The Contura was a line of

notebook computer A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper lid ...

s produced by

Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation (sometimes abbreviated to CQ prior to a 2007 rebranding) was an American information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced ...

. Released in 1992, the Contura was Compaq's first attempt at making an affordable, entry-level laptop computer.

Contura series

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.

3/20

* 386SL running at 20 MHz * Display:

VGA Video Graphics Array (VGA) is a video display controller and accompanying de facto graphics standard, first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, which became ubiquitous in the PC industry within three years. The term can no ...

monochrome * RAM: 2 MB * 40 MB or 84 MB hard disk * External trackball attached to the side of the laptop

3/25c

* 386SL running at 25 MHz * Display: VGA color * RAM: 4 MB * 80 MB or 120 MB hard disk * External trackball attached to the side of the laptop

4/25

* 486SL running at 25 MHz * Display: VGA monochrome * RAM: 4 MB * 120 MB or 200 MB hard disk * External trackball attached to the side of the laptop

4/25c

* 486SL running at 25 MHz * Display: VGA color * RAM: 4 MB * 120 MB or 200 MB hard disk * External trackball attached to the side of the laptop

4/25cx

* 486SL running at 25 MHz * Display: VGA color (active matrix) * RAM: 4 MB * 120 MB or 200 MB hard disk * Integrated trackball

Contura Aero series

The Compaq Contura Aero 4/25 and 4/33c were among the earliest

subnotebook Subnotebook, also called ultraportable, superportable, or mini notebook, was a marketing term for laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical notebook-sized laptop. Types and sizes As typical laptop sizes have decreased over t ...

computers that acted as a precursor to

netbooks Netbook was a commonly used term that identified a product class of small and inexpensive laptops which were sold from 2007 to around 2013. These machines were designed primarily as cost-effective tools for consumers to access the Inte ...

. They were released in 1994 and originally ran

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

and

Windows 3.1 Windows 3.1 is a major release of Microsoft Windows. It was released to manufacturing on April 6, 1992, as a successor to Windows 3.0. Like its predecessors, the Windows 3.1 series ran as a shell on top of MS-DOS. Codenamed Janus, Windows 3 ...

. They were also able to run

Windows 95 Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. The first operating system in the 9x family, it is the successor to Windows 3.1x, and was released to manufacturin ...

after its release in 1995. They were similar to the Armada 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.

4/25

* i486SX-S (SL enhanced 486SX) running at 25 MHz * Display:

Passive matrix Passive matrix addressing is an addressing scheme used in early LCDs. This is a matrix addressing scheme meaning that only ''m'' + ''n'' control signals are required to address an ''m'' × ''n'' display. A pixel in a passi ...

gray scale

(16 shades (640x480) high resolution, 64 shades (320x200) low resolution, color capable when using an external VGA monitor) * 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) * 256 KB video memory (512 KB exists in the system, but is not accessible by the GPU.) * 84 MB, 170 MB or 250 MB 2.5" IDE hard disk drive * 1

PCMCIA The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) was a group of computer hardware manufacturers, operating under that name from 1989 to 2009. Starting with the PCMCIA card in 1990 (the name later simplified to ''PC Card''), i ...

slot ( Type II) * 1 ECP/EPP 1.9 capable

parallel port In computing, a parallel port is a type of interface found on early computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting peripherals. The name refers to the way the data is sent; parallel ports send multiple bits of data at once ( parallel ...

* 1

RS-232 In telecommunications, RS-232 or Recommended Standard 232 is a standard originally introduced in 1960 for serial communication transmission of data. It formally defines signals connecting between a ''DTE'' (''data terminal equipment'') such a ...

serial port ( 16550 UART) * 1.5 x 10.25 x 7.5 inches (3.8 x 26 x 19 cm)Compaq Aero FAQ
/ref> * Integrated trackball

4/33c

* i486SX-S (SL enhanced 486SX) running at 33 MHz * Display: Passive matrix color VGA (16 colors (640x480) high resolution, 256 colors (320x200) low resolution) * 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) * 256 KB video memory (512 KB exists in the system, but is not accessible by the GPU.) * 84 MB, 170 MB or 250 MB 2.5" IDE hard disk drive * 1 PCMCIA slot (Type II) * 1 ECP/EPP 1.9 capable parallel port * 1 RS-232 serial port (16550 UART) * 1.7 x 10.25 x 7.5 inches (4.3 x 26 x 19 cm) * Integrated trackball

Aero handhelds

* Compaq Aero 1500 Palm-size PC * Compaq Aero 2100 Color Palm-size PC * Compaq Aero 8000 Handheld PC Pro This line of notebook PCs from Compaq was first succeeded by the ''

Compaq C-Series The Compaq C series was a series of Handheld PCs running on Windows CE 2.0, manufactured by Compaq from 1998. Description The C series replaced the Aero line of handheld PCs. It was succeeded, as with other HPCs manufactured by Compaq and HP, b ...

'' and then by the ''Aero 1550 Pocket PC''. The line of handheld devices starting from the ''Aero 1550 Pocket PC'' were finally moulded into the

iPAQ The iPAQ is a discontinued Pocket PC and personal digital assistant which was first unveiled by Compaq in April 2000. HP's line-up of iPAQ devices included PDA-devices, smartphones and GPS-navigators. A substantial number of devices were ...

line of handheld devices, which was handled by

Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...

, after their acquisition of Compaq.

In popular culture

* The Compaq Contura 4/25cx was used and seen in the 1995 Season 2, Episode 8 of

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

References

Contura Windows CE devices Computer-related introductions in 1992 {{compu-mobile-stub