---
title: Applied Technologies Computer In a Book
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- Australia
years:
- '1985'
cpus:
- Z80A
params:
  name: Computer In a Book
  image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_compinabook_system_s2.jpg
  company: /companies/applied-technologies
  company_name: Applied Technologies
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Computer In a Book
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Applied Technologies
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Australia
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1985'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Typewriter type, 60 keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 3.375 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: 6545 video controller
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: Unknown
  - label: ROM
    value: 4 KB BIOS + 4 KB FDD controller
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 64 x 16 (Microbee BASIC) - 80 x 24 (CP/M)
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 128 x 48, 512 x 256 dots
  - label: COLORS
    value: Black & white
  - label: SOUND
    value: Built-in loudspeaker, one channel, 2 octaves
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 35.5 (W) x 23 (D) x 5.5 (H) cm / 1.5 kg (main unit)
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Power/Video/tape, Expansion/drive Interface, Serial ,Parallel, RGB, user ports
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 1 to 4 3.5'' book-floppy-disk drives
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Switching PSU in the FDD book
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Modem
  - label: PRICE
    value: About $1,600
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_compinabook_system_s1.jpg
  - title: FOUR-BOOK SYSTEM
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_compinabook_4fd_s2.jpg
  - title: OPENED DRIVE-BOOKS
    subtitle: ''
    text: The drive units simply slide in the book cases.
    image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_compinabook_openedfdunit_s1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE A DRIVE-BOOK
    subtitle: ''
    text: This is a master drive-book, containing a power supply unit and a 3.5" floppy-disk drive.
    image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_compinabook_insidefdunit_s1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE THE MANUAL BOOK
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_compinabook_manual_s1.jpg
  - title: REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Rear side of a master and slave FDD unit.
    image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_compinabook_rearfdunit_s1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: NEW-ZEALAND ADVERT (OCT. 1985)
    subtitle: ''
    text: from Bits & Bytes magazine
    image: null
  comments:
  - author: Andrew Wright (Australie)
    date: Saturday 23rd July 2005
    text: There are two of these on display at the Melbourne Museum, hooked up to a 'bee, that Andrew and I saw a while back.
  - author: Andrew (Australia)
    date: Saturday 30th October 2004
    text: |-
      Ah, yes, the Microbee C-I-A-B. my dad and his brother Grahame were the founders of what turned into the microbee user's group. good times, says dad. back when most computers had memory measured in kilobytes instead of gigabytes. i still have some older computers my dad owned, like a Toshiba T-1100 Plus......

      andrew
  oc_id: 1059
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608212613/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1059
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

The Computer-In-A-Book (CIAB) was released just after the **Microbee 64**. This strange machine was composed of one main unit and at least two 'books'.

The computer was actually not in a book, but in the main unit, a Microbee 64. The first book held the user manual in a ring binder, the second book (Vol. 1) held a - new at the time - 3.5" floppy-disk drive and a power supply unit which supplied the main unit and the drive. This unit could also supply a second slave disk-book (Vol. 2).

The designer's idea was to offer a low-cost and expandable CP/M machine. Up to 4 disk-books could be connected in chain. Even though the idea was original, the day-to-day use of these light units wasn't very convenient. The bad idea was to mount them in a bookcase, between other books, causing PSU to overheat and system failure.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>