---
title: Seattle Computer Gazelle
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1979'
cpus:
- 8088 then 8086
params:
  name: Gazelle
  image: /media/museum/photos/seattlecomp_gazelle_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/seattle-computer
  company_name: Seattle Computer
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Gazelle
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Seattle Computer
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: November 1979
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: '1983'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Serial video terminal
  - label: CPU
    value: 8088 then 8086
  - label: SPEED
    value: 8 Mhz.
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: None
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB expandable up to 896 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 chars. x 25 lines
  - label: COLORS
    value: None
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 3 x Serial (19200 bauds), 1 x parallel ports
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 8'' 1.25 MB F.D. drives
  - label: OS
    value: SCP-DOS (will became MS-DOS 1.0, then 1.25)
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Integrated constant-voltage power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Up to 18 x S-100 boards - 8'' Winchester disk
  - label: PRICE
    value: $5995
  tabs:
  - adverts
  - links
  forum_thread: 601
  adverts:
  - title: U.S. ADVERT (1982)
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Gazelle was a huge computer compared to the personal computer sizes of the time, so large that it has casters on the cabinet for moving it!
    image: /media/museum/pubs/seattlecomp_gazelle_pub_1.jpg
  - title: 8086 VERSION
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'In september 1982, Seattle Computer provided the 8086 version of the Gazelle with a free set of software: Microsoft MS-DOS, GW-Basic and the Perfect Writer word processor.'
    image: /media/museum/pubs/seattlecomp_gazelle_pub_2.jpg
  links:
  - title: Origins of MS-DOS
    url: http://www.patersontech.com/Dos/
    text: Several links related to MS-DOS birth and Tim Paterson story
  oc_id: 614
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230331121919/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=614
    date: '2023-03-31'
---

Even if you've never heard of this massive computer, the Gazelle is truly a historic computer. Neither because it was one of the first 8088, then 8086 based computer, nor because this Gazelle is propably the heaviest 8088 system ever built, but because it was the computer **Tim Paterson wrote DOS for**, the first DOS operating system that became later **MS-DOS 1.0** when Microsoft bought the rights to DOS from Tim's company, afterwards.

See in the "Internet Links" section various links about Tim Paterson and origins of MS-DOS.

The Gazelle was a S-100 bus based system, engineered to be fast, reliable and expandable. Eighteen S-100 boards could be installed in the case, as well as an additional 8" Winchester hard disk. The Constant-voltage power supply provided clean and constant power, even under brownout conditions. It also allowed reliable operation in a noisiest electrical environment.

The Gazelle was discontinued in 1983, and Seattle Computer continued to manufacture more standard PC compatible systems.