View source for HP-150

{{Short description|Computer model}}
{{Infobox computer
|name         = HP-150
|image        = HP-HP150II 04.jpg
|caption      = HP 150-II
|manufacturer = HP
|type         = A single-unit touchscreen personal computer
|release date = November 1983
|price        = $2795 MSRP<ref name="HPCompMusHP150">{{cite web |title=150 Touchscreen |url= http://hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=43 |department=Business Desktops/Calcs: 100 Series Selection |website=HP Computer Museum |access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref>
|discontinued = Yes
|os           = [[MS-DOS]] or [[CP/M-86]]
|cpu          = [[Intel 8088]]
|CPUspeed     = 8&nbsp;MHz
|memory       = 256&nbsp;KB RAM, 160&nbsp;KB ROM
|RAMtype      = DRAM
|graphics     = 6&nbsp;KB SRAM (video)
|media        = Two 270&nbsp;KB floppy drives
|display      = Built-in 9" Sony <abbr title="Cathode Ray Tube">CRT</abbr><br/>• Text: 80 columns, 27 lines<br/>• Bitmap: 512 × 390 pixels
|input        = • Infrared emitters and detectors for touchscreen functionality<br/>• Keyboard
|connectivity = • Two [[RS-232]] ports, with one supporting [[RS-422]]<br/>• One 8-bit parallel multi-master interface bus: [[HP-IB|<abbr title="Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus">HP-IB</abbr>]], [[IEEE-488]] standard
}}

'''HP-150''' (aka '''HP Touchscreen''' or '''HP&nbsp;45611A''') was a compact, powerful and innovative computer made by [[Hewlett-Packard]] in 1983. It was based on the [[Intel 8088]] [[Central processing unit|CPU]] and was one of the world's earliest commercialized [[Touchscreen|touch screen]] computers. Like other "workalike" [[IBM PC compatible|IBM PC clones]] of the time, despite running customized MS-DOS versions [[MS-DOS 2.01|2.01]], [[MS-DOS 2.11|2.11]] and [[MS-DOS 3.20|3.20]], the machine was not [[IBM PC DOS]] compatible. Its 8088 CPU, rated at 8&nbsp;MHz, was faster than the 4.77&nbsp;MHz CPUs used by the IBM PC of that period. Using add-on cards, main memory could be increased from 256&nbsp;KB to 640&nbsp;KB. However, its [[motherboard|mainboard]] did not have a slot for the optional [[Intel 8087]] math [[coprocessor]] due to space constraints. An HP-150 with an optional hard disk was called '''HP Touchscreen MAX'''.

The computer's screen was a 9-inch [[Sony]] [[cathode-ray tube|CRT]] surrounded by [[infrared]] emitters and detectors which detected the position of any [[Opacity (optics)|non-transparent]] object that touched the screen. In the original HP-150, these emitters and detectors were placed within small holes located on the inside of the monitor's [[bezel (screen)|bezel]] (which resulted in the bottom series of holes sometimes filling with dust, causing the touchscreen to fail until the dust was vacuumed from the holes).

Like the [[Macintosh 128K|original Macintosh]], HP-150 was packaged with the CRT display as a single unit, and made use of 3½-inch floppy disks. Unlike the Mac, however, HP-150 had no internal floppy drive; the machine sat atop the phone book-sized 9121D<ref name="HPCompMusHP9121">{{cite web |title=9121 Disc Drive |url=http://hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=288 |department=Peripheral Products: Storage Selection |website=HP Computer Museum |access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref> dual 3½-inch floppy (76&nbsp;mm high, 325&nbsp;mm wide, 285&nbsp;mm deep) or similarly sized hard disk devices, connected by HP-IB.

