▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁mass ▁storage ▁support , ▁made ▁serious ▁word - processing ▁and ▁spread sheet ▁applications ▁imp ract ical ▁and ▁the ▁device ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁" prim itive " ▁by ▁some . ▁ ▁Grid ▁Com pass ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁laptop ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁form ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 6 - bit ▁Grid ▁Com pass ▁ 1 1 0 1 , ▁designed ▁by ▁Bill ▁M og gr idge ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 – 8 0 , ▁and ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁En closed ▁in ▁a ▁mag nes ium ▁case , ▁it ▁introduced ▁the ▁now ▁familiar ▁cl am shell ▁design , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁flat ▁display ▁fol ded ▁shut ▁against ▁the ▁keyboard . ▁The ▁computer ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁a ▁ 3 2 0 × 2 0 0 - p ixel ▁elect rol um ines cent ▁display ▁and ▁ 3 8 4   kil oby te ▁b ubble ▁memory . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁IBM - compatible , ▁and ▁its ▁high ▁price ▁( US $ 8 , 0 0 0 – 1 0 , 0 0 0 ) ▁limited ▁it ▁to ▁special ized ▁applications . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁heavily ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁military , ▁and ▁by ▁NASA ▁on ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁The ▁GR i D ' s ▁manufact urer ▁subsequently ▁earned ▁significant ▁returns ▁on ▁its ▁pat ent ▁rights ▁as ▁its ▁innov ations ▁became ▁common place . ▁GR i D ▁Systems ▁Cor p . ▁was