The term portable keyboard was first coined because the instrument was much more manageable to transport from place to place than the sum of its parts - the average model replaces a keyboard, MIDI sequencer, power amplifier, pair of speakers and a music stand - all of which would be rather more cumbersome to carry around, not to mention more costly to purchase!
This general label has come to serve as an umbrella term for a wide range of different keyboard products with features that go far beyond those of the early models. With this in mind, we will need to look at what being a portable keyboard can mean today. Firstly though, we need to cover a little background on the subject of MIDI, as this is an important element in what makes the portable keyboard so popular today.