Kiwi Computer Inc. Logo
Country: United States Industry: Notebook Computers Founded: 1994 Defunct: Yes, around 2000 Fate: Unknown, assumed dissolved

Welcome to the Kiwi Homepage on MacDat!

Kiwi Computer Inc was a California-based company that sold the OpenNote line of laptops from 1994 until around 2000, when their website went offline and I can assume they went out of business. According to one source, the OpenNotes were manufactured by Taiwan-based Aquarius, a company which I cannot find any information about. I do know that these models were exclusively made for Kiwi though. That being said, by 1998/99, they were selling laptops from MiTAC and potentially other ODMs as well. Though, I've never actually seen a Kiwi laptop for sale which wasn't one of the exclusive models.

Kiwi positioned themselves as a seller of modular, upgradeable, and customizable notebooks. Here is a quote from their archived website: "Kiwi's open architecture, wide range of configurability, use of industry standard 72-pin SIMMS and inexpensive upgrade paths, provide a truly open system, barebone notebook solution that has long been sought by end-users, OEMs, notebook dealers and distributors. Kiwi's primary focus has been and will be to offer product options for its customer, ranging from customers a true choice for products that meet their business needs."

Model List (Non-exhaustive and unfinished)

Sorted roughly by age.

Kiwi OpenNote 180C Released: ~August 1994	Kiwi OpenNote 680C Released: 1996	Kiwi OpenNote 280 Released: 1997?	Kiwi OpenNote 281 Released: 1997
Kiwi OpenNote 781 Released: 1997	No Image Kiwi OpenNote 782 Released: 1998?