====== Oric Atmos (1984) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: 6502A 1 MHz
* RAM: 16 KB or 48 KB
* ROM: 16 KB
* Text Modes: 40 chars x 28 lines
* Graphic Modes: 240 x 200 (+ 3 text lines)
* Colors: 8
* Sound: Programmable Sound Generator AY-3-8912 (from General Instruments), 3 voices, 8 octaves + white noise
* I/O Ports: Power supply, Expansion port, Printer/Centronics port, Tape-recorder DIN plug, RGB video out, RF TV out
* Keyboard: QWERTY, mechanical keyboard, 58 keys. 4 arrow keys. ESC, CTRL, DEL, RETURN, SHIFT (x 2), FUNCT.
* Peripherals: 3" floppy disc unit, 4 colour printer-plotter
* Built In Language: Tangerine Basic (made by Microsoft)
===== Usage =====
The emulation supports Microdisc and Jasmin floppy disc controller emulation, this can be chosen using a Dipswitch.
===== Known issues =====
* The disc controller emulation is not exact and some programs may fail to load.
* The cassette emulation is not exact and some programs may fail to load
* Screen display should be accurate, but there might be some small bugs.
* Tape programs are found but not loaded.
* There are bugs in the Microdisc and Jasmin floppy disc controller emulation so some programs will not boot.
===== History and Trivia =====
The Oric Atmos was the successor of the Oric 1 and had almost the same features. Its main difference with the Oric 1 was the keyboard and the debugged ROM (the ORIC 1 had several bugs). Although improved, the loading process from tape was still very uncertain. The real mechanical keyboard was really better.
Two versions were available, with 16 or 48 KB of RAM. 16 KB version couldn't be upgraded, very few of them were sold.
There were also new Basic instructions and above all the Scart power supply was integrated on French models from 85! Fantastic, when you know that the Oric had the world record of cables and power supplies you had to use (1 for the computer, 1 for the tape recorder, 1 for the peritel supply and 1 more plug for the TV!).
The Atmos had really large success in France like its little brother the Oric-1. A lot of videogame companies got off the ground thanks to this machine, and quite a lot of people have a tender thought when then remember their Atmos.
In 1985, Eureka Informatique, a french company, bought back Oric. The Atmos then lived a bit longer thanks to some improvements (peritel power supply and better tape reliability) and cheap prices policy.
The Atmos was somehow legally licensed in Yugoslavia as the Nova 64. The Pravetz 8D was a bulgarian clone of the Atmos.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Defence Force Oric -- http://www.defence-force.org/computing/oric/index.htm
* Oric International -- http://www.oric.org/
* Oric World -- http://oric.ifrance.com/oric/index_english.html
* Pascal's Oric Page -- http://pleclerc.free.fr/Oric/OricPage.html
* RhetOric -- http://www.rhetoric.8k.com/
* Swedish Oric Page -- http://oric.skarstad.net/
* The Reclutant Dragon -- http://freespace.virgin.net/james.groom/index.htm
* The Spider's Oric Web -- http://oricspider.home.insightbb.com/
* Twilighte -- http://twilighte.oric.org/
* Oric Atmos at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=79
===== Other Emulators =====
* Euphoric -- http://oric.ifrance.com/oric/emulator.html
Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009