NEC MultiSpeed

The MultiSpeed was a line of laptop computers developed by NEC between 1986 and 1988. The inaugural MultiSpeed was the first battery-powered laptop with a 16-bit microprocessor, sporting a NEC V30 clocked at either 4.77 MHz or 9.54 MHz.^[1]: 34 The clock speed was able to be changed via a DIP switch on the back, hence the name MultiSpeed.^[2] The MultiSpeed received positive reviews in the press and performed well in the marketplace, becoming the top-selling laptop in the United States in 1988, per one survey.^[1][3]

NEC MultiSpeed

Original MultiSpeed in its carrying case
Developer	NEC
Manufacturer	NEC
Type	Laptop
Release date	December 1986 (1986-12)
Operating system	MS-DOS
CPU	NEC V30 at 4.77/9.54 MHz
Display	Passive monochrome LCD
Graphics	CGA
Successor	ProSpeed

Models

NEC MultiSpeed

Model no.	Processor	Clock speed (MHz)	LCD technology	LCD resolution	Notes	Date
original	NEC V30	4.77/9.54	Monochrome passive, non-backlit	CGA, 640×200		December 1986 (1986-12)[4][2]
EL	NEC V30	4.77/9.54	Monochrome passive, electroluminescent backlight	CGA, 640×200	EL upgrade path was available to owners of the original	June 1987 (1987-06)[5][6]
HD	NEC V30	4.77/9.54	Monochrome passive, electroluminescent backlight	CGA, 640×200	Sold 55,000 units in 1988[7]	October 1987 (1987-10)[8][9]
EL Model 2	NEC V30	4.77/9.54	Monochrome passive, electroluminescent backlight	CGA, 640×200	Improved EL panel	March 1988 (1988-03)[10]