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6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun.
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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
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---
title: Osborne Corp. OSBORNE 1
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Transportable
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1981'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80 A
params:
name: OSBORNE 1
company: /companies/osborne-corp
company_name: Osborne Corp.
specs:
- label: NAME
value: OSBORNE 1
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Osborne Corp.
- label: TYPE
value: Transportable
- label: ORIGIN
value: U.S.A.
- label: YEAR
value: '1981'
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: None
- label: KEYBOARD
value: Full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad
- label: CPU
value: Zilog Z80 A
- label: SPEED
value: 4 MHz
- label: RAM
value: 64 KB
- label: ROM
value: 4 KB
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 52 / 80 / 104 char. x 24 lines
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: Only graphic characters
- label: COLORS
value: Monochrome
- label: SOUND
value: Beeper
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: '51(W) x 32,5 (D) x 22,5(H) cm. Weight : 10,2 Kg.'
- label: I/O PORTS
value: RS232, IEEE 488, Modem port, Composite Video
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: 2 x 5.25'' FDD
- label: OS
value: CP/M
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: Built-in power supply unit
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: 'Supplied with : CBasic, WordStar, SuperCalc, MailMerge, DBase II'
- label: PRICE
value: '3201'
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- links
photos:
- title: ANOTHER PICTURE
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: KEYBOARD LABEL
subtitle: ''
text: Osborne 1 with dBase II keyboard layer
image: null
- title: ANOTHER MODEL
subtitle: ''
text: This model is slightly different from the original one. Surely, a later revision.
image: null
- title: CLOSED !
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: STILL CLOSED
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: BACK LABEL
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: INSIDE OSBORNE 1
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** Cathode ray tube.\
**(2)** Characters generator ROM.\
**(3)** Disk drives controler card.\
**(4)** RAM memory chips (64 Kb).\
**(5)** Brightness adjustment.\
**(6)** Contrast adjustment.\
**(7)** External power plug.\
**(8)** System init button (Reset).\
**(9)** External monitor plug.\
**(10)** Numerical keypad.\
**(11)** Keyboard connector.\
**(12)** BIOS ROM (Basic input/Output routines).\
**(13)** Modem connector.\
**(14)** Parallel IEEE-488 connector.\
**(15)** Serial RS-232 connector.\
**(16)** Motorola 6821 chipset handling the IEEE-488 port.\
**(17)** Motorola 6850 chipset handling the serial port.\
**(18)** Zilog Z80-A microprocessor.\
**(19)** Double density 1/4 height disk drives.
image: null
adverts:
- title: FIRST ADVERT
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Probably one of the first adverts for the Osborne 1.\
Personal Computing, February 1982.
Courtesy of **[Attached](http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/)**
image: null
- title: STRONG WOOMAN(1982)
subtitle: ''
text: |-
Don't beleive this advert!\
Please, look carefully at the quite horizontal shoulders of the woman who carries the Osborne (about 12 Kg). Either she is a champion of wrestling, or the Osborne case is empty.
image: null
- title: SAME WITH A MAN
subtitle: ''
text: Less impressive...
image: null
- title: 'U.S. ADVERT(1982) #2'
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
- title: ENGLISH POSTER
subtitle: ''
text: Poster in a 1982 english computer show.
image: null
- title: COMPUTERS IN THE EXAM ROOM
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: null
links:
- title: Dave's First Computer - The Osborne O1
url: http://www.davemathews.com/osborne.html
text: ''
- title: Osborne page
url: http://www.digitalcentury.com/encyclo/update/osborne.html
text: A bit of history...
comments:
- author: michael osborne (San Francisco, CA USA)
date: Friday 20th April 2012
text: |-
My name is Michael Osborne { no relationship } and I am a graphic designer. I designed the Osborne Computer logo in 1980 at my first job out of school. Of course, we didn''t even have computers at the time. I have had my own design firm now for 30 years: www.modsf.com\
So amazing to see this after all this time!
- author: Scott Scholz (United States)
date: Sunday 3rd July 2022
text: Had an Osborne 1a in my AF recruiting office in 1982. It was the ss/sd drive, but there had been an after market supplier of a DD board. Found it in the Osborne mag, but they were $ping the line. I bought 3 for $25 ea, (they offered to sell me the entire stock plus jigs, but passed on it) and sold the other two to members of the QCOUG for enough to cover mine. You had to solder leads directly to chips on the main board. Actually have the VHS tape for dealers display, somewhere.
