppy drive. Weighing approximately 4 lb (1.8 kg) and measuring just one inch (2.54 cm) thick, it established a benchmark for thin-and-light notebooks. Digital promoted this slim form factor by demonstrating the Ultra being slid out of a manila envelope—a marketing approach later mirrored by Apple's MacBook Air in 2008.
After Compaq completed its $9.6 billion purchase of Digital in June 1998, the HiNote’s design was retained but rebranded as part of the Armada 6500 series. Despite receiving widespread praise within the industry, the product line was phased out by 2002. Technology analyst Brooke Crothers described it as "one of the best notebook designs ever" and a "technological gem" inherited by Compaq from Digital.
Models
| Line | Model no. |
Processor | Clock speed (MHz) |
Max. memory | LCD technology | LCD size and resolution | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline | 433 | 486SX | 33 | 20 | Monochrome passive | 9.5 in, VGA | November 1994 |
| baseline | CS433 | Color passive | November 1994 | ||||
| baseline | CS450 | 486DX2 | 50 | November 1994 | |||
| baseline | CT450 | 50 | 24 | Color active | November 1994 | ||
| baseline | CT475 | 486DX4 | 75 | November 1994 | |||
| baseline | CS475 | Color passive | August 1995 | ||||
| Ultra | 433 | 486SX | 33 | 20 | Monochrome passive | November 1994 | |
| Ultra | CS433 | Color passive | November 1994 | ||||
| Ultra | CS450 | 486DX2 | 50 | November 1994 | |||
| Ultra | CT450 | 24 | Color active | November 1994 | |||
| Ultra | CT475 | 486DX4 | 75 | November 1994 | |||
| Ultra | CS475 | Color passive | June 1995 | ||||
| Ultra II | CTE5100 | Pentium | 100 | 40 | Color active | 10.4 in, VGA | March 1996 |
| Ultra II | CTS5100 | 10.4 in, SVGA | March 1996 | ||||
| Ultra II | CTS5120 | 120 | March 1996 | ||||
| Ultra II | CTS5133 | 133 | March 1996 | ||||
| Ultra II | 5150 | 150 | 11.3 in, SVGA | August 1996 | |||
| VP | 575 | 75 | Color passive | March 1996 | |||
|
- - VP|||735|||233|||11/97| - - VP|||765|||Pentium II|||266|||04/98| |
Further reading
External links
- Archived official website
- Legacy product pages preserved by Compaq:
- Disassembly and maintenance of Digital HiNote Ultra II
- Running Linux on the HiNote Ultra 2000 model
- Digital HiNote Ultra showcased in The Peacemaker on Starring the Computer