Invisible to the user, the HP-150 runs "Terminal Operating System" ("TOS", code-named "Magic" during development). This operating system generally runs only two tasks: the terminal emulator and MST (which is Microsoft DOS).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pollero Wood |first1=Laurie E. |last2=Whelan |first2=Charles H. |title=Operating System and Firmware of the HP150 Personal Computer |url=http://hparchive.com/Journals/HPJ-1984-08.pdf |date=August 1984 |journal=Hewlett-Packard Journal |volume=35 |issue=8 |page=9 |access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref>

==Hardware==
===Display===
[[File:Hp150 touchscreen 20081129.jpg|thumb|HP-150 touchscreen]]
Display resolutions:
* Text: 80 columns × 27 lines (720 × 378 pixels)
** Character size: 7 × 10 pixels
** Character cell size: 9 × 14 pixels
** Inherent HP [[computer terminal|Terminal]] emulation equivalent to [[HP&nbsp;2623]] Graphics Terminal
* Bit-map: 512 × 390 pixels
* Separate plane for text and graphics
* Monitor sensor grid: 40 (<abbr title="horizontal">h</abbr>) × 24 (<abbr title="vertical">v</abbr>)

HP-150's touch screen sensor grid is quite coarse. Its resolution is only two characters wide. Used mainly for rough cursor positioning and function key control, it could not be used to draw pictures.

===Processor unit===
* Optional internal [[thermal printer]] HP&nbsp;2647A (fax roll)
* Communication ports:
** Two [[RS-232]] ports (one of them supported [[RS-422]])
** [[HP-IB]] ([[IEEE-488]])
** HP-HIL (standard on HP-150&nbsp;II, but an optional add-on card on HP-150)

===Storage===
* Supported [[HP-IB]] attached storage:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! HP Model
! Command<br/>Set
! <abbr title="Number of Floppy Disk Drives"># FDD</abbr>
! FDD<br/>type
! Sides
! FDD capacity<br/>(each)
! <abbr title="Number of Hard Disk Drives"># HDD</abbr>
! HDD capacity
! Notes
|-
! HP&nbsp;82901M
| Amigo
| 2
| 5.25"
| DS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| Add-on only
|-
! HP&nbsp;82902M
| Amigo
| 1
| 5.25"
| DS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| Add-on only
|-
! HP&nbsp;9121D
| Amigo
| 2
| 3.5"
| SS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9121S
| Amigo
| 1
| 3.5"
| SS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| Add-on only
|-
! HP&nbsp;9122D
| SS/80
| 2
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9122S
| SS/80
| 1
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| Add-on only
|-
! HP&nbsp;9123D
| SS/80
| 2
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| HP-150 II only
|-
! HP&nbsp;9125S
| Amigo
| 1
| 5.25"
| DS
| 360&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| Add-on only. Not bootable
|-
! HP&nbsp;9127S
| Amigo
| 1
| 5.25"
| DS
| 360&nbsp;KB
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| Add-on only. Not bootable
|-
! HP&nbsp;9133A
| Amigo
| 1
| 3.5"
| SS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 5&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9133B
| Amigo
| 1
| 3.5"
| SS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 10&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9133D
| SS/80
| 1
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 15&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9133H
| SS/80
| 1
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 20&nbsp;MB
| Requires DOS 3.20
|-
! HP&nbsp;9133L
| SS/80
| 1
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 40&nbsp;MB
| Requires DOS 3.20
|-
! HP&nbsp;9133V
| Amigo
| 1
| 3.5"
| SS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 5&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9133XV
| Amigo
| 1
| 3.5"
| SS
| 270&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 15&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9134A
| Amigo
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 5&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9134B
| Amigo
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 10&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9134H
| SS/80
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 20&nbsp;MB
| Requires DOS 3.20
|-
! HP&nbsp;9134L
| SS/80
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 40&nbsp;MB
| Requires DOS 3.20
|-
! HP&nbsp;9134V
| Amigo
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 5&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9134XV
| Amigo
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 15&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9153A
| SS/80
| 1
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 10&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9153B
| SS/80
| 1
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 20&nbsp;MB
| Requires DOS 3.20
|-
! HP&nbsp;9153C
| SS/80
| 1
| 3.5"
| DS
| 710&nbsp;KB
| 1
| 10/20/40&nbsp;MB
| Requires DOS 3.20
|-
! HP&nbsp;9154A
| SS/80
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 10&nbsp;MB
| {{sdash}}
|-
! HP&nbsp;9154B
| SS/80
| 0
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 1
| 20&nbsp;MB
| Requires DOS 3.20
|}

==Reception==
''[[BYTE]]'' in November 1984 called HP-150 "an extremely flexible machine", but "difficult to program".{{r|haas198411}}

==Successors==
The two-CPU [[HP-120]] (aka [[HP&nbsp;45600A]])<ref name="HPCompMusHP120">{{cite web |title=120 |url=http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=42 |department=Business Desktops/Calcs: 100 Series Selection |website=HP Computer Museum |access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref> [[Zilog Z80|Z80]] [[CP/M]] machine also used the 9121 drives.

