How the Laptop Was Designed

An illustrated inventions story from Wonder Inventions — free to read, with narration.

How the Laptop Was Designed — an illustrated inventions story, set in Global. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

How the Laptop Was Designed — book cover — Wonder Inventions
How the Laptop Was Designed — an illustrated inventions story, set in Global. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

Page 1

"Look, Hassan, another constellation mapped!" Vera exclaimed, pointing to a swirling pattern on the observatory's console.
"Look, Hassan, another constellation mapped!" Vera exclaimed, pointing to a swirling pattern on the observatory's console. Hassan squinted, tracing the lines with his finger. "It looks like...a feeling?" he asked, puzzled. "Exactly! Today, we're mapping nostalgia, but wait – how did people share all these feelings before we could just send a message on a laptop?" He grabbed his worn notebook and ran towards his glowing invention encyclopedia.

"Look, Hassan, another constellation mapped!" Vera exclaimed, pointing to a swirling pattern on the observatory's console. Hassan squinted, tracing the lines with his finger. "It looks like...a feeling?" he asked, puzzled. "Exactly! Today, we're mapping nostalgia, but wait – how did people share all these feelings before we could just send a message on a laptop?" He grabbed his worn notebook and ran towards his glowing invention encyclopedia.

Page 2

The book pulsed with light as he touched it. "Here we go!" Hassan shouted. The observatory dissolved around them, replaced by swirling colors.
The book pulsed with light as he touched it. "Here we go!" Hassan shouted. The observatory dissolved around them, replaced by swirling colors. "I hope we land somewhere interesting," Vera yelled over the whooshing sound. "I wonder how long it will take to truly understand how the laptop came about," Hassan wondered, bracing himself for the jump.

The book pulsed with light as he touched it. "Here we go!" Hassan shouted. The observatory dissolved around them, replaced by swirling colors. "I hope we land somewhere interesting," Vera yelled over the whooshing sound. "I wonder how long it will take to truly understand how the laptop came about," Hassan wondered, bracing himself for the jump.

Page 3

They landed with a thump in a dimly lit room filled with strange electronic equipment. "Where are we?" Vera coughed, brushing dust off her coat.
They landed with a thump in a dimly lit room filled with strange electronic equipment. "Where are we?" Vera coughed, brushing dust off her coat. Hassan, looking around at the old computers, gasped. "It's like something out of a movie!" A man tinkering with wires looked up in surprise. "Can I help you?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

They landed with a thump in a dimly lit room filled with strange electronic equipment. "Where are we?" Vera coughed, brushing dust off her coat. Hassan, looking around at the old computers, gasped. "It's like something out of a movie!" A man tinkering with wires looked up in surprise. "Can I help you?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. "'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,'" Oscar whispered nervously, remembering what the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said.

Page 4

"We're researching the history of portable computers," Hassan explained, showing Oscar his encyclopedia. Oscar chuckled. "Well, you've come to the right place!
"We're researching the history of portable computers," Hassan explained, showing Oscar his encyclopedia. Oscar chuckled. "Well, you've come to the right place! I'm Adam Osborne. In 1981, I released the Osborne 1, one of the first truly portable computers." He gestured to a bulky machine nearby. "It weighed 24.5 pounds!"

"We're researching the history of portable computers," Hassan explained, showing Oscar his encyclopedia. Oscar chuckled. "Well, you've come to the right place! I'm Adam Osborne. In 1981, I released the Osborne 1, one of the first truly portable computers." He gestured to a bulky machine nearby. "It weighed 24.5 pounds!"

Page 5

"24.5 pounds! That's heavier than my backpack!" Vera exclaimed. "But it was revolutionary!" Oscar replied. "Before this, computers were huge, expensive machines…
"24.5 pounds! That's heavier than my backpack!" Vera exclaimed. "But it was revolutionary!" Oscar replied. "Before this, computers were huge, expensive machines stuck in offices. I wanted to make computing accessible to everyone, hence the Osborne 1! Although, I must admit, its screen was tiny – only 5 inches! The whole company later collapsed due to early overgrowth."

