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A **Palmtop PC** was an approximately pocket calculator-sized, battery-powered computer compatible with the **IBM Personal Computer** in a horizontal clamshell design with integrated keyboard and display. It could be used like a [[:subnotebook]], but was light enough to be comfortably used handheld as well. Most **Palmtop PCs** were small enough to be stored in a user's shirt or **jacket pocket**.

**Palmtop PCs** distinguish from other **palmtop** computers by using a mostly IBM-compatible PC architecture and **BIOS** as well as an Intel-compatible **x86 processor**. All such devices were [[:DOS]]-based, with [[:DOS]] stored in [[ROM]]. While many **Palmtop PCs** came with a number of PDA and office applications pre-installed in ROM, most of them could also run generic, off-the-shelf PC software with no or little modifications. Some could also run other operating systems such as [[os:GEOS]], [[:Windows]] 1.0-3.0 (in Real mode only), or [[os:MINIX]] 2.0.

Most **Palmtop PCs** were based on a static hardware design for low power consumption and instant-on/off without the need to reboot. Depending on the model, the battery could power the device for a period ranging from several hours up to several days while running, or between a week and a year in standby mode. Combined with the instant-on/off feature, a battery would typically **last from a week up to several months** in practical use as **PDA**.

The **first Palmtop PC** was the DIP Pocket PC (aka [[Atari Portfolio]]) in 1989.

**Palmtop PCs** include:

  * [[DIP Pocket PC]] ([[DIP DOS]] 2.11, 1989)
  * [[Atari Portfolio]] ([[DIP DOS]] 2.11, 1989)
  * [[Poqet PC Classic]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 3.3, 80C88, 1989)
  * [[Poqet PC Prime]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 3.3, 80C88)
  * [[Poqet PC Plus]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 5.0, NEC V30)
  * [[ZEOS Pocket PC]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 5.0, 1991)
  * [[Sharp PC-3000]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 3.3, 1991)
  * [[Sharp PC-3100]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 3.3, 1991)
  * [[Hewlett-Packard 95LX]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 3.22, NEC V20, 1991)
  * [[Hewlett-Packard 100LX]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 5.0, 80186-compatible HP Hornet, 1993)
  * [[Hewlett-Packard Palmtop FX]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 5.0, 80186-compatible HP Hornet, 1993)
  * [[Hewlett-Packard 200LX]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 5.0, 80186-compatible HP Hornet, 1994)
  * [[Hewlett-Packard 1000CX]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 5.0, 80186-compatible HP Hornet)
  * [[Hewlett-Packard OmniGo 700LX]] ([[:dos|MS-DOS]] 5.0, 80186-compatible HP Hornet, 1996)

Some touch-screen computers may also be included in this category:

  * [[Hewlett-Packard OmniGo 100]] ([[Datalight ROM-DOS]]+PEN/GEOS 2.1, NEC V30HL-compatible Vadem VG230, 1993)
  * [[Hewlett-Packard OmniGo 120]] (DOS+PEN/GEOS, NEC V30HL-compatible Vadem VG230)