This computer, collected from the office of Representative John Conyers, was cutting-edge technology in the 1980s. Although it might seem clunky today, the three-and-a-half pound Epson HX-20 was the first handheld computer. With a keyboard, microcassette drive, and screen, the portable device could print, make lists, and display a clock. Within just a few years, more powerful new computers provided House offices with access to legislative data, news, statistics, scheduling, constituent casework, and email.
