IBM had their own 8 year nightmare making a portable. Playing catch up initially with the Compaq Portable which was specifically created as the ‘first’ clone not competing with anything IBM sold, IBM rushed out their own 51-series PC (with CRT) in a sewing machine case - the 5155 and nobody liked it. A couple of years later they came out with the Convertible - dud. Then the P70 lunchbox - dud. Then within week of their own internal lab in Japan developing and releasing a proper black notebook - the PS/55 note, only in Japan, the international and main markets were served this - the PS/2 Model L40 SX.

Despite Richard Sapper hating it, the L40 was used as a lab rat for new case designs, better colour LCDs and the ‘new’ pointing stick trackpoint II.

Many people rave about its ‘proper’ Lexmark keyboard, which is supposedly the reason the machine is so big.

This example is one of mine and comes in a battle station carry case with its own Lexmark printer, so was probably used by a travelling salesman or engineer in its first couple of years. But that’s another story. Take in the angles!