Compaq Portable Vintage PC Intel 8088 4.77MHz MS-DOS ISA 5.25 Floppy Hard Drive

Compaq Portable Vintage PC Intel 8088 4.77MHz MS-DOS ISA 5.25 Floppy Hard Drive

The Compaq Portable is a landmark early personal computer — one of the first IBM PC-compatible portable machines ever made, introduced in 1983 by Compaq Computer Corporation. It runs an Intel 8088 processor at 4.77 MHz and supports MS-DOS and CP/M-86, making it fully compatible with IBM PC software of the era. The unit includes a built-in monochrome CRT display, an integrated keyboard that locks over the screen for transport, and a brown carry handle, giving it the "luggable" form factor that defined early portable computing. This example also includes an internal hard drive alongside the 5.25-inch floppy drive.

Specifications & What's Included

• Processor: Intel 8088 at 4.77 MHz
• RAM: 128K–640K (exact amount in this unit not confirmed)
• ROM: Approximately 12K
• Storage: One 5.25" 360K floppy drive; internal hard drive (visible in photos)
• Bus: ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
• I/O: Parallel and Serial ports
• Rear connectors: DB25 parallel, DB9 serial, DB15, second DB25, phone jack (visible in photos)
• Display: Built-in monochrome CRT monitor
• Keyboard: Integrated full-size keyboard, detaches and locks under lid for transport
• Operating systems supported: MS-DOS, CP/M-86
• Power: 120V, 60Hz, 2A (per rating label)
• Carry handle: Brown integrated handle on top of chassis
• Manufacturer: Compaq Computer Corporation, Made in USA
• No manual or peripherals included

Applications

The Compaq Portable was released in 1983 as one of the first true IBM PC-compatible computers designed for portability. Compaq engineered it to run the same software as the IBM PC — a major selling point when most competing portables used proprietary architectures. Its 8088 processor and ISA bus made it compatible with the growing DOS software ecosystem, and it was widely adopted by business travelers and professionals who needed to run PC software away from their desk. The "luggable" class of computers — heavy but self-contained, with an integrated screen and keyboard — bridged the gap between desktop systems and true laptops, which had not yet arrived. The Compaq Portable is today a sought-after vintage collectible representing the earliest days of portable IBM-compatible computing, and it remains of interest to retrocomputing enthusiasts, vintage collectors, and historians of personal computing. The 1983 date code on the rating label places this among the earliest production units.