Compaq's Presario line, absorbed into HP in 2002, built a reputation for affordable desktops and laptops suited to home and small-office users. Today the Presario legacy informs HP's entry-level offerings - prioritize processor, storage, and warranty when choosing one.
The iPAQ GPS sleeve was a snap-on accessory that turned Compaq/HP iPAQ Pocket PCs into portable navigation devices. It represents a modular approach to mobile features that preceded today's smartphone-integrated GPS.
Compaq legacy and refurbished laptops still represent a value option for budget buyers. Learn where to find them, weigh new vs. refurbished trade-offs, and check warranties and specs before buying.
In the mid-2000s HP shipped the nx5000 with SUSE Linux preinstalled. It offered integrated hardware support and desktop apps that made Linux more practical on a laptop - a move that anticipated the broader, more polished Linux laptop options available today.
A concise history of adding machines from Schickard's 1623 device through Pascal, Leibniz, 19th-century Arithmometers and pinwheel calculators, to the electronic calculators that replaced them in the 1970s.
Dot-matrix (impact) printers form characters with tiny pins that strike an ink ribbon, enabling carbon copies and reliable printing on continuous forms. While largely replaced by inkjet and laser for general office use, impact printers remain valuable in industrial, logistics, and point-of-sale settings.
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.
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.