Dynalogic Hyperion Announced: June 1982 Released: January 1983 Price: US$4995.00 Weight: 21 pounds CPU: Intel 8088 @ 4.77MHz RAM: 256K, 640K max Ports: video, telephone, serial, parallel 50-pin "D" for Expansion Chassis Display: 7-inch amber monitor 80 X 25 text Storage: Dual 320K 5.25-inch floppy drives OS: Custom PC-DOS 1.25H

" Beyond Human Factors. The Hyperion portable desktop computer is the next step in the application of ergonomic science to man's most sophisticated tool. This new dimension in design goes beyond mere adaptation to body movement and posture. More than ever before, the Hyperion enhances performance by taking into account the way we work and the world we work in."

As one of the few computers from Canada, the Hyperion is a portable computer system similar to the Compaq Portable. Both were designed to be IBM compatible, but only the Compaq is said to be 100% accurate. The Hyperion fails to run many software titles reliably.

Built by Dynalogic, sold by Bytec-Comterm, the Hyperion made it to the market a month or so before Compaq released their Portable. Because of this, it can be considered the first portable MS-DOS computer system.


In 1984, Commodore displayed a prototype of an 8088-based MS-DOS computer, reportedly based on the Hyperion - this was to be the first portable Commodore computer.

To the best of my knowledge Commodore never did release a system based on the Hyperion, but the flyer seen here to the left confirms that they were at least seriously considering it. "Click" on the image for a larger view (it's in German).

Portable? Sure! The Hyperion has a carrying-handle built into the top of the console. The padded carrying-case is a must for the executive on-the-go .

In this case, "portable" means self-contained; the system still has to be plugged into a 110VAC wall outlet to operate.

The Hyperion even has an internal 300-baud modem for dialing-in when on the road.

Here's an advertisement from 1983: "Presenting Hyperion, the world's most powerful, portable computer..."

Related Links Hyperion from Hrothgar's Cool Old Junk Page Hyperion from Obsolete Computer Museum Hyperion from Uncle Roger's Classic Computers Hyperion from "old-computers.com"

History of the Hyperion Computer 1981: December - Murray Bell and Paul Barsley of Dynalogic create specifications for a microcomputer, which will become the Hyperion. 1982: June - Dynalogic introduces the Hyperion microcomputer at the Spring COMDEX in Atlantic City. The Hyperion is the first IBM-compatible portable microcomputer. 1982: November - Dynalogic again demonstrates its Hyperion portable computer, at Toronto's Canadian Computer Show 1982: November - Dynalogic demonstrates a dozen Hyperion portable computers at the fall COMDEX in Las Vegas 1983: January - Bytec begins shipping the Hyperion portable computer, developed by Dynalogic Source: Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers

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