Compucolor II
Encyclopedia
The CompuColor II was an early home computer
introduced in 1977 by Intelligent Systems Corporation. It was a lower-cost version of the Compucolor, which is credited with being the first home computer system with built-in color graphics, designed to hit the home computer price points. Unlike its predecessor, it was an "all-in-one" computer, meaning that mainboard, monitor and floppy disk drive were integrated into one case.
To lower costs, the original CompuColor's custom monitor and housing was re-packaged into a standard GE
13" color television set, from which the TV-tuner controls section was removed. The machine was based on the Intel 8080
and used an SMSC-supplied graphics chip (CRT5027) that provided 128 by 128 in 8 colors. The system was sold with as little as 8kB of RAM
, expandable up to 48kB, and offered with one of three keyboards, which attached to the computer with a ribbon cable
. A ROM
-based BASIC
was also included (apparently a pirated, but improved version of Microsoft BASIC
).
The original CompuColor used an 8-track tape for storage, but this proved unreliable. In the CompuColor II, it was replaced with a 53kB 5,25" floppy disk
drive, which was placed on the right side of the screen instead of the TV-tuner controls section. The file system drivers were not changed, which resulted in the Operating System continuing to think it was interfacing with a tape drive: When a file was deleted, the files beyond that point on the disk were moved to fill the empty space, using the 8kB portion of RAM dedicated to the video as a buffer.
Most software for this computer was written by hobbyists, with some software written by third-parties. Intelligent Systems Corporation created a few software titles of their of own. The most important title for the CompuColor II was probably a game called "Startrek". The predecessor CompuColor was advertised with the screen showing the game running from the 8-track tape.
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
introduced in 1977 by Intelligent Systems Corporation. It was a lower-cost version of the Compucolor, which is credited with being the first home computer system with built-in color graphics, designed to hit the home computer price points. Unlike its predecessor, it was an "all-in-one" computer, meaning that mainboard, monitor and floppy disk drive were integrated into one case.
To lower costs, the original CompuColor's custom monitor and housing was re-packaged into a standard GE
Gê
Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
13" color television set, from which the TV-tuner controls section was removed. The machine was based on the Intel 8080
Intel 8080
The Intel 8080 was the second 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel and was released in April 1974. It was an extended and enhanced variant of the earlier 8008 design, although without binary compatibility...
and used an SMSC-supplied graphics chip (CRT5027) that provided 128 by 128 in 8 colors. The system was sold with as little as 8kB of RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
, expandable up to 48kB, and offered with one of three keyboards, which attached to the computer with a ribbon cable
Ribbon cable
A ribbon cable is a cable with many conducting wires running parallel to each other on the same flat plane. As a result the cable is wide and flat. Its name comes from the resemblance of the cable to a piece of ribbon.Ribbon cables are usually seen for internal peripherals in computers, such as...
. A ROM
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
-based BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
was also included (apparently a pirated, but improved version of Microsoft BASIC
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....
).
The original CompuColor used an 8-track tape for storage, but this proved unreliable. In the CompuColor II, it was replaced with a 53kB 5,25" floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
drive, which was placed on the right side of the screen instead of the TV-tuner controls section. The file system drivers were not changed, which resulted in the Operating System continuing to think it was interfacing with a tape drive: When a file was deleted, the files beyond that point on the disk were moved to fill the empty space, using the 8kB portion of RAM dedicated to the video as a buffer.
Most software for this computer was written by hobbyists, with some software written by third-parties. Intelligent Systems Corporation created a few software titles of their of own. The most important title for the CompuColor II was probably a game called "Startrek". The predecessor CompuColor was advertised with the screen showing the game running from the 8-track tape.
External links
- InteColorTerminals.com – Intecolor history
- ComputerCloset.org – Information about the Compucolor II
- AtariArchives.org – Product profile
- Old-Computers.com – Technical information
- CPU-World.com – Intel 8080 family