'''HP-150&nbsp;II''' (aka '''HP&nbsp;45849A''')<ref name="HPCompMusHP150-II">{{cite web |title=150 Touchscreen II |url=http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=44 |department=Business Desktops/Calcs: 100 Series Selection |website=HP Computer Museum |access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref> replaced HP-150 in 1984. While still called '''HP Touchscreen II''', the touchscreen was no longer standard, but rather a rarely adopted option. The optional touchscreen bezel was superior to the original bezel, in that the emitters and detectors were now located behind a solid infrared-transparent plastic; thus removing the need to regularly clean the holes found in the original model.

HP-150&nbsp;II had the same footprint as HP-150, but came in a larger housing to accommodate its 12-inch screen, but could no longer accommodate an internal printer. HP-150&nbsp;II had four expansion slots available (as opposed to two), and could accommodate an optional 8087 co-processor board. There were some minor compatibility problems between HP-150 and HP-150&nbsp;II in the video subsystem.

In 1985, HP introduced the [[HP Vectra|Vectra]], which ''[[InfoWorld]]'' stated was the company "responding to demands from its customers for full IBM PC compatibility". HP repositioned HP-150 as a workstation for the [[HP&nbsp;3000]] minicomputer.<ref name="petrosky19850930">{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=iS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=HP's Vectra Called PC AT 'Hybrid' |magazine=[[InfoWorld]] |date=30 September 1985 |access-date=2015-02-20 |last=Petrosky |first=Mark |page=5 |volume=7 |issue=39}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Hewlett-Packard products]]
* [[HP Roman-8]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="haas198411">{{cite magazine |author-last=Haas |author-first=Mark |title=The HP 150 Computer |url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1984-11/1984_11_BYTE_09-12_New_Chips#page/n259/mode/2up |date=November 1984 |pages=262–275 |magazine=[[Byte (magazine)|BYTE]] |volume=9 |number=12 |access-date=2015-02-14}}</ref>
}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |publisher=Hewlett Packard |series=Series 100 |title=HP 150 Personal Computer |date=September 1983 |id=5953-5846 |url=http://www.hpmuseum.net/capcha/freecap_wrap.php?r=333}}
* {{cite journal |editor1-last=Dolan |editor1-first=Richard P. |title=HP 150 issue |url=http://hparchive.com/Journals/HPJ-1984-08.pdf |journal=Hewlett-Packard Journal |date=August 1984 |volume=35 |issue=8 |access-date=August 11, 2021}}
* {{cite book |publisher=Hewlett Packard |series=HP 150 Personal Computers |title=HP 150 Technical Reference Manual |date=April 1984 |id=45625-90001 |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/hp/hp150/45625-90001_HP-150_Technical_Manual_May84.pdf}}
* {{cite magazine |author-first1=Phil |author-last1=Lemmons |author-first2=Barbara |author-last2=Robertson |title=Product Preview: The HP 150 |url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-10/1983_10_BYTE_08-10_UNIX#page/n37/mode/2up |magazine=[[Byte magazine|BYTE]] |pages=36–50 |date=October 1983 |access-date=2015-02-15 |volume=8 |issue=10}}
* {{cite magazine |author-first1=Phil |author-last1=Lemmons |author-first2=Barbara |author-last2=Robertson |title=An Interview: The HP 150's Design-team Leaders |url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-10/1983_10_BYTE_08-10_UNIX#page/n51/mode/2up |journal=[[BYTE (magazine)|BYTE]] |pages=51–58 |date=October 1983 |access-date=2015-02-15|volume=8 |issue=10}}
* The Definitive HP150 Catalog. The 1991 Edition. Personalized Software

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/hp150.html HP-150 at Columbia University computing history]
* [http://www.alfonsomartone.itb.it/ttezkn.html Hewlett-Packard HP-150] (links to some cat images)
* [http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/museum/personalsystems/0031/ HP's Virtual Museum:] 6-views of the HP-150
* [http://www.hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?class=2&cat=15 HP Computer Museum:] 100 Series, also HP-150 Software

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:HP personal computers|150]]
[[Category:Touchscreens]]