Computer: HP 200LX
Year Released: 1994

You’ve heard the expression big things come in small packages, right? Well the 200LX was literally a pocket sized IBM PC running DOS 5.0 and displaying CGA graphics. It used a 80186 CPU running at 7.91 MHz. It succeeded the earlier HP-LX models like the 95LX and 100LX and is still quite popular among collectors. My unit is a later release and came equipped with 4MB of RAM.

Here’s my video review:

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Computer: HP OmniGo 700LX
Year Released: 1996

This is one of the more rare and interesting computers I own. The 700LX was a modified 200LX that supported a Nokia 2110-compatible phone and had integrated software built in ROM to support it. Early models like mine had a globe etched into the plastic case. The unit itself was hardly pocket sized like HP’s earlier models and is too cumbersome to be used practically as a portable handheld device. It is considered to by among the very first smartphones being available in 1996.

Out of curiosity, I took apart the unit to see what hardware changes were made. Two obvious updates included a second PCMCIA port with a Nokia Data Card installed and a shielded infrared port.

 

 

 

 

Here’s me using the device’s IR port as over-sized TV remote control

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Computer: HP OmniGo 120
Year Released: 1996

As the intended successor to the LX series handhelds, the HP OmniGo had several enhanced features. For one, it supported input from a keyboard or touch screen. It also had very reliable Graffiti handwriting recognition software and the innovative ability to flip the keyboard behind the device to use it has a tablet. The computer had an 80186-compatible CPU running at 16 Mhz. There were 2 models released: the 100 and 120 with the latter using a holographic green screen for better screen visibility.

It ran GEOS 2.1 over a modified version of DOS 6.22 which can only be accessed by modifying the Autoexec.bat file and installing a DOS mode driver. Below is a video demonstrating this process: