Epson Equity LT
The Epson Equity LT was Epson's first portable IBM-compatible laptop released in 1987 at a base price of $1895 with two 3.5-inch floppy drives or $2995 with one 3.5-inch floppy drive and a 20MB hard drive. It features a NEC V-30 processor that was Intel 8086 compatible but better performing running at a selectable 4.77MHz or 10 MHz. The Equity LT included 640KB of RAM, 16KB of ROM, and was bundled with MS-DOS 3.2. The system included a super-twisted nemantic (STN) backlit LCD, a parallel and serial port, and an optional 300/1200 baud modem card. The Equity LT could operate on 12-15V 25W AC power or a 9.6V NiCad rechargeable battery.
As of 2025, Epson still has the original user manual available on their website!
A super-twisted nematic (STN) LCD is a type of liquid crystal display that improves upon traditional twisted nematic (TN) LCDs by twisting the liquid crystal molecules at a much greater angle—typically between 180 and 270 degrees. This increased twist allows for sharper images, better contrast, and more efficient passive-matrix addressing, making it possible to control more pixels without complex circuitry. STN displays were widely used in portable computers, handheld devices, and early mobile phones, but they were eventually replaced by thin-film transistor (TFT) LCDs, which offer superior image quality and faster response times.
This pictured Equity LT example is the more expensive $2995 option with a 20MB hard drive. The left side has a blank plate where the HDD is located and a HDD power on/off switch is located in the rear near center, and the right side has the 3.5" FDD. I bought this computer in a local North Texas estate auction in early 2025.
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Jon Stanley