Issue 11
Contents
Features
- | Foreword
- | Pump it up!
- | The 12 Rows of Schoenberg
- | Tripping the MIDI Fandango
- | Tip of the day
- | Mailbox
- | Portfolio Story 1
- | Up for it?
- | Unconventional 2k1 Report
Reviews
- | MyMail 1.50
News
Portfolio Story 1 The machine, its technical specifications and history by Tobias Költzsch In 1989, the Atari Corporation decided to launch the first hand-held computer system in the world: the Portfolio. The size of a video cassette and weight of about 450g, the Portfolio was the smallest (but fully functional) computer in the world. In 1989, it cost about $400US. When it was launched, the Portfolio was a really futuristic computer. Despite its small dimensions, it was quite powerful with an Intel 80086 processor and 128KB RAM. The operating system, DIP 2.11 is similar to DOS 2.xx (just some differences concerning the commands). In fact, the Portfolio is a real computer, powered by three type AA (mignon) battery cells. The display has a size of 80x40 characters, and can even display graphics. The keyboard is a standard computer keyboard, mine has a German QWERTZ layout. Atari also decided to produce a kind of floppy disk system using credit card sized media to enlarge the RAM (it is important to know that the Portfolio makes no differentiation between RAM and ROM - it's the same). There are two types of floppies available, with 64KB or 128KB. These floppies are really useful to back-up your data, or to transport it to a "real" personal computer (more about this later). But before we turn our attention to the peripheral gadgets Atari produced for the Portfolio, I want to tell you more about the powerful pre-installed software. It seems unbelievable, but Atari managed to include a text editor, a diary, a really powerful spreadsheet, a calculator and an address book with dialling function, all in about 20KB (when you use them you have to enlarge the RAM for these programs to make them faster, of course). The text editor is quite similar to the DOS one and can also read Microsoft Word's .doc files (even those of Word 2000). When you write bigger texts, the loading and saving process takes several seconds, that's sometimes a bit nasty. A great thing is the spreadsheet application. Fully compatible with Lotus 1-2-3 and Works, it allows you to create excellent spreadsheets. There are just a few Lotus commands you can't use with the Portfolio spreadsheet. For Economics students like me this spreadsheet application is really useful, I always have my spreadsheet with me! The Portfolio also has a good clipboard function. That means I can copy text from one text file and paste it into another one, like on "real" PCs. The Calculator is only rudimentary, it contains the basic functions (no scientific ones). Some great programs are the address book and the diary. The address book can handle full addresses with telephone numbers. The ultimate feature is the dialling function: just press a button combination and the Portfolio's speaker simulates the tone dial. Hold the telephone microphone next to the speaker, and the number is dialled. Believe it or not, it works! The diary is really practical, too. With alarm, repeating times and unlimited space it is a really important tool for me. Concerning "unlimited space", the Portfolio saves all information in normal data files. That's why you can easily back-up everything. If you want to use the Portfolio perfectly, a good knowledge of DOS is strongly required. It starts with the FDISK command (choose whether you need more RAM for the internal programs or more for external ones), and ends with the programming of batch (.BAT) files. They make the Portfolio much easier to use, for example, backing up files or copying them with immediate deleting. Now I will show you the useful peripheral gadgets for the Portfolio. Atari had in mind to make the Portfolio a powerful instrument for your personal work; that is why they built in a RS-232 port and created many useful gadgets. Unfortunately you can't connect the RS-232 port directly to a desktop PC, you need extra adaptors. You can choose from two different ones: a parallel one and a serial one. With the parallel port you can print directly from the Portfolio, with the serial one you can connect the Portfolio to a desktop PC. A connection to the internet is also possible, using a PPP dialler. If you want to use another way to exchange data with your desktop PC, you can also use the Portfolio RAM floppies and the PC Portfolio floppy drive (that's my personal choice). This drive is perhaps the most useful thing Atari built for the Portfolio. The floppy drive for your desktop PC allows you to exchange data using your Portfolio floppies without making a direct connection. The installation of the drive is not that easy, you have to install a huge port card. The drive was once created for DOS use, and is not that compatible with the modern operating systems like Windows 9x, NT, 2000 or ME. But, nevertheless, an Atari user wouldn't be one without the chance for creativity. Turning off all virtual ROM, restarting the PC in DOS mode and using something like Norton Commander, you can "easily" access your floppy card and copy files. Now you have a general overview of the basic functions and periphery of the Portfolio. In the next issue of the magazine, I will tell you more about where you can still buy the Portfolio and its accessories. By the way, this series is written on my Portfolio, of course!
MyAtari magazine - Feature #7, September 2001
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