Apricot PC
Encyclopedia
The Apricot PC was Apricot Computers
' first personal computer
made for business
use. The press received it well, especially for the high resolution of its time and its trackball
cable (future models will be IR). It is the first non-Japanese computer using 3.5" Sony floppy disc units.
It uses a Intel 8086 processor running at . Optional 8087 math co-processor were possible. Memory is expandable to . CRT
green-screen 9" with text mode or graphics . Equipped with two floppy discs and a keyboard with an integrated LCD display. Released in 1983, it achieved success in the UK
. The manufacturer failed completely to clone the IBM BIOS, so although it ran MS-DOS
and CP/M-86
, it was not IBM PC compatible
as the underlying system BIOS and hardware is very different. An Intel 8089
I/O controller was used, instead of the Intel 8237 DMA chip used in IBM computers; the ROM was only a simple boot loader rather than a full BIOS
; and there was no 640k barrier. The floppy disk format was "not quite compatible"; attempting to read an ordinary PC floppy in an Apricot, or vice versa, would result in a scrambled directory listing with some files missing.
Apricot later offered the possibility of converting the computer into an IBM compatible PC by replacing the motherboard
with one equipped with an Intel 80286
processor.
The Apricot Xi is a similar computer released in 1984, but with a hard drive instead of a second floppy.
The system is delivered with SuperCalc
, and several system utilities, asynchronous communication, an emulator for , Microsoft Basic-86
, Basic Personal and ACT Manager (a GUI for MS-DOS). Optionally you can buy Microsoft Word, Multiplan
, WordStar
, dBase II, C-Pascal, UCSD Pascal
, C
, Fortran
, COBOL
and .
Apricot Computers
Apricot Computers is a British manufacturer of business personal computers, originally founded in 1965 as "Applied Computer Techniques" , changing its name to Apricot Computers, Ltd. in the 1980s...
' first personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
made for business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
use. The press received it well, especially for the high resolution of its time and its trackball
Trackball
A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down mouse with an exposed protruding ball. The user rolls the ball with the thumb, fingers, or the palm of the hand to move a cursor...
cable (future models will be IR). It is the first non-Japanese computer using 3.5" Sony floppy disc units.
It uses a Intel 8086 processor running at . Optional 8087 math co-processor were possible. Memory is expandable to . CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
green-screen 9" with text mode or graphics . Equipped with two floppy discs and a keyboard with an integrated LCD display. Released in 1983, it achieved success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The manufacturer failed completely to clone the IBM BIOS, so although it ran MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
and CP/M-86
CP/M
CP/M was a mass-market operating system created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc...
, it was not IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
as the underlying system BIOS and hardware is very different. An Intel 8089
Intel 8089
The Intel 8089 input/output coprocessor was available for use with the 8086/8088 central processor. It used the same programming technique as 8087 for input/output operations, such as transfer of data from memory to a peripheral device, and so reducing the load on the CPU.Because IBM didn't use it...
I/O controller was used, instead of the Intel 8237 DMA chip used in IBM computers; the ROM was only a simple boot loader rather than a full BIOS
BIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
; and there was no 640k barrier. The floppy disk format was "not quite compatible"; attempting to read an ordinary PC floppy in an Apricot, or vice versa, would result in a scrambled directory listing with some files missing.
Apricot later offered the possibility of converting the computer into an IBM compatible PC by replacing the motherboard
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
with one equipped with an Intel 80286
Intel 80286
The Intel 80286 , introduced on 1 February 1982, was a 16-bit x86 microprocessor with 134,000 transistors. Like its contemporary simpler cousin, the 80186, it could correctly execute most software written for the earlier Intel 8086 and 8088...
processor.
The Apricot Xi is a similar computer released in 1984, but with a hard drive instead of a second floppy.
Software
Due to incompatible BIOS, trying to run a software package like dBase III will result in a crash.The system is delivered with SuperCalc
SuperCalc
SuperCalc was a spreadsheet application published by Sorcim in 1980, and originally bundled as part of the CP/M software package included with the Osborne 1 portable computer....