- author: Douglas K McClelland (United States)
date: Tuesday 1st June 2021
text: I use to sell and repair Osborne, Commodore pets and North Stars. The killer problem with the Osborne and KayPros was that they would fail to boot. Their was a hard lesson learned here about EMI. In short because the switching power supply was located behind the floppy disk drive, it would couple EM Interference into the pickup heads on the floppy. This caused bad faulty data sector reads and therefore it would fail to boot C/PM. If you were to take it apart and move the floppy drive away from the chassis it would boot C/PM just fine
- author: John Eckert (Brookings, Oregon)
date: Wednesday 27th May 2020
text: I have serial number 1000 Osborne 1. I bought it in Toledo Ohio. It fit under the seat in an airplane and I remember plugging it in at Ohare and doing a little computing. First time I every saw that with a computer.
- author: Chris Young (Suwanee, Georgia )
date: Monday 22nd July 2019
text: Just got a complete Osborne setup for 30$. Seeing everyone talk about plugging them in and them frying I am afraid of turning it on. It smells new. Anyone know who I can turn to that knows a bit about them? I do have some of the books and boxes.
- author: Lynne (United States)
date: Thursday 23rd June 2016
text: Back in the day, I sold Osborne computers in Falls Church, VA. Recently discovered the original manual v 1.1 (in hardcover folder) multipart registration form, Nov 1981 MicroPro End User Agreement. In case there is historical interest, am offering it up. Any interest? Sold my own Osborne years back and apparently forgot where these documents were.
- author: Barry Marshall (Perth, Australia)
date: Tuesday 28th April 2015
text: |-
To Henry in Texas, from 2013,\
Do you still have the manuals? I just bought an Osborne Executive but the power supply blew up (crackles and smoke +++). It seems to be a capacitor which exploded. So I am looking for a circuit diagram of the power supply,\
Many Thanks.\
Barry
- author: Francisco Martinez (mahwah New Jersey U.S.A)
date: Wednesday 4th February 2015
text: i want on who selling one for cheap i got like 100 bucks and ill pay shipping email me at frankymartinez202@gmail.com
- author: Alexander Ross (Dublin Ohio USA)
date: Sunday 27th October 2013
text: |-
Hello vintage computing fans!\
If any of you still haven''t been introduced to me, let me reintroduce myself.
I''m a vintage computer collector and preservationist, I live in Dublin Ohio
I make boot diskettes for the Osborne 1 series of computers.
Right now I''ve got my very popular Osborne 1 "original package" on sale for only $30 plus shipping.
The ever popular "Original package" comes with all 5 floppy diskettes that launched with the Osborne when it came out.
They are as followed
CP/M system\
CP/M utility\
CBASIC/MBASIC\
Wordstar\
Mailmerge.
All the programs you need to start using your Osborne 1 again!
Please contact me at "galacnor@gmail.com" for more information
- author: David Signorelli (West Virginia/ USA)
date: Thursday 14th March 2013
text: |-
I 1st worked on and used them in 1982 at a Computerland in our local area. Heavy yes, but portable. I had all kinds of customers that where on the move using them.\
I still have 2 of them not sure if they still work the wire wound connections would tarnish and cause problems.
- author: David Carlick
date: Monday 11th February 2013
text: |-
I was ad agency for Osborne$ my partners then Jaciow Kelley Miller $ Orr, who did the design, and amusingly, the designer from the firm was indeed Michael Osborne. Loved the work.
Am now, for a variety of reasons, on a bit of a history voyage around this and would love to hear from those who were on the journey then.
There was a great deal of passion around giving people computing power. I still think that we were among the first advertisers to show men at a keyboard or with a computer.
And, to Lee Felsenstein''s point about the hand ''bulging with veins'' holding the computer at the photo shoot, it was my hand, and on successive shoots we got an empty case.
That said, on any given night of the dozen Osbornes at our agency in 1981, half went home with people, despite being 24-pound ''sewing machines,'' predicting the current life we live of computing and communications weaving through our lives and permeating the borders of 9-5 forever.
- author: David Carlick (USA)
date: Monday 11th February 2013
text: Advertising Agency for Osborne
- author: Henry (Texas)
date: Wednesday 30th January 2013
text: |-
I have the Osborne 1 (old style) very low serial number (273?) that my father bought for me, when I graduated high school in May 1981. It works fine.\
Later, we got newer O1''s and Executives. A friend that had a computer shop gave me all of his Osborne repair manuals, spare NOS parts (CRT''s, keyboards...) and lots of software. I have it all stored.
- author: Timo (Finland)
date: Saturday 18th August 2012
text: I had this computer for a short time in the 90''s. Then I sold it away. I have regretted it deeply.
- author: Peter (Luxembourg)
date: Wednesday 22nd February 2012
text: I have a working Osborne I with tons of software. All the documentation is included. It works fine. Amazing that these computers work after 30 or so years.
- author: Bill (Mich)
date: Tuesday 1st November 2011
text: I think all of the Osborne''s had the detachable keyboard. It may have been the Kaypro that had the keyboard on a hinge.
- author: Bill (USA)
date: Tuesday 1st November 2011
text: I had the adapter to use mine with the (BIG) 12'' monitor that could be used for full screen.
