6 ms·

John Ellenby, Visionary Who Helped Create Early Laptop, Dies at 75

68 points by NaOH 10y ago

danso 10y ago
Wow, that's a nice looking laptop, the kind of retro design you'd expect someone today to build a Kickstarter campaign to re-issue: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/08/27/business/27ellenby-obit-2/27ellenby-obit-2-superJumbo.jpg https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/08/27/business/27ellenb...
- agumonkey 10y ago
  I wished someone made that case for a Novena board.
- nickpsecurity 10y ago
  I agree. Especially after seeing Aliens vid in another comment. It still would make a nice case for a rugged or military laptop. You see it and immediately know the manufacturer wasn't screwing around. I'd definitely reduce the weight, though. ;)
yanowitz 10y ago
This obituary was quite good (and for fans of Halt and Catch Fire, seasone one, evocative) including bits like this about the Grid laptop: NASA also used one as a backup navigational device in its space shuttle program. One was aboard the Challenger on the morning of Jan. 28, 1986, when a rocket-booster failure destroyed the craft shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Compass, which had been attached to a dashboard with Velcro, was recovered from the debris and found to be still working.
Animats 10y ago
That was a good machine. Business mistake: "Mr. Ellenby sold Grid to the Tandy Corporation (the parent of Radio Shack) in March 1988." Grid was never heard from again.
proofmaster 10y ago
That laptop looks fantastic for a first one! Anyone got more pictures?
- hooch 10y ago
  http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html
  - proofmaster 10y ago
    Thanks!
agumonkey 10y ago
I missed the opportunity to get a 1101 for 50$ in an auction once. Hesitated one afternoon. Found a 1660, not iconic but alas. ps: gridpad pictures http://www.oldcomputers.net/gridpad.html http://www.oldcomputers.net/gridpad.html
teddyh 10y ago
The Grid laptops were famously used as the interface for the sentry guns in the 1986 movie “Aliens”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ey4MVSpqhw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ey4MVSpqhw
nickpsecurity 10y ago
More details on specs, pictures, and usage here: http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html
johansch 10y ago
Serendipity. I got a bit obsessed about this computer a couple of weeks ago. This was the best video I found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0NSSwhwnR4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0NSSwhwnR4 "Grid 1129 Compass Laptop Computer setup for NASA Shuttle mission STS-51-I"
- jakub_h 10y ago
  I'm not sure "serendipity" is quite the proper term for a "nicely timed" death?
  - johansch 10y ago
    You're right. That was a poor choice of words.
DonHopkins 10y ago
The GRiD was popular in the upper echelons of the government and military, since it was so well built, and a highly expensive and respected status symbol. I don't know if it's true, but I heard that a GrID computer actually saved the life of Mossad agent by stopping a bullet.

68 points by NaOH 10y ago

danso 10y ago

Wow, that's a nice looking laptop, the kind of retro design you'd expect someone today to build a Kickstarter campaign to re-issue: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/08/27/business/27ellenby-obit-2/27ellenby-obit-2-superJumbo.jpg https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/08/27/business/27ellenb...

agumonkey 10y ago
I wished someone made that case for a Novena board.
nickpsecurity 10y ago
I agree. Especially after seeing Aliens vid in another comment. It still would make a nice case for a rugged or military laptop. You see it and immediately know the manufacturer wasn't screwing around. I'd definitely reduce the weight, though. ;)

yanowitz 10y ago

This obituary was quite good (and for fans of Halt and Catch Fire, seasone one, evocative) including bits like this about the Grid laptop: NASA also used one as a backup navigational device in its space shuttle program. One was aboard the Challenger on the morning of Jan. 28, 1986, when a rocket-booster failure destroyed the craft shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Compass, which had been attached to a dashboard with Velcro, was recovered from the debris and found to be still working.

Animats 10y ago

That was a good machine. Business mistake: "Mr. Ellenby sold Grid to the Tandy Corporation (the parent of Radio Shack) in March 1988." Grid was never heard from again.

proofmaster 10y ago

That laptop looks fantastic for a first one! Anyone got more pictures?

hooch 10y ago
http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html
- proofmaster 10y ago
  Thanks!

agumonkey 10y ago

I missed the opportunity to get a 1101 for 50$ in an auction once. Hesitated one afternoon. Found a 1660, not iconic but alas. ps: gridpad pictures http://www.oldcomputers.net/gridpad.html http://www.oldcomputers.net/gridpad.html

teddyh 10y ago

The Grid laptops were famously used as the interface for the sentry guns in the 1986 movie “Aliens”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ey4MVSpqhw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ey4MVSpqhw

nickpsecurity 10y ago

More details on specs, pictures, and usage here: http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html http://www.oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html

johansch 10y ago

Serendipity. I got a bit obsessed about this computer a couple of weeks ago. This was the best video I found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0NSSwhwnR4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0NSSwhwnR4 "Grid 1129 Compass Laptop Computer setup for NASA Shuttle mission STS-51-I"

jakub_h 10y ago
I'm not sure "serendipity" is quite the proper term for a "nicely timed" death?
- johansch 10y ago
  You're right. That was a poor choice of words.

DonHopkins 10y ago

The GRiD was popular in the upper echelons of the government and military, since it was so well built, and a highly expensive and respected status symbol. I don't know if it's true, but I heard that a GrID computer actually saved the life of Mossad agent by stopping a bullet.