Pico/ELF
Posted by musovern on Apr 10th, 2018 in Cosmac-Elf, Single Board Computers | 0 comments
The Pico/Elf is a Micro/Elf derivative. By eliminating the displays and switches (as well as associated circuitry), Mike Riley has been able to add the IDE, Serial port, and Eprom socket. Circuitry has been added to allow the computer to boot from rom by swapping 32k banks until the upper 32k is accessed. This machine also includes the Version 2 Micro/Elf expansion connector. This is an excellent small comptuer for running Elf/OS.
Read More...Bondwell Model 2
Posted by musovern on Apr 10th, 2018 in Bondwell, Vintage Computers | 0 comments
This machine was produced by the Bondwell Holding Company, LLC, of Hong Kong, and came out in 1985. It arrived an interesting juncture of the death of CP/M and the birth of laptop computers. While there are earlier laptops and even earlier CP/M laptops, the Bondwell Model 2 came late enough that there was good enough LCD resolution (640×200) to support an 80×25 line display; CMOS chips were advanced enough to allow long battery life (up to eight hours), and 3.5 inch floppies were already commonplace. The only technology lacking from today’s perspective is that this machine used two heavy 6V sealed lead acid batteries for its power source.
Read More...Panasonic RL-H7000W
Posted by musovern on Apr 6th, 2018 in Panasonic, Vintage Computers | 0 comments
Panasonic Model RL-H7000W
This is a luggable IBM-PC compatible system. It tends to offer an all-in-one solution for the perfect 80’s business man. Back in 1983 it was the first Japanese computer completely IBM-PC compatible (hardware & software).
It has a built-in thermal printer (80/132 columns, 8.5” wide) using paper-rolls. This was quite useful where you were on the move, but the weight of the whole system is also quite impressive. It is maybe transportable but surely not portable !
It was also possible to connect a more sophisticated printer through the Parallel port.
There is a 9” CRT green display built-in along with a brightness control.
MPF-1 (MicroProfessor 1)
Posted by musovern on Apr 4th, 2018 in Micro-Professor, Single Board Computers | 0 comments
The MPF-1 (MicroProfessor 1) was a computer system specifically designed by Multitech (now known as Acer!) as a learning tool for use in the teaching of microprocessor, microelectronics, and control technology. In the 80’s it was sold as an Z80 CPU learning and initiation system, and believe it or not, it is still in production and sold by http://www.flite.co.uk/.
The capacities of the system were quite poor. The standard model could be programmed only in machine code through a small hexadecimal keyboard. When sold in it’s original package it had the particularity to look like a book when closed.
There was an EPROM socket, which can be compared to a cartridge slot. A mini-Basic EPROM and some other utilities and languages were available as options.
There are in fact two models: MPF-1 (later called MPF-1A) and MPF-1B. The MPF-1(A) is machine code programmed only whereas the MPF-1B offers a really crude version of BASIC (one button = 1 command, as per the early TRS-80) in addition to the machine code capabilities.
Read More...Dream 6800
Posted by musovern on Apr 4th, 2018 in Dream 6800, Single Board Computers | 0 comments
The DREAM 6800 (Domestic Recreational Educational and Adaptive Microcomputer incorporating the Motorola 6800 microprocessor) was designed by Michael J Bauer from Brisbane’s Deakin University. It is not particularly sophisticated but at the time offered those handy with a soldering iron the opportunity to build a simple computer that would be a lot of fun to use. It offered programming in two languages: native 6800 machine code and a strange but quite powerful language called CHIP-8 (Comprehensive Hexadecimal Intetpretive Programming- 8 bit).
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