- author: Tom F (NJ / USA)
date: Saturday 29th October 2011
text: I have one of these which I inherited from my father. Mine has the detachable keyboard which is connected by the coiled wire. I dont have the software for it so I have never had it "running" but it does power up.
- author: Tom F (NJ / USA)
date: Saturday 29th October 2011
text: I have one of these which I inherited from my father. Mine has the detachable keyboard which is connected by the coiled wire. I dont have the software for it so I have never had it "running" but it does power up.
- author: JC Speiser Sr (Jacksonville, Florida USA)
date: Tuesday 22nd February 2011
text: What a blast form the past! This was my first CP/M machine...I actually had a Winchester 10 Megabyte external Disk with it. The disk was larger than the computer.
- author: Groag
date: Tuesday 22nd June 2010
text: Hello I''m interested in buying one of these. If you sell Osborne 1 please contact me at gogsy@mail.bg
- author: Jim Gall (Belle Mead, NJ)
date: Monday 31st July 2006
text: I've got two of these, one I bought only for the keyboard. (It has a 220v PSU in it, so it's no use to me as-is). I managed to get a copy of CP/M for the one that has a US 120v PSU, and it boots up fine (just tested it last weekend). Having never used one of these machines before, I was amazed at the system. If anyone wants a non-US Osborne-1, email me.
- author: Alan Wilkerson (Portland OR)
date: Wednesday 11th May 2005
text: |-
Owned an O1 and loved it. Sold it a few years back and there's a part of me that wishes I still had it. Also had three years of the old FOG horn magazines.
Peace\
Alan
- author: David (MO)
date: Sunday 30th January 2005
text: I found a place where they sell the same model monitor or very similar to the Osborne 1s' and the Osborne Executives'. You could use it to replace the monitor on your's. To find the web sight you can look up monochrome monitor on www.google.com. It is on one of those web sites. Also does anyone have a Osborne I can have. If you do I will give you my Email. Like I say I will like to take it off your back.
- author: 1ajs (winnipeg canada)
date: Tuesday 18th November 2003
text: i got the osborn 1b used to have 2 in my basemant now only 1 with software and it was bought by sherit and when they closed the mine my dad took the 2 osborns caues they were going to be through them out.
- author: Angus (Toronto, Canada)
date: Thursday 7th August 2003
text: I have two complete and operational Osborne 1 systems complete with large monitors, an epson dot matrix printer, a letter quality daisy-wheel printer and lots of software - If anyone needs software, let me know as I also have blank 360 K disks.
- author: Eric (San Diego)
date: Thursday 19th June 2003
text: |-
I dug out my old Osborne I a month ago and it booted up and was ready to run.....where might I buy some blank floppies (360K) for it??? also, any way with todays printers I can hook up a printer???\
Thanks
- author: mike nastav (indy)
date: Sunday 15th December 2002
text: |-
I have an Osborne 1 that I picked up on Ebay as I had and sold one many many years ago and wanted one again now. I do not have any software. Does anyone know where I can get (even buy) software (CP/M, MBasic, etc...) Thanx for any help. Also would like to pick up some peripherals but s/w is my first priority. Please sne dme an email as it doesnt look like this forum gets updated much.
Thanx!!!!!!
- author: Sam Wilson (Bergen)
date: Saturday 2nd November 2002
text: |-
Help!\
I have an osborne 1 (the later model), and the keyboard doesn't work.... the machine boots up normally, and it goes into HELP sometimes. What should I do?
- author: Bill Duke (Pensacola, FL)
date: Monday 22nd July 2002
text: I have 3 Osborne-1 computers. One has a C-Drive(a RAM-DRIVE) that is connected through the 488-Port. I am looking for the software to enable me to use the RAM-Drive. I have the software for the Osborne-Executive but it will not work on the Osborne-1. I have a lot of the software for the Osborne-1. Thanks.
- author: William J Dikkers (Earth)
date: Friday 19th April 2002
text: An Osborne I is still part of my (small) collection of oldies. It is still working in CP/M mode. But additional to that I have Floppies with an implementation of CP/M-MUMPS (Massachuchets University Medical Programming System) that was used in many non-medical environments, because it was very afficient as a multi-user environment for a small single threaded machine. It was also used on the early PDP's of Digital Equipment corp.
- author: Bob (USA)
date: Friday 5th April 2002
text: In you discussion of the Osborne I, you failed to mention that Microsoft's MBasic was included as part of the Osborne I software. Some purchasers received a package called "Personal Pearl" -- which I have but have never used. MBasic source code was 100% upwards compatible with IBM PC's BASICA (source code only). I wrote 100s of MBasic programs in the period 1981-86.
oc_id: 181
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230602181528/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=181
date: '2023-06-02'
---
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](/museum/osborne-corp-executive/), which featured a larger screen (YAHOO!) 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).