Grid Systems
| Company type | Public (from March 1981) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | John Ellenby, Glenn Edens, Dave Paulsen, Bill Moggridge |
| Defunct | 1988 (US operations) |
| Fate | Acquired by Tandy Corporation in 1988; US operations later sold to AST Research |
| Successor | Grid Defence Systems Ltd. (UK-based continuation) |
| Headquarters | Fremont, California , United States |
Area served | United States, United Kingdom |
Key people | John Ellenby, Glenn Edens |
| Products | Portable computers including Grid Compass, GridCase, GridPad |
| Parent | Tandy Corporation (from 1988) |
Grid Systems Corporation (commonly styled as GRiD) was among the pioneering American manufacturers of portable computers, focusing on durable and semi-durable models. The Grid brand remains active today through Grid Defence Systems Ltd. based in the United Kingdom.
Founding and early development
Established in late 1979 by John Ellenby following his departure from Xerox PARC, Grid was co-founded with Glenn Edens, Dave Paulsen, and Bill Moggridge, marking one of Silicon Valley’s earliest stealth ventures. The company went public in March 1981, operating out of Fremont, California.
The unique "GRiD" logo, characterized by a lowercase "i," was selected by John Ellenby, Glenn Edens, and Ellenby’s spouse Gillian, partly as a tribute to Intel's initial backing.
Acquisition and US operations
In 1988, Tandy Corporation took ownership of Grid Systems. Subsequently, the American branch was sold to AST Research, which later became part of Samsung.
Grid maintained production of the GRiDCASE laptop series and introduced the first GridPad tablet in 1989. The firm also marketed various rebranded devices such as the Tandy/Victor Technologies Grid 386 (a clone of the Compaq SLT), GRiDPad SL 2050 (based on the Samsung PenMaster), and AST GRiDPad 2390 (derived from Casio Zoomer/Tandy Z-PDA).
Following his time at Grid, Glenn Edens co-founded Waveform Corp and joined the board of F5, Inc. in 2003. John Ellenby went on to establish Agilis and contributed to augmented reality innovation with GeoVector.
Formation of GRiD Defence Systems
In 1993, former employees executed a management buyout of GRiD Computer Systems UK Ltd., forming Grid Defence Systems in London. Initially concentrating on rugged laptops under the "GRiD 1###" series, the company revived the GRiDCASE product line by 1995.
Technological contributions
Grid introduced numerous groundbreaking innovations:
- The Grid Compass 1100, acclaimed as the inaugural clamshell-style laptop with patented design features
- First portable computer equipped with non-volatile bubble memory
- Creation of Grid-OS, a multi-tasking text-based operating system
- Early adoption of electro-luminescent screens and magnesium chassis in portable computers
- Pioneered commercial deployment of Intel 8086 processors alongside 8087 floating-point co-processors
- Developed peripheral connectivity through a bus architecture utilizing GPIB
- Designed the first computer integrating a fully operational telephone handset
- Released the GridPad in September 1989—the first commercially viable tablet-style portable running an MS-DOS-based system
- The GRiD Compass 1101 became the first laptop utilized in space missions after modifications for airflow; later models were also deployed by NASA
The 1982 GRiD Compass 1101 is frequently recognized as a forerunner to contemporary laptops, featuring specifications such as 256k RAM, an 8086 CPU, a 320x240 pixel display, and 384k internal bubble memory allowing data retention without power.
Key products
External links
- Computer companies established in 1979
- Computer companies established in 1993
- Computer companies disestablished in 1988
- Computer companies disestablished in 1993
- Corporate spin-offs
- 1979 establishments in California
- 1988 disestablishments in California
- 1993 establishments in the United Kingdom
- Defunct computer companies based in California
- Defunct computer companies of the United Kingdom
- Defunct computer companies of the United States
- Defunct computer hardware companies