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Dulmont Magnum
The Dulmont Magnum is an early laptop computer designed initially by Australian power line equipment manufacturer Dulmison Pty Ltd and subsequently marketed by Dulmont Pty Ltd. Exhibited in September 1983, it was the world's first true battery-powered laptop computer.
Dulmont was a joint venture between Dulmison and an Australian subsidiary of their electrical utility customer the Belgian National Electricity Authority, Tramont Ltd. The Magnum was sold from 1983 to 1986. The company found itself undercapitalized as it sought to enter the international market and faced increased competition from other laptops. It was taken over twice, with Dulmont eventually taken over in 1984 by Time Office Computers (Manufacturing) Pty. Ltd.
The initial concept was a business card device hatched in 1981 by Clive Mackness. He was then no. 2 to owner Philip Dulhunty at Dulmison and assigned Dulmison freelancing engineer David Irwin the task of designing a product. A team was formed and spent several months working on feasibility.
Terry Crews was hired as engineering manager and created the concept of a laptop. The case was designed first and then electronics to fit into the form factor.
John Blair led the software engineering team. Development dragged on and the project was in danger of folding due to Dulmison's limited financial resources but was revitalised when Mackness secured a A$800,000 federal government grant.
The Magnum was to have been enabled by a custom power management integrated circuit that was to be developed in the VLSI and Systems Technology Laboratory at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) over 4 months in early 1982 by Graham Hellestrand. The ~10,000 transistor, 5μ nMOS technology chip, however, never saw the light of day.
The project's engineering manager did not believe that a custom chip would eventuate and contracted Barry Wilkinson to design the hardware based on discrete components.[citation needed] The form factor and cosmetic design was developed first and this then dictated the physical dimensions of the hardware. This was in contrast to the usual method of encasing the electronics as the last process and their subsequent bulkier designs.
The Dulmont joint venture having been formed in 1982 and with the benefit of a cash injection of about A$1.5 million from Tramont, the Magnum went into production. The project's marketing manager traveled the world showcasing the product. It attracted substantial interest and some large orders. The Magnum was marketed in Australia from 1983 to early 1986.
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Dulmont Magnum
The Dulmont Magnum is an early laptop computer designed initially by Australian power line equipment manufacturer Dulmison Pty Ltd and subsequently marketed by Dulmont Pty Ltd. Exhibited in September 1983, it was the world's first true battery-powered laptop computer.
Dulmont was a joint venture between Dulmison and an Australian subsidiary of their electrical utility customer the Belgian National Electricity Authority, Tramont Ltd. The Magnum was sold from 1983 to 1986. The company found itself undercapitalized as it sought to enter the international market and faced increased competition from other laptops. It was taken over twice, with Dulmont eventually taken over in 1984 by Time Office Computers (Manufacturing) Pty. Ltd.
The initial concept was a business card device hatched in 1981 by Clive Mackness. He was then no. 2 to owner Philip Dulhunty at Dulmison and assigned Dulmison freelancing engineer David Irwin the task of designing a product. A team was formed and spent several months working on feasibility.
Terry Crews was hired as engineering manager and created the concept of a laptop. The case was designed first and then electronics to fit into the form factor.
John Blair led the software engineering team. Development dragged on and the project was in danger of folding due to Dulmison's limited financial resources but was revitalised when Mackness secured a A$800,000 federal government grant.
The Magnum was to have been enabled by a custom power management integrated circuit that was to be developed in the VLSI and Systems Technology Laboratory at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) over 4 months in early 1982 by Graham Hellestrand. The ~10,000 transistor, 5μ nMOS technology chip, however, never saw the light of day.
The project's engineering manager did not believe that a custom chip would eventuate and contracted Barry Wilkinson to design the hardware based on discrete components.[citation needed] The form factor and cosmetic design was developed first and this then dictated the physical dimensions of the hardware. This was in contrast to the usual method of encasing the electronics as the last process and their subsequent bulkier designs.
The Dulmont joint venture having been formed in 1982 and with the benefit of a cash injection of about A$1.5 million from Tramont, the Magnum went into production. The project's marketing manager traveled the world showcasing the product. It attracted substantial interest and some large orders. The Magnum was marketed in Australia from 1983 to early 1986.