--- title: Telcon Industries Zorba categories: - Computers types: - Portable origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1983' cpus: - Z80-A params: name: Zorba company: /companies/telcon-industries company_name: Telcon Industries specs: - label: NAME value: Zorba - label: MANUFACTURER value: Telcon Industries - label: TYPE value: Portable - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1983' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1984' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: Detachable 95 keys with 19 function keys and numeric keypad - label: CPU value: Z80-A - label: SPEED value: 4 Mhz. - label: RAM value: 64 KB - label: ROM value: Unknown - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 chars. x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: None - label: COLORS value: Monochrome. 7'' green CRT - label: SOUND value: Beeper - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 11 Kg. - label: I/O PORTS value: Serial, Parallel, IEEE-488 - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 2 x 380 KB 5'' diskette drives, single or double density - label: OS value: CP/M - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in Power SupplyUnit (No batteries) - label: PRICE value: $1,595 tabs: - photos - adverts photos: - title: LARGE VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: A complete and good quality keyboard with a numeric keypad, arrow keys and 19 function keys. Three of them have a control LED image: null - title: FRONT SIDE subtitle: '' text: Notice that the power plug is oddly located on the front panel. image: null - title: FRONT SIDE UNCOVERED subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Power switch and contrast button, like old radio sets\ **(2)** 'logic' reset switch for warm boot\ **(3)** Keyboard RJ11 connector\ **(4)** 'Hard' reset switch. It simply disconnects the power supply from the main board! image: null - title: REAR SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right:\ • Parallel or Serial connector. The selection was made by software\ • Composite video RCA plug\ • Second serial connector\ • IEEE 488 connector image: null - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Switching power supply unit\ **(2)** Dual Canon double side single density floppy drives\ **(3)** Video board image: null - title: MAINBOARD subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Western Digital floppy disc controller\ **(2)** 64 KB RAM chips (Motorola 6665)\ **(3)** Motorola 6821 PIA used for FD and Parallel interfaces\ **(4)** BIOS ROM\ **(5)** 3 x Intel 8251 UART used for keyboard, printer and communication ports\ **(6)** Intel 8254 counter/timer\ **(7)** Second 6821 PIA in charge of the IEEE-488 interface\ **(8)** Z80 DMA, memory management chip\ **(9)** Z80 processor, here a Mostek version\ **(10)** Intel 8275 CRT controller and character generator ROM\ **(11)** Composite video add-on card image: null - title: MANUFACTURER LABEL subtitle: '' text: This computer seems having been manufactured during the 46th week of 1983 image: null - title: CARRYING BAG subtitle: '' text: This bag was essential because of the thinness and fragility of the Zorba's plastic case. image: null adverts: - title: FIRST AD. subtitle: '' text: |- January 1983 Telcon needed customers payments before manufacturing the systems: Upon receipt of your check, we will forward an end-user agreement. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery of the units. image: null comments: - author: nolan date: Monday 14th May 2018 text: |- to: Mike McAuliffe\ If still available, I am interested in your Zorba 7 computer. Please, contact me: nolan77 at gmail dot com - author: John Roberts (Bethesda, MD USA) date: Friday 9th March 2018 text: |- 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. 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. - author: Mike McAuliffe (Brisbane, Australia 4061) date: Monday 5th November 2012 text: |- Hi, I have inherited a Zorba 7 in excellent condition and complete with printed manual.\ Any takers?\ Make an offer. Cheers,\ Mike - author: Pete Gandy (USA) date: Thursday 18th February 2010 text: |- Actually after this model there was another.\ It was the Gemini Zorba.\ 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.\ 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.\ I also have bundled software, WortStar, DataStar, CalcStar.\ I purchased a kit and added an Intel board with 8086 and 256K of ram mounted on the side of the inboard FD. oc_id: 637 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230331133809/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=637 date: '2023-03-31' --- 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/). The Zorba was first manufactured and sold by Telcon, a company specialized in telecomunication equipments manufacturing. 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. 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. 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.