Morrow Pivot
A Morrow Pivot II from 1985 | |
| Developer | |
|---|---|
| Type | Portable computer |
| Release date | November 1984 |
| Introductory price | US$2,995 (equivalent to $9,060 in 2024) |
| Operating system | MS-DOS 2.11 |
| CPU | 8088 |
| Memory | 256 KB (expandable to 640 KB) RAM 32 KB ROM |
| Display | 10-inch monochrome LCD |
| Graphics |
|
| Weight | 13 pounds (5.9 kg) |
The Pivot is a family of early IBM PC–compatible portable computers first released in 1984 by Morrow Designs, a company founded by George Morrow. It was the first lunchbox-style portable computer, with a vertically configured case that has a fold-down keyboard.: 2240 The only external component is a single AC adapter. It would have been a little top heavy except for the large camcorder-style battery loaded into its base. The Pivot was designed by Chikok Shing of Vadem Inc.
The IBM-compatible Pivot was Morrow's first non-Z80 machine. While modern laptops do not necessarily share its design, it was arguably the most practical machine until desktops embraced 3.5-inch floppies. Robert Dilworth left his position as General Manager of Morrow Designs to become CEO of Zenith Data Systems, a position he held for several years as part of Zenith's paying him to talk George Morrow into licensing the Pivot to them.