- compatible ▁la pt ops ▁was ▁the ▁ 8 / 1 6 - bit ▁IBM ▁PC ▁Convert ible , ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁ ▁It ▁had ▁a ▁CG A - compatible ▁L CD ▁and ▁ 2 ▁flo ppy ▁drives . It ▁we ighed ▁. ▁ ▁E pson ▁L 3 S ▁ ▁The ▁L 3 S ▁was ▁an ▁early ▁port able ▁computer ▁that ▁ran ▁MS - D OS ▁and ▁featured ▁a ▁parallel ▁port . ▁ ▁Z DS ▁Sup ers Port ▁The ▁first ▁la pt ops ▁successful ▁on ▁a ▁large ▁scale ▁came ▁in ▁large ▁part ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁Request ▁For ▁Pro pos al ▁( R FP ) ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁ ▁This ▁contract ▁would ▁eventually ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁la pt ops . ▁ ▁Compet ition ▁to ▁supply ▁this ▁contract ▁was ▁fier ce ▁and ▁the ▁major ▁PC ▁companies ▁of ▁the ▁time ; ▁IBM ▁Corporation , ▁To ▁sh ins , ▁Com pa q , ▁N EC , ▁and ▁Z en ith ▁Data ▁Systems ▁( Z DS ), ▁r ushed ▁to ▁develop ▁la pt ops ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁win ▁this ▁deal . ▁Z DS , ▁which ▁had ▁earlier ▁won ▁a ▁land mark ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁I RS ▁for ▁its ▁Z - 1 7 1 , ▁was ▁awarded ▁this ▁contract ▁for ▁its ▁Sup ers Port ▁series . ▁ ▁The ▁Sup ers Port ▁series ▁was ▁originally ▁launched ▁with ▁an ▁Intel ▁ 8