====== Osborne Computer Corp. Osborne 1 (1981) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Zilog Z80A 4 MHz
* RAM: 64 KB
* ROM: 4 KB
* Text Modes: 52 / 80 / 104 char. x 24 lines
* Graphic Modes: Only graphic characters
* Colors: Monochrome
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: RS232, IEEE 488, Modem port, Composite Video
* Keyboard: Full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad
* Built In Media: 2 x 5.25" FDD
* OS: CP/M
* Built In Language: None, but it was supplied with : CBasic, WordStar, SuperCalc, MailMerge, DBase II.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Osborne 1 is one of the first portable computers but needs external power source. Its name comes from Adam Osborne, the man who made this computer a reality (not quite true, see end of the text).
It has a very small built-in screen (8.75 x 6.6 cm, which can display 128 columns!!) and weighs more than 10 Kg.
The first models couldn't display more than 52 columns by line, so to access to the 76 other columns, the user had to scroll among the screen thanks to the cursor keys.
It works under CP/M and was sold with Digital Research CBASIC (compiled BASIC), SuperCalc (spreadsheet), WordStar (word processor), MailMerge (mailing) and Microsoft's MBasic (MBasic source code was 100% upwards compatible with IBM PC's BASICA, source code only).
This machine would be succeeded in 1983 by the Osborne Executive, which featured a larger screen and lower-profile disk drives.
Despite its interesting characteristics, Osborne Computer Corporation suffered the competition of the first IBM PC compatibles and went bankrupt in 1983. One casualty was a planned portable computer called the Osborne PC (which, interestingly, was an MS-DOS clone). It was never released (even though prototypes exist).
//(info from old-computer.com)//
===== Links =====
* Dave Mathews's Osborne O1 page -- http://www.davemathews.com/osborne.html
* Osborne 1 at old-computers.com -- http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=181
Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009