Compaq evolved from proprietary desktop systems into portable laptops under HP ownership. The shift improved compatibility and portability but introduced the industry trade-off between upgradeability and thin designs.
A personal look back at a reliable Compaq laptop bought in 2000 - why durability and practical performance mattered for a grad student then, and why those qualities still matter now.
Compaq, founded in 1982, helped establish the IBM-compatible PC market with portable systems in the 1980s and consumer lines in the 1990s before merging into Hewlett-Packard in 2002.