---
title: COMART Communicator
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- United Kingdom
years:
- '1979'
cpus:
- Z80-A
params:
  name: Communicator
  image: /media/museum/photos/comart_communicator_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/comart
  company_name: COMART
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Communicator
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Comart
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: United Kingdom
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1979'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Serial video terminal
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80-A
  - label: SPEED
    value: Unknown
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: Depends on the video terminal used
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 2 x Serial RS-232
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 5.25'' floppy disc drives - 190 KB, 390 KB or 790 KB each
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: S-100 boards
  - label: PRICE
    value: $3500
  comments:
  - author: Mike Arnold (United Kingdom)
    date: Wednesday 8th December 2021
    text: I used to sell Comart and Cromemco in the 1980s. Still have some Comart parts in the attic somewhere. Much prefer Cromemco though and still have a working system from them.
  - author: Stacey (United Kingdom)
    date: Saturday 14th November 2020
    text: So weird. The man in this photo is my dad. He died 3 years ago and I miss him so much. I''d love to know who Sarah is...
  - author: Ross (United Kingdom)
    date: Monday 2nd March 2020
    text: Does anyone have any bootable software for the Communicator please?
  - author: John Adams (UK)
    date: Monday 23rd May 2016
    text: |-
      I worked in Byeshiop Manchester we sold these along side North Star Commodore Pet, Apple II, Sharp Mz80k vic20 and Cromemco.

      I still have a Communicator with 10Mb hard drive, I think it will end up at Bletchley as they said $ it off.

      I fell out with them somewhat after I set up sale to Kellogg''s to weight the frosties packets instead of them buying a harris mini, then when the guy came round to discuss the sale I was told to make the tea.

      I said to the young lad who worked Saturdays that I thought I should set up on my own, he told the owner who sacked me.

      He had previously given me my P45 when I had to visit hospital for something less than trivial.

      I am not bitter as it was a really good grounding and I have had my own Computer company ever since.

      He went on to manage Clive sinclairs z88 thing and Byteshop went on to be purchased by another company which still trades.
  - author: Paul Hindley (uk)
    date: Friday 10th July 2015
    text: One of these ran the flight display boards at Manchester Airport. I remember the screen was on top of the Base unit and would wobble. I always felt drunk after using it.
  - author: Paul Kerry (Scotland)
    date: Monday 27th October 2014
    text: |-
      I have a copy of PCW magazine from 1983 in which the CC was promoted as \*future proof\*.

      I think I''d like to upgrade mine, now. My 5mb HD isn''t particularly power-efficient, the coils which move those disk-heads make my lightbulbs dim !! $)
  - author: Sarah
    date: Friday 11th October 2013
    text: Feels strange seeing this as comart and Kode was my fathers company ....
  - author: Peter Todd (United Kingdom)
    date: Wednesday 4th September 2013
    text: |-
      Comart Ltd. CP1525M 8086

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$r79uslEWQj8
  - author: Peter Todd (UK)
    date: Wednesday 4th September 2013
    text: Footage of a Comart CP1525M is here, any information to help with restoration would be welcome - I have the CROSS montior running but no Rodime spinup.
  oc_id: 759
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608143122/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=759
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

Comart was the computer system group that took over the Byte Shop/Computerland chain when it had financial difficulties in the late 70s. They were a large company distributing [North Star](/museum/northstar-horizon/) systems, and similar equipments. The Communicator was their first effort in distributing a British-made system.

The Communicator is a S-100 bus system based around a main chassis with a 10-slot-mother-board. The system had 64 KB of RAM and came with three variations of dual floppy disk drives.

Several S-100 boards were available. They offered Viewdata/Prestel capabilities, or 18.7 MB hard disk, with 13.4 MB cartridge backup.

The system ran CP/M operating system. A smaller system called **the Educator**, with networking facilities, was also available.

**Chris Coggins** adds:\
The Communicator was upgraded over several years until the Communicator was given multi-user capability by running MP/M80 but finished off running Intel 386 processors with 512 KB RAM running CCP/M86. Hard disk had grown to 40MB Rodime drive.

David Broad sold Comart to Kode International and 2 years later it lefts it's Cambridgeshire factory and moved to Swindon. The Company went downhill, dropped the S-100 bus to use standard PC architecture but eventually closed.