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Big QuestionsOur work related to complex challenges.
WORK
The First Notebook-Style Computer
Turning bulky computers into businesslike laptop machines
CLIENTGRiD Systems
The Challenge
Redesign awkward heavy portable computers to be sleek and lightweight.
The OUTCOME
A new design that transformed the future of mobile computing.
In the early 1980s, IDEO designed the first notebook-style computer for GRiD Systems, helping computers make the transition from bulky portable/transportable models to sleeker, more businesslike laptop machines. In addition to sales revenues from the product, GRiD also received significant licensing revenues based on its ownership of the patented IDEO-designed configuration for laptops.
1981