Hong Kong-based Bondwell purchased home computer vendor Spectravideo in 1984. In 1985, Spectravideo changed its name to Bondwell and switched from making home computer systems to CP/M and PC-compatible desktop and portable computers. Bondwell’s laptops were relatively inexpensive, and examples frequently pop up today.
Sold primarily as a word-processing system, the Bondwell 22 had an odd configuration. The main unit was a half-tower design with a small CRT imbedded at the top that displays the software menu. A standalone monitor is for text display. Because all the Bondwell 22 components are tightly integrated, an incomplete example would be of limited or no use.
The Bondwell 12 emphasized compatibility with Kaypro systems. A Bondwell 14 offered dual 360K floppy drives, twice the capacity of the Bondwell 12’s drives.
The most exceptional feature of the Bondwell 2 CP/M laptop was its price–less than $1,000. The Bondwell 8 was the company’s first PC-compatible laptop. Although inexpensive, it was a tad heavy for a laptop with mediocre viewing quality on the LCD.
In 1991, Bondwell claimed an unusual first for a laptop computer: a built-in motion detector. It acted as a security device. Unless you typed in a password, the computer sounded an alarm if you tried to move it. My guess is it was more of an annoyance for the owner than a theft deterrent.
Bondwell 22 (1984, desktop)
Original Retail Price: $3,500
Base Configuration: two Z80A CPUs, CP/M 3.0, 128K RAM, 4K ROM, two 5.25-inch floppy disk drives, integral 7-inch monochrome CRT and 12-inch monochrome monitor, keyboard/keypad with integral trackball, two RS-232C and one parallel port, daisy-wheel printer, application suite
Video: 24-line x 81-column text (monitor)/24-line x 40-column text (integral CRT)
Important Options: hard disk drive, modem, speaker-phone card
Bondwell 38
Bondwell 38 (1986, desktop PC)
Original Retail Price: $1,195
Base Configuration: 4.77/8MHz 8088 CPU, 640K RAM, 2 5.25-inch floppy drives, serial and parallel ports, 5 expansion slots, MS-DOS
Important Options: 20MB hard drive
Bondwell 12 (1984, transportable)
Original Retail Price: $1,595
Base Configuration: 4MHz Z80A CPU, CP/M, 64K RAM, two 5.25-inch floppy disk drives, integral 9-inch monochrome CRT, composite video port, keyboard/keypad, two serial and one parallel port, speech synthesizer, BASIC, application suite, modem
Size/Weight: 26 lbs.
Bondwell 2 (1985, laptop)
Original Retail Price: $995
Base Configuration: Z80L CPU, CP/M 2.2, expansion slot, 64K RAM (256K max), 4K ROM, 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, monochrome LCD, serial and parallel ports, application suite, voice synthesizer, internal modem, battery pack, AC adapter
Video: 25-line x 80-column text, 640 x 200 graphics
Size/Weight: 11.2 x 12.2 x 3.1 inches, 11 lbs.
Important Options: external 3.5-inch floppy disk drive
Bondwell 8 (1986, laptop PC)
Original Retail Price: $1,595
Base Configuration: 80C88 CPU, 512K RAM, MS-DOS 2.11, 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, monochrome LCD, RGB and composite video ports, integral keyboard, serial and parallel ports, GW-BASIC, internal modem, AC adapter
Video: 25-line x 80-column text
Size/Weight: 12.5 x 11 x 3.5 inches, 12 lbs.
Important Options: external 3.5- or 5.25-inch floppy disk drive, carrying case
Bondwell B100 (laptop PC)
Base Configuration: 9.83MHz V30 CPU, 512K RAM, 1MB ROM, parallel and serial ports, NiCad or alkaline battery
Important Options: 2400bps modem
Bondwell B200 Superslim
Bondwell B200 Superslim (laptop PC)
Base Configuration: 8MHz 80C88 CPU, 640K RAM, 2 3.5-inch floppy drives, serial and parallel ports, video port, 10.5-inch supertwist monochrome LCD, NiCad battery
Size and Weight: 13w x 12.2d x 2.4h inches, 6.9 lbs.
Bondwell B310 Superslim
Bondwell B310 Superslim (1990, laptop PC)
Base Configuration: 12MHz 80C286 CPU, 1MB RAM (2MB max), 40MB hard drive, 3.5-inch floppy drive, parallel and 2 serial ports, 10.5-inch supertwist monochrome LCD, 81-key keyboard, NiCad battery, MS-DOS 3.3
Video: CGA, 640 x 200 pixels
Size and Weight: 13w x 12.2d x 2.2h inches, 7.6 lbs.
Important Options: carrying case
Bondwell B310P Superslim (1990, laptop PC)
Base Configuration: 12MHz 80C286 CPU, 1MB RAM (2MB max), 40MB hard drive, 3.5-inch floppy drive, parallel and 2 serial ports, backlit 10.5-inch supertwist monochrome LCD, 81-key keyboard, NiCad battery, MS-DOS 3.3
Video: CGA, 640 x 200 pixels
Size and Weight: 13w x 12.2d x 2.2h inches, 7.6 lbs.
Important Options: carrying case
Bondwell B310V (1991, laptop PC)
Base Configuration: 16MHz 80286 CPU, 1MB RAM (5MB max), 40MB hard drive, 3.5-inch floppy drive, monochrome supertwist LCD, 81-key keyboard, parallel and 2 serial ports, video port, NiCad battery, MS-DOS 4.01
Video: VGA, 640 x 480 pixels
Size and Weight: 13w x 12.5d x 2.1h inches, 7.5 lbs.
Important Options: carrying case, 80MB hard drive]
Bondwell B310SX
Bondwell B310SX (1991, laptop PC)
Base Configuration: 16MHz 80386SX CPU, 1MB RAM (5MB max), 80MB hard drive, 3.5-inch floppy drive, monochrome supertwist LCD, 81-key keyboard, parallel and 2 serial ports, video port, NiCad battery, MS-DOS 4.01
Video: VGA, 640 x 480 pixels
Size and Weight: 13w x 12.5d x 2.1h inches, 7.5 lbs.
Important Options: carrying case
Classic Tech 