The MultiSpeed was a line of laptop computers developed by NEC between 1986 and 1988. The inaugural MultiSpeed was the first battery-powered laptop with a 16-bit microprocessor, sporting a NEC V30 clocked at either 4.77 MHz or 9.54 MHz. The clock speed was able to be changed via a DIP switch on the back, hence the name MultiSpeed. The MultiSpeed received positive reviews in the press and performed well in the marketplace, becoming the top-selling laptop in the United States in early 1988, per one survey.
Models + NEC MultiSpeed Model Processor Clock speed LCDtechnology LCDresolution Notes Date|original |NEC V30 |4.77/9.54 |Monochrome passive, non-backlit |CGA, 640×200 | ||EL |NEC V30 |4.77/9.54 |Monochrome passive, electroluminescent backlight |CGA, 640×200 |EL upgrade path was available to owners of the original ||HD |NEC V30 |4.77/9.54 |Monochrome passive, electroluminescent backlight |CGA, 640×200 |Sold 55,000 units in 1988 ||EL Model 2 |NEC V30 |4.77/9.54 |Monochrome passive, electroluminescent backlight |CGA, 640×200 |Improved EL panel |
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