ACT [1983] Apricot PC
After having imported the Victor Sirius for years in the UK, ACT produced its own computer largely inspired by the Sirius : the Apricot PC.
It was supposed to be transportable as there is a handle on the main-unit ! If you really want to move your Apricot this way, the keyboard can be clipped to the main-unit.
Several features made this computer quite technically innovative :
� the Apricot PC was possibly the first computer outside Japan to use 3.5'' disk-drives (315k or 720k),
� the graphics quality and features were excellent (800 x 400) and came directly from the Victor Sirius,
� the keyboard was quite original with 8 "normal" and 6 flat programmable function keys along with a built-in LCD screen (40 characters / 2 lines) which displayed the function of the keys. This feature was largely used by the included software, but not much by third-party software.
This small LCD screen could also display the current line of text you're working on and there's even a contrast knob on the right of the keyboard.
It's possible to transfer files and some software from a Sirius or an IBM PC to the Apricot PC by connecting them with a special cable. There's also an IBM PC emulator which forces the Apricot to act like an IBM PC. It works well for some applications but not all.
Some software was supplied with the Apricot PC : Supercalc, various system tools, asynchronous communication, IBM-PC emulator, Microsoft Basic-86, Basic Personal and ACT Manager (a graphical interface for MS-DOS). Word, Multiplan, Wordstar, dBase II, C-Pascal, Pascal UCSD, C, Fortran, Cobol and Basic Compiler 5.35 were available optionally.
In 1984, ACT launched new versions of the Apricot PC with built-in hard-disks and a different colour case. They were called Apricot Xi.
NAME | Apricot PC |
MANUFACTURER | ACT |
TYPE | Professional Computer |
ORIGIN | United Kingdom |
YEAR | September 1983 |
BUILT IN LANGUAGE | Microsoft Basic-86 and Basic Personal delivered on disks |
KEYBOARD | Full-stroke keyboard, 101 keys, 8 function keys, 6 dynamic function keys (membrane keys) Built-in 40 characters x 2 lines LCD screen |
CPU | Intel 8086 |
SPEED | 4,77 Mhz |
CO-PROCESSOR | Intel 8089 (for in/out tasks), 8087 optional arithmetic co-processor |
RAM | 256k, up to 768k |
ROM | Unknown |
TEXT MODES | 80 x 25, 132 x 50 (character matrix 10 x 16) |
GRAPHIC MODES | 800 x 400 dots |
COLORS | Monochrome (colours facilities) |
SOUND | 1 tone channel |
SIZE / WEIGHT | Main unit : 42 x 32 x 10 cm Main unit : 6,4 kg / Monitor : 4,1 kg / keyboard : 1,5 kg |
I/O PORTS | RS232c, Centronics, 2 x Apricot expansion slots |
BUILT IN MEDIA | 1 or 2 x 3''1/2 disk-drives (315k or 720k), optional 5Mb and 10Mb hard-disks |
OS | MS-DOS 2.0, CP/M 86, Concurrent CP/M UCSD p-system in option |
POWER SUPPLY | Built-in PSU |
PERIPHERALS | 1 additional 3''1/2 disk-drives, 5Mb and 10Mb hard-disks, trackball, printer, plotter |
PRICE | 2 x 315k floppies : 6080 ![]() 2 x 720k floppies : 6840 ![]() |
-
IMLAC [1970] PDS-1
The Imlac PDS-1 is a graphical minicomputer made by Imlac Corporation (founded in 1968) of Needham, Massachusetts. The PDS-1 debuted in 1970 and is considered to be the predecessor of all later graphical minicomputers and modern computer wo...Date2017.12.20 Views13526 -
TOSHIBA [1980] T-200
Two models were available: the Toshiba T200 C-5 with only one floppy disk unit (250 KB) and a hard disk (5 MB), and the T200 C-20 with a double floppy disk unit, one hard disk (10 MB) and one streamer (10 MB). It was possible to connect up ...Date2017.07.20 Views9653 -
TERTA [1980] Tap34
TAP 34 is a self design of Terta company from Hungary. Primarily it was designed as a terminal for big computer systems but it was also able to process data alone. The main integrated circuits were assembled in the USSR and in Hungary by Tu...Date2016.10.24 Views11607 -
