Full content from the completed page crawl (media download still running)
6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun. 4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
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Claude Opus 5.5
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---
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title: Telcon Industries Zorba
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Portable
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origins:
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- U.S.A.
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years:
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- '1983'
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cpus:
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- Z80-A
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params:
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name: Zorba
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company: /companies/telcon-industries
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company_name: Telcon Industries
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Zorba
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Telcon Industries
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- label: TYPE
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value: Portable
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: U.S.A.
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1983'
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- label: END OF PRODUCTION
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value: '1984'
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: None
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: Detachable 95 keys with 19 function keys and numeric keypad
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- label: CPU
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value: Z80-A
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- label: SPEED
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value: 4 Mhz.
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- label: RAM
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value: 64 KB
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- label: ROM
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value: Unknown
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 80 chars. x 25 lines
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: None
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- label: COLORS
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value: Monochrome. 7'' green CRT
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- label: SOUND
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value: Beeper
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: 11 Kg.
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Serial, Parallel, IEEE-488
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: 2 x 380 KB 5'' diskette drives, single or double density
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- label: OS
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value: CP/M
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Built-in Power SupplyUnit (No batteries)
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- label: PRICE
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value: $1,595
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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photos:
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- title: LARGE VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: RIGHT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: A complete and good quality keyboard with a numeric keypad, arrow keys and 19 function keys. Three of them have a control LED
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image: null
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- title: FRONT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: Notice that the power plug is oddly located on the front panel.
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image: null
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- title: FRONT SIDE UNCOVERED
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Power switch and contrast button, like old radio sets\
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**(2)** 'logic' reset switch for warm boot\
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**(3)** Keyboard RJ11 connector\
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**(4)** 'Hard' reset switch. It simply disconnects the power supply from the main board!
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image: null
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- title: REAR SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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From left to right:\
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• Parallel or Serial connector. The selection was made by software\
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• Composite video RCA plug\
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• Second serial connector\
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• IEEE 488 connector
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image: null
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- title: INSIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Switching power supply unit\
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**(2)** Dual Canon double side single density floppy drives\
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**(3)** Video board
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image: null
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- title: MAINBOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Western Digital floppy disc controller\
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**(2)** 64 KB RAM chips (Motorola 6665)\
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**(3)** Motorola 6821 PIA used for FD and Parallel interfaces\
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**(4)** BIOS ROM\
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**(5)** 3 x Intel 8251 UART used for keyboard, printer and communication ports\
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**(6)** Intel 8254 counter/timer\
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**(7)** Second 6821 PIA in charge of the IEEE-488 interface\
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**(8)** Z80 DMA, memory management chip\
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**(9)** Z80 processor, here a Mostek version\
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**(10)** Intel 8275 CRT controller and character generator ROM\
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**(11)** Composite video add-on card
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image: null
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- title: MANUFACTURER LABEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: This computer seems having been manufactured during the 46th week of 1983
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image: null
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- title: CARRYING BAG
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subtitle: ''
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text: This bag was essential because of the thinness and fragility of the Zorba's plastic case.
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image: null
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adverts:
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- title: FIRST AD.
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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January 1983
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Telcon needed customers payments before manufacturing the systems:
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Upon receipt of your check, we will forward an end-user agreement. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery of the units.
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image: null
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comments:
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- author: nolan
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date: Monday 14th May 2018
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text: |-
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to: Mike McAuliffe\
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If still available, I am interested in your Zorba 7 computer. Please, contact me: nolan77 at gmail dot com
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- author: John Roberts (Bethesda, MD USA)
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date: Friday 9th March 2018
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text: |-
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I''ve been looking for a reasonably priced Gemini 9-inch Amber Zorba computer in excellent condition. The Zorba was a great computer, but the drives were the weak link. What I''d love to have is one of these with a USB port! The drive bays could be just for show.
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If anyone has a Gemini Zorba with working drives they''d be willing to sell, I''d love to have one to type a book on. Just $ me a line.
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- author: Mike McAuliffe (Brisbane, Australia 4061)
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date: Monday 5th November 2012
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text: |-
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Hi, I have inherited a Zorba 7 in excellent condition and complete with printed manual.\
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Any takers?\
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Make an offer.
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Cheers,\
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Mike
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- author: Pete Gandy (USA)
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date: Thursday 18th February 2010
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text: |-
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Actually after this model there was another.\
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It was the Gemini Zorba.\
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I have one in working condition. I purchased in February of 1985 a couple of weeks after a house fire destroyed the original as displayed on this site.\
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The Gemini Zorba I have has a nine inch amber monitor, two double density double sided drives with push in slot rather than the doors like this.\
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I also have bundled software, WortStar, DataStar, CalcStar.\
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I purchased a kit and added an Intel board with 8086 and 256K of ram mounted on the side of the inboard FD.
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oc_id: 637
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230331133809/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=637
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date: '2023-03-31'
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---
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The Zorba is one of the last 8 bits portable computer running the CP/M operating system. Its features were almost identical to the [Kaypro II](/museum/kaypro-ii/).
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The Zorba was first manufactured and sold by Telcon, a company specialized in telecomunication equipments manufacturing.
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For $190 more, the user could order the **Perfect Software Package** including the 'Perfect Writer' word processor, the 'Perfect Speller' spell checker, the 'Perfect Filer' database manager and the 'Perfect Calc' spreadsheet.
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Having spent a lot of money designing the Zorba, Telcon was seeking for new investors to market its portable and settle a network sales. It was then bought up by **ModComp** (Modular Computer), a company specialized in mini-computer manufacturing. A group called **Modular Micro Group**, specialized in Zorba marketing was created. In spite of that, results were very bad and one year after its launch date, Zorba computers stock was sold to a company specialized in selling off surplus stocks, wich sold them at a very low price.
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Zorba users were nevertheless very satisfied. They were able to read practically every existing CP/M floppy format. Its several video emulations (H19/Z19/VT52) allowed them to run virtually any existing CP/M software.
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