"24.5 pounds! That's heavier than my backpack!" Vera exclaimed. "But it was revolutionary!" Oscar replied. "Before this, computers were huge, expensive machines stuck in offices. I wanted to make computing accessible to everyone, hence the Osborne 1! Although, I must admit, its screen was tiny – only 5 inches! The whole company later collapsed due to early overgrowth."

Page 6

"So how did it get smaller and lighter?" Hassan asked, scribbling in his notebook. Oscar grinned. "That's where other brilliant minds came in!
"So how did it get smaller and lighter?" Hassan asked, scribbling in his notebook. Oscar grinned. "That's where other brilliant minds came in! Companies like Compaq reverse-engineered the IBM PC and created even more portable versions. Then came laptops with better screens, faster processors, and longer battery life."

"So how did it get smaller and lighter?" Hassan asked, scribbling in his notebook. Oscar grinned. "That's where other brilliant minds came in! Companies like Compaq reverse-engineered the IBM PC and created even more portable versions. Then came laptops with better screens, faster processors, and longer battery life."

Page 7

"Battery life was a huge challenge," Oscar added. "Early laptops barely lasted an hour! And they were so expensive! In 1987, a good laptop cost over 3,000 –…
"Battery life was a huge challenge," Oscar added. "Early laptops barely lasted an hour! And they were so expensive! In 1987, a good laptop cost over 3,000 – that's like 7,000 today!" Vera gasped. "Imagine paying that much for something we use every day!" Hassan noted that the evolution of battery technology greatly improved the laptops.

"Battery life was a huge challenge," Oscar added. "Early laptops barely lasted an hour! And they were so expensive! In 1987, a good laptop cost over 3,000 – that's like 7,000 today!" Vera gasped. "Imagine paying that much for something we use every day!" Hassan noted that the evolution of battery technology greatly improved the laptops.

Page 8

"But the impact was enormous," Oscar continued. "Laptops allowed people to work from anywhere, to connect with others across the globe.
"But the impact was enormous," Oscar continued. "Laptops allowed people to work from anywhere, to connect with others across the globe. Today, the global market of laptops is worth over 225 billion! Think about it! You can learn any subject anywhere, and even map constellations and emotions!" Suddenly, the encyclopedia began to glow. "Time to go!" Vera yelled, grabbing Hassan's hand.

"But the impact was enormous," Oscar continued. "Laptops allowed people to work from anywhere, to connect with others across the globe. Today, the global market of laptops is worth over 225 billion! Think about it! You can learn any subject anywhere, and even map constellations and emotions!" Suddenly, the encyclopedia began to glow. "Time to go!" Vera yelled, grabbing Hassan's hand.

Page 9

Back in the observatory, Hassan closed the encyclopedia with a sigh. "Wow! From a 24-pound machine to these sleek laptops!" he said.
Back in the observatory, Hassan closed the encyclopedia with a sigh. "Wow! From a 24-pound machine to these sleek laptops!" he said. "It's amazing how far we've come." He looked at Vera. "I also learned that batteries had to evolve to be more powerful!" "Exactly like in cellphones!" Vera added. The duo runs up to Oscar.

Back in the observatory, Hassan closed the encyclopedia with a sigh. "Wow! From a 24-pound machine to these sleek laptops!" he said. "It's amazing how far we've come." He looked at Vera. "I also learned that batteries had to evolve to be more powerful!" "Exactly like in cellphones!" Vera added. The duo runs up to Oscar.

Page 10

"Oscar, did you know that the laptop industry is worth over 225 billion?" Hassan exclaimed. Oscar smiled. "That's incredible!
"Oscar, did you know that the laptop industry is worth over 225 billion?" Hassan exclaimed. Oscar smiled. "That's incredible! Think about what Benjamin Franklin said: 'Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.' And that's what laptops have brought to the world!" Hassan grinned, opening his own laptop to map new feelings as Vera looked on.

"Oscar, did you know that the laptop industry is worth over 225 billion?" Hassan exclaimed. Oscar smiled. "That's incredible! Think about what Benjamin Franklin said: 'Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.' And that's what laptops have brought to the world!" Hassan grinned, opening his own laptop to map new feelings as Vera looked on.

About this story

  • Location: Global
  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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