금성 [1982] FC-100
http://www.mydiyworld.net/?p=1074 http://tpholic.com/xe/ibmboard2/7060017 1982년 발매된 금성사의 첫 번째 8비트 개인용 컴퓨터. '교육용 컴퓨터'라는 활용 방향을 염두에 두고 만들어졌다. 산요전기의 8비트 컴퓨터 PHC-25와 부분적인 호환성을...Date2016.05.14 Views10916 -
Vector Graphics [1976] Vector 1
The Vector 1 was a clone of the ALTAIR 8800 based on the common S-100 bus structure and the Intel 8080A microprocessor. It was sold under kit or assembled versions. Vector Graphics said it offered a stronger cabinet and a well-designed powe...Date2016.05.14 Views10217 -
ACT [1983] Apricot PC
After having imported the Victor Sirius for years in the UK, ACT produced its own computer largely inspired by the Sirius : the Apricot PC. It was supposed to be transportable as there is a handle on the main-unit ! If you really want to mo...Date2016.03.31 Views8198 -
TRIUMPH ADLER [1983] TA-1600
TRIUMPH ADLER TA-1600 The TA 1600 system was introduced in 1983 at the CeBIT (which was only a part of the "Hannover-Messe" by that time). TA showed a few sample applications and the 1600 family in general. Triumph Adler's hardware inclu...Date2016.03.29 Views9365 -
ACORN [1994] Risc PC
In April 1994, Acorn announced the release of the second generation of ARM machines � the Acorn RISC PC 600. Code named the Medusa project, this was set to replace the then ailing flagship A5000machine. As the name suggests, one of the m...Date2016.03.03 Views8322 -
ACC [1983] 8000
We have little information about this computer which was manufactured and exported by Asia Commercial Co. Ltd, a company based in Hong-Kong. The ACC-8000 was one of the rare machine of the time to be equipped we three microprocessors: a MOS...Date2016.02.16 Views9325 -
ACORN [1981] BBC Model A / B / B+
The Acorn BBC model A was the successor of the Acorn Atom and its first name was Acorn Proton. It was a very popular computer in the UK and was widely used in schools, but it didn't have great success elsewhere (even though it did have ...Date2015.12.29 Views9690 -
ACORN [1980] ATOM
The Acorn Atom was the ancestor of the BBC computers series. It was sold in kit or ready-assembled versions. The great advantage of the Atom compared to its competitors (TRS-80 & PET), was its high resolution capabilities (256 x 192) wh...Date2015.12.10 Views11294 -
UNISYS [1983] Icon
The ICON workstation and LEXICON file server were originally designed by Cemcorp, the Canadian Educational Microprocessor Corporation, specifically for use in Canadian schools. They were first produced by Burroughs then took the name of Uni...Date2015.11.22 Views8889 -
PCC [1978] PCC 2000
PCC 2000 is a professional computer released in 1978. It was designed in 1978 by Pertec, the company which merged with MITS by the end of 1976. The PCC is conceived as a monobloc machine, where the display and two 8" floppy disk drives are ...Date2015.10.21 Views8642 -
Fujitsu [1982] FM 7
Fujitsu was (and still is) japan's leading electronics company. This computer was the succesor of theFM-8 itself first member of the Fujitsu FM (for "Fujitsu Micro") range of computers, extending from hobbyist home computers up to 16-bi...Date2015.10.21 Views8331 -
Fujitsu [1985] FM 77 AV
The FM 77 AV was an impressive system in 1985. It's a good example of what was developped in Japan and we never heard of in the rest of the world. The system has great audio and video features, hence the AV for "Audio and Video". It can...Date2015.10.17 Views7885 -
Fujitsu [1983] FM-16s
The Micro 16s was designed to be a powerful package of hardware and software in a professional business system. It offered a unique architectural design for the time: interchangeable microprocessors and thus operating systems. In fact most ...Date2015.10.12 Views8781