So Small and Light,
People Couldn’t Believe It Was a PC

Building on the success of the T1100, the team set out to achieve another world first by integrating a hard disk into a laptop computer for the first time.
Hard disks are extremely sensitive to shock and vibration, making them difficult to incorporate into portable devices. The gap between the disk and the read/write head is just a few microns. This level of precision is often compared to a jumbo jet flying just a few millimetres above the ground, making shock resistance a massive engineering challenge.
In January 1986, the T3100 prototype was showcased at a UK computer show, where it stole the spotlight. The BBC praised it, saying, “An incredible computer has arrived. It has a hard disk and is portable. Unbelievable.” The T3100 was dubbed “The King of Laptops” and won numerous awards worldwide.
This shows how revolutionary the T3100 was; it challenged the very idea of what a computer could be. Before showcasing the T3100 at a computer exhibition in the UK, the development leader visited Dynabook’s local office in Germany. At the airport, he was detained during a security check because the staff couldn’t believe that such a compact device could be a real computer. Suspecting it might be a hazardous item, they questioned him thoroughly. It was only after he powered it on and demonstrated its functionality that they were convinced it was indeed a PC.
Another episode lies in a legendary moment still talked about within the company. When engineers presented the prototype of the successor model to Division Manager Tetsuya Mizoguchi, he suddenly plunged it into a bucket of water. Pointing to the water dripping from the device, he said, “That proves there’s still space. Make it thinner.”
The engineers never gave up. Driven by passion, they created truly innovative products and that same spirit of craftsmanship and technological expertise that continues in every Dynabook produced today.