+davidcalgary29 Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 The first person to correctly identify the following item, in this thread, will win: a sealed box of 5.25" DSDD floppy disks! The following item was reviewed in a computer periodical in January, 1983: "At the core of the system is the time-tested, industry standard Z80A microprocessor. An additional 8048 microprocessor is used to control the keyboard and disks. The user-programmable memory is an ample 64K, with an additional 20K bytes available for graphics display. Each of the two built-in 5.25 inch disk drives holds a generous 360K bytes of formatted storage. _________ was among the first to use 5.25 floppy disks in computers, and you can count on its years of experience to produce a dependable drive system. ________ offers an option that lets you upgrade your __________ into a 8/16 bit system that can use software developed for the IBM PC. Another option is LAN capability that lets stand-alone computers communicate with each other, access centrally stored files, and share peripheral equipment such as printers and communications devices. A hard disk verison, which you can also upgrade to a 16-bit system, costs $4999. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATARI TROLL Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 I will try a guess at the Timex Sinclair 1000 computer! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 The TS didn't have built-in floppies. I'll go with a TRS80 model12 But chances are, it was something completely different. Like the mythical MicroSoft Toilet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted October 15, 2003 Author Share Posted October 15, 2003 Actually, this was a fairly notable computer for its time -- although its appeal was, admittedly, restricted to the higher-end home/business market. I note that a 10MB HD upgrade was available for an extra $1500.00 Keep guessing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Apple Lisa? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Lisa use a Z80? Huh???? Something high-end and overpriced...hmmm... An ITT 3030? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted October 15, 2003 Author Share Posted October 15, 2003 No and no, though in design it looks quite like a TRS 80 Model III. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Lisa use a Z80? Huh???? Something high-end and overpriced...hmmm... An ITT 3030? Duh, I must have skipped that part! It was really just a bad guess based on the year. The Lisa was like $10K anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Coleco ADAM! (Another guess (I know it's wrong) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 ok, I had to look it up but I'll guess: Kaypro 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 ok, I had to look it up but I'll guess: Kaypro 2 I think that had only 1 DD otherwise that would have been my serious guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 ok, I had to look it up but I'll guess: Kaypro 2 I think that had only 1 DD otherwise that would have been my serious guess. Alright, how do you know this without looking it up? This page has both versions of the Kaypro 2 with double disk drives: http://www.old-computers.com/museum/comput....asp?st=1&c=954 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted October 15, 2003 Author Share Posted October 15, 2003 Hint #1: The company that produced these computers marketed them in competition against the IBM PC and the Apple II. Its predecessors were noted for ruggedness and durability in "field conditions". Popular Computing noted that, although it was capable of producing images up to a resolution of 640x240, it had no colour graphics capability, and that this might be a serious handicap for schools and "laborotories". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 ok, I had to look it up but I'll guess: Kaypro 2 I think that had only 1 DD otherwise that would have been my serious guess. Alright, how do you know this without looking it up? This page has both versions of the Kaypro 2 with double disk drives:http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=954 I was actually poking around that site last week and was reading about Kaypro, otherwise I NEVER would have known that. I didn't realize there was one with 2 DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 It's the 8048 compatability that is throwing me off. It seems most computers had turned away from that by '83. Z80a, 8048, dual 5" floppies, 640x240mono, notable (but pricey), optional 10mb HD, IBM compatability... Osbourne Vixen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Osbourne Vixen? That's not a nice thing to say about Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Oh, she would dream about being a vixen..but she's just a spitfire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted October 15, 2003 Author Share Posted October 15, 2003 I was waiting for someone to guess it was one of the Osbourne family of computers! -- but that's not it, either. Hint #2: The company that produced these computers started life as Kentucky Fried Computers in 1976. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Northstar Advantage? But that's a 8084 coprocessor Brain...hurts.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted October 15, 2003 Author Share Posted October 15, 2003 Well, Popular Computing may have got the internal schematics wrong, but Nukey didn't. Yes, the NorthStar Advantage had a brief moment of glory in early '83, but quickly faded into obscurity when people discovered the wonders of detachable keyboards and CGA adapters. PM me your mailing address, and those disks will be yours! I only wish I had a sealed box of 8" floppies for the occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Thanx...without that KFC hint, this would have gone all week With 3 8-bit computers still running over here, I'll put those to good use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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