, and several system utilities, asynchronous communication, an emulator for , Microsoft Basic-86
Microsoft BASIC
Microsoft BASIC was the foundation product of the Microsoft company. It first appeared in 1975 as Altair BASIC, which was the first BASIC, and the first high level programming language available for the MITS Altair 8800 hobbyist microcomputer....
, Basic Personal and ACT Manager (a GUI for MS-DOS). Optionally you can buy Microsoft Word, Multiplan
MultiPlan
Multiplan was an early spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft. Known initially by the code name "EP" , it was introduced in 1982 as a competitor for VisiCalc....
, WordStar
WordStar
WordStar is a word processor application, published by MicroPro International, originally written for the CP/M operating system but later ported to DOS, that enjoyed a dominant market share during the early to mid-1980s. Although Seymour I...
, dBase II, C-Pascal, UCSD Pascal
UCSD Pascal
UCSD Pascal was a Pascal programming language system that ran on the UCSD p-System, a portable, highly machine-independent operating system. UCSD Pascal was first released in 1978...
, C
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
, Fortran
Fortran
Fortran is a general-purpose, procedural, imperative programming language that is especially suited to numeric computation and scientific computing...
, COBOL
COBOL
COBOL is one of the oldest programming languages. Its name is an acronym for COmmon Business-Oriented Language, defining its primary domain in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments....
and .
Technical data
- Processor: Intel 8086Intel 8086The 8086 is a 16-bit microprocessor chip designed by Intel between early 1976 and mid-1978, when it was released. The 8086 gave rise to the x86 architecture of Intel's future processors...
. Socket for optional Intel 8087Intel 8087The Intel 8087, announced in 1980, was the first floating-point coprocessor for the 8086 line of microprocessors. It had 45,000 transistors and was manufactured as a 3 μm depletion load HMOS circuit. The 8087 was built to be paired with the Intel 8088 or 8086 microprocessors...
co-processor. - BIOS: 2 x EPROMEPROMAn EPROM , or erasable programmable read only memory, is a type of memory chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. In other words, it is non-volatile. It is an array of floating-gate transistors individually programmed by an electronic device that supplies higher voltages...
containing the BIOS - Memory: RAM expandable to on board.
- Storage: 2 x 3.5" floppy drives with or capacity
- DMA chip: Intel 8089Intel 8089The Intel 8089 input/output coprocessor was available for use with the 8086/8088 central processor. It used the same programming technique as 8087 for input/output operations, such as transfer of data from memory to a peripheral device, and so reducing the load on the CPU.Because IBM didn't use it...
- Graphics: Comes with a green phosphor screen 9" that weights . Can display one of these modes:
- Text 80 x 25
- Text 132 x 50 (Characters of 10 x 16 pixels)
- Graphics at 800 x 400
- Mechanical Keyboard 101-key QWERTY, 8 function keys and 6 keys standard dynamic membrane with an LED to the left of each one to indicate they are active. An LCD with 40 x 2 characters is included, which can display the key assignment. Weighs and can be attached to the frame underneath for easy transport.
- Housing: plastic cream weighing about 6.4 kg The front half of the top shows a depression to bring the monitor. In the front two 3.5" floppy drives that can be protected with a shutter for transport. Under these, a carrying handle. At the rear two proprietary Apricot connector slots for expansion, parallel printer port of Centronics micro ribbon 36 pin connector type, serial port DB-25 connector, monitor connector and power supply with a switch.
- Support for two internal 3,5" Sony floppy disk drives
- Input / Output:
- External monitor connector.
- Parallel printer port, Centronics micro ribbon 36-pin connector
- RS-232 serial port
- Two expansion connectors or internal Apricot
- Operating system came with standard MS-DOS 2.11 and CP/M-86.
External links
- old-computers.com - ACT Apricot PC
- actapricot.org - ACT Apricot has technical manuals in the WordStarWordStarWordStar is a word processor application, published by MicroPro International, originally written for the CP/M operating system but later ported to DOS, that enjoyed a dominant market share during the early to mid-1980s. Although Seymour I...
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