[5] This original model of Compass lacked an internal battery compartment, requiring AC power from the wall.

[5] Grid sold the succeeding model, the Compass II, in 1984 with an optional external battery unit.

GRiD Systems Corporation subsequently earned significant returns on its patent rights as its innovations became commonplace.

The design used a clamshell case (where the screen folds flat to the rest of the computer when closed), which was made from a magnesium alloy.

The computer featured an Intel 8086 processor, a 320 × 240-pixel electroluminescent display, 340-kilobyte magnetic bubble memory, and a 1200 bit/s modem.