The concept for the LTE line was originally drafted for Compaq in 1986 by Christopher J. Gintz, who was director of technical and planning development for the company at the time.

[6][7] Weighing in at 4.4 pounds (2.0 kg), the UltraLite eschewed from conventional floppy and hard disk drives for software and data storage, in favor of proprietary ROM and RAM cards.

This approach was technically impressive but led to slow adoption rates by consumers due to the difficulty of transferring data to and from IBM PCs and compatibles because of the lack of an internal floppy drive.

Zenith Data Systems' notebook-sized MinisPort, released slightly after the UltraLite in 1989, did little to ameliorate this issue despite offering an internal floppy drive due to its non-standard, 2-inch format.

[6] The LTE and LTE/286, released in October 1989, were true notebooks, each occupying exactly the footprint of ANSI Letter paper while measuring 1.9 inches (48 mm) thick.

[17][18]: 81  The designers behind the LTE/386s made heavy use of rigid-flex interconnects between the different printed circuit boards, as well as custom ASICs, in order to save weight and reduce the amount of fragile wires and cables.

[19][20] The LTE Lite, released in 1992, improved the battery life and quality of its predecessors' LCD panels while reducing weight.

[29] The LTE Lite sold very well and quickly became Compaq's flagship mobile computer, overtaking sales of their earlier luggable portables.

[35] VLSI Technology, whose largest customer at the time was Compaq, worked closely with the latter to design the PC Card controller ASIC.

[36] The LTE Elite also integrated the AC adapter into the main body of the laptop, eliminating the need for an external power brick.

[37][38]: 37  Another new feature of the LTE Elite was the ability of its processors to be upgraded and replaced, owing to its use of a socket rather than a soldered-on surface-mount package typical of laptops in the mid-1990s.

[41] Certain surface-mount PCBs were manufactured in Compaq's factory in Erskine, while final assembly of each LTE Elite was completed in Houston.

It was also Compaq's first laptop with built-in 16-bit audio synthesis and playback (beyond the PC speaker); hardware acceleration for video; and an infrared port for communicating with PDAs.

[46] Compaq abandoned the ambitious internal AC adapter of the Elite line in favor of the familiar power brick.

[49] Compaq also offered a full-feature docking station that added several other MultiBay units to the machine, on top of additional PC Cards and an Ethernet port.

[54] The LTE 5000 series also abandoned the monitor-mounted trackballs of older models in favor of an implementation of IBM's keyboard-mounted pointing stick technology.

The partnership not only hastened development of a successor but also gained Compaq access to Taiwan's more cutting-edge technologies in the field of mobile computer production.

[57][58] The LTE range was marketed as a desktop replacement; with its optional docking stations, it allowed peripherals to be permanently connected.

The OptiByte Media Station, meanwhile, was the most expensive but added a 16-bit sound card, a double-speed CD-ROM drive and built-in speakers, as well as providing a free ISA slot.

[60] From its introduction in 1989 to its discontiuation in 1997, Compaq sold over two million units of the entire LTE lineup, generating over US$1.5 billion in revenue for the company.

[9]: 56 [18]: 81 [8]: 35  Mitt Jones of PC Magazine called the LTE and LTE/286, "without reservation, the most exciting and usable laptops on the market", albeit expensive at launch.

[66] Fredric Burke of the same publication, reviewing the LTE/286 a year after its release, called it "the class act in its field", praising its expandability, the legibility of the LCD, and the performance of the battery.

[28][70][26] Reviewers preferred the active-matrix LCDs of the later LTE Lites, which they gave high marks for their greater viewing angles and sharpness.

[77][52][78][79][80] Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle dubbed the machines "an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to computer design [that] virtually bludgeons the competition with a mass of features".

[77] Many reviewers found the active-matrix LCDs of the higher-end models uncharacteristically dim,[77][81] due to Compaq coating their polarizers with a dark film intended to increase contrast when looked at straight-on while reducing visibility from far angles.