WorkSlate Microcomputer
date: label: date made
content: 1983
name: label: maker
content: Convergent Technologies, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: In 1983 Convergent Technologies, Inc., introduced this light weight portable personal computer. Advertised as “an information processing tool designed to meet business needs,” it sold with an integrated set of three business applications – memo pad, phone list, and calendar. At least eight other proprietary software worksheets were available.
label: Description
content: Power sources included AC power, or a NiCad battery pack, or four AA batteries. Two “button” type batteries (Union Carbide #186, made in USA) maintained the contents of the memory for about seven days without other power sources connected. To conserve power, the WorkSlate automatically shut off after five minutes of non-use.
label: Description
content: The computer display screen is a liquid crystal display (LCD), approximately 6”w x 3”h. It displayed forty-six characters across and fourteen rows down.
label: Description
content: The sixty keys of the keyboard were color coded to indicate their purpose. Yellow represented principal operations such as backspace, cancel, on/off, and Do It. (The Do It key performs execute/enter functions). White identified the letters, numbers, and main punctuation marks. Keys marked in green were used in conjunction with the green “Special” key to access extended operations and characters.
label: Description
content: The microcassette player/recorder used 1½” h x 2½ w tape cassettes to load software worksheets, store data, and record phone messages.
label: Description
content: The computer included communication connections. Connected to a phone with standard RJ11 cable, it could be used as a speaker phone. Using the phone list application, it could auto-dial numbers. Using a microcassette, it could function as an answering machine. The Comm Port, when linked to the WorkSlate, provided the means to connect with other WorkSlate devices to send or receive worksheets, tie to printers, or link to a modem to access an electronic information service. According to the reference guide, by subscribing to an electronic information service, you could “receive data on almost any subject imaginable”.
label: Description
content: The objects in accession 2016.0253 and non-accession 2016.3134 are related.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, Santa Clara
topic: label: web subject
content: Computers
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
label: See more items in
content: Computers & Business Machines
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Michael Boman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2016.0253.01
label: accession number
content: 2016.0253
label: catalog number
content: 2016.0253.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: microcomputer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (?) (overall, screen material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall, circuitry material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 cm x 37 cm x 21.5 cm; 1 9/16 in x 14 9/16 in x 8 15/32 in
label: Measurements
content: microcomputer: 2.5 cm x 28.5 cm x 21.5 cm; 31/32 in x 11 7/32 in x 8 15/32 in
label: Measurements
content: power adapter: 4 cm x 5.5 cm x 7.5 cm; 1 9/16 in x 2 5/32 in x 2 15/16 in
label: Measurements
content: battery pack: 1.5 cm x 3 cm x 10 3/32 in; 19/32 in x 1 3/16 in x 25.654 cm
label: Measurements
content: numeric keypad overlay: 7.5 cm x 7.3 cm; 2 15/16 in x 2 7/8 in
label: Measurements
content: lcd screen: 15.5 cm x 7.5 cm; 6 3/32 in x 2 15/16 in