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Compaq Contura
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<h2 id="contura-series">Contura series</h2> <p>The main Contura series included models 3/20, 3/25, 3/25c, 4/25, 4/25c, 4/25cx, 400, 400C, 400CX, 410, 410C, 410CX, 420C, 420CX, 430C, and 430CX. These were standard-size notebooks, not ultra-portable subnotebook computers. The "X" designation denoted an active matrix screen. </p> <h3>3/20</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/386SL/ag5eSgWv">386SL</a> running at 20 MHz</li> <li>Display: <a href="/facts/VGA/8GGsGTSc">VGA</a> monochrome</li> <li>RAM: 2 MB</li> <li>40 MB or 84 MB hard disk</li> <li>External trackball attached to the side of the laptop</li></ul> <h3>3/25c</h3> <ul><li>386SL running at 25 MHz</li> <li>Display: VGA color</li> <li>RAM: 4 MB</li> <li>80 MB or 120 MB hard disk</li> <li>External trackball attached to the side of the laptop</li></ul> <h3>4/25</h3> <ul><li>486SL running at 25 MHz</li> <li>Display: VGA monochrome</li> <li>RAM: 4 MB</li> <li>120 MB or 200 MB hard disk</li> <li>External trackball attached to the side of the laptop</li></ul> <h3>4/25c</h3> <ul><li>486SL running at 25 MHz</li> <li>Display: VGA color</li> <li>RAM: 4 MB</li> <li>120 MB or 200 MB hard disk</li> <li>External trackball attached to the side of the laptop</li></ul> <h3>4/25cx</h3> <ul><li>486SL running at 25 MHz</li> <li>Display: VGA color (active matrix)</li> <li>RAM: 4 MB</li> <li>120 MB or 200 MB hard disk</li> <li>Integrated trackball</li></ul> <h2 id="contura-aero-series">Contura Aero series</h2> <p>The Compaq Contura Aero 4/25 and 4/33c were among the earliest <a href="/facts/Subnotebook/fpb9fQGk">subnotebook</a> computers that acted as a precursor to <a href="/facts/Netbooks/aExm3tmc">netbooks</a>. They were released in 1994 and originally ran <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a> and <a href="/facts/Windows_3.1/zYnWyaC6">Windows 3.1</a>. They were also able to run <a href="/facts/Windows_95/1E1L93qC">Windows 95</a> after its release in 1995. They were similar to the <a href="/facts/Compaq_Armada/eTPzLYTJ">Armada</a> line of laptop computers, but smaller. Although the 4/25's GPU can produce color, the datasheet for the device states it is incapable of producing color graphics. This does not apply to the 4/33c. </p> <h3>4/25</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Intel_80486/2zfEAXAw">i486SX-S</a> (SL enhanced 486SX) running at 25 MHz</li> <li>Display: <a href="/facts/Passive_matrix_addressing/R8sXknCD">Passive matrix</a> gray scale <a href="/facts/VGA/8GGsGTSc">VGA</a> (16 shades (640x480) high resolution, 64 shades (320x200) low resolution, color capable when using an external VGA monitor)</li> <li>RAM: 4 MB built-in (expandable to a maximum of 8 MB or 12 MB using an optional 4 or 8MB Compaq branded module, or 20 MB using a third party 16 MB module)</li> <li>256 KB video memory (512 KB exists in the system, but is not accessible by the GPU.)</li> <li>84 MB, 170 MB or 250 MB 2.5" <a href="/facts/Parallel_ATA/QPchqXH8">IDE</a> hard disk drive</li> <li>1 <a href="/facts/PCMCIA/ATXtE8rd">PCMCIA</a> slot (<a href="/facts/PC_Card/Dt0get4l">Type II</a>)</li> <li>1 ECP/EPP 1.9 capable <a href="/facts/IEEE_1284/Dz42InxA">parallel port</a></li> <li>1 <a href="/facts/RS-232/NCpvGuyq">RS-232</a> serial port (<a href="/facts/16550_UART/WlLkR7eh">16550 UART</a>)</li> <li>1.5 x 10.25 x 7.5 inches (3.8 x 26 x 19 cm)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></li> <li>Integrated trackball</li></ul> <h3>4/33c</h3> <ul><li>i486SX-S (SL enhanced 486SX) running at 33 MHz</li> <li>Display: Passive matrix color VGA (16 colors (640x480) high resolution, 256 colors (320x200) low resolution)</li> <li>RAM: 4 MB built-in (expandable to a maximum of 8 or 12 MB using an optional 4 MB or 8 MB Compaq branded module, or 20 MB using a third party 16 MB module)</li> <li>256 KB video memory (512 KB exists in the system, but is not accessible by the GPU.)</li> <li>84 MB, 170 MB or 250 MB 2.5" IDE hard disk drive</li> <li>1 PCMCIA slot (Type II)</li> <li>1 ECP/EPP 1.9 capable parallel port</li> <li>1 RS-232 serial port (16550 UART)</li> <li>1.7 x 10.25 x 7.5 inches (4.3 x 26 x 19 cm)</li> <li>Integrated trackball</li></ul> <h2 id="aero-handhelds">Aero handhelds</h2> <ul><li>Compaq Aero 1500 Palm-size PC<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li> <li>Compaq Aero 2100 Color Palm-size PC<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></li> <li>Compaq Aero 8000 Handheld PC Pro<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li></ul> <p>This line of notebook PCs from Compaq was first succeeded by the <i><a href="/facts/Compaq_C-Series/esbkUqbx">Compaq C-Series</a></i><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> and then by the <i>Aero 1550 Pocket PC</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> The line of handheld devices starting from the <i>Aero 1550 Pocket PC</i> were finally moulded into the <a href="/facts/IPAQ/urJ9ADT1">iPAQ</a> line of handheld devices, which was handled by <a href="/facts/Hewlett-Packard/abuNSYNu">Hewlett-Packard</a>, after their acquisition of Compaq. </p> <h2 id="in-popular-culture">In popular culture</h2> <ul><li>The Compaq Contura 4/25cx was used and seen in the 1995 Season 2, Episode 8 of <i><a href="/facts/Friends/qtves23u">Friends</a></i>.</li> <li>The Compaq Contura 4/33c was used and seen in the 2000 Season 4, Episode 4 of <i><a href="/facts/La_Femme_Nikita_(TV_series)/huUTraR6">La Femme Nikita</a></i>.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Compaq Aero FAQ <a href="http://www.faqs.org/faqs/pc-hardware-faq/laptops/compaq-aero/" target="_blank">http://www.faqs.org/faqs/pc-hardware-faq/laptops/compaq-aero/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Aero 1500 Quickspecs". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-02-29. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110716163904/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10397_div/10397_div.HTML" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110716163904/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10397_div/10397_div.HTML</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Aero 2100 Quickspecs". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-02-29. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110716163922/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10019_div/10019_div.HTML" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110716163922/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10019_div/10019_div.HTML</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Aero 8000 Quickspecs". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-02-29. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110716164033/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10303_div/10303_div.HTML" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110716164033/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10303_div/10303_div.HTML</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"C-Series Quickspecs". Archived from the original on 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2008-02-29. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110815092342/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10018_div/10018_div.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110815092342/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10018_div/10018_div.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Aero 1550 Quickspecs". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-02-29. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110716164057/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10555_div/10555_div.HTML" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110716164057/http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10555_div/10555_div.HTML</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>