--- title: OHIO Scientific CHALLENGER 4P categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1979' cpus: - '6502' params: name: CHALLENGER 4P image: /media/museum/photos/ohio_c4p_system_1.jpg company: /companies/ohio-scientific company_name: OHIO Scientific specs: - label: NAME value: CHALLENGER 4P - label: MANUFACTURER value: OHIO Scientific - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1979' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1981' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Basic interpreter - label: KEYBOARD value: Full stroke keyboard - 53 keys - label: CPU value: 6502 or 6502C (GT option) - label: SPEED value: 2 Mhz. - label: RAM value: 8 KB expandable to 48 KB - label: ROM value: 8 KB (Basic interpreter) - label: TEXT MODES value: 32 lines x 64 char. - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: None - label: COLORS value: '16' - label: SOUND value: Tone generator and sound digital/analog converter - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: Unknown - label: I/O PORTS value: Audio tape, modem, parallel printer, Bus - label: OS value: OSI-OS - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Internal Power supply - label: PERIPHERALS value: F.D. unit, joysticks - label: PRICE value: $698 (C4P), $1695 (C4P MF) tabs: - adverts - links - docs forum_thread: 563 adverts: - title: U.S. ADVERT (1979) subtitle: '' text: |- Advert said: You know about computers. In fact, you probably own one now. One that you might be thinking of expanding. We have a better idea. Take a giant step into the personal computing future with an amazing, new C4P from Ohio Scientific... ...The C4P is an outstanding premium computer - years ahead of the market. We know because there's nothing quite like it for the price, anywhere. And probably won't be for a very long time. About the DISPLAY paragraph:\ "256 x 512 effective graphic points" **Kurt Vogel** rectifies:\ The C4P did NOT have a 256x512 graphics mode! If it had, that would have been amazing for the price way back then. Instead, it had a 32x64 character display and claimed that because each character was made up of a 8x8 grid that that was supposed to count as 256x512 graphics. Even given that they used an extended 8 bit character set that included special line and shape characters, you were NEVER able to address indivual pixels! image: /media/museum/pubs/ohio_c4p_pub_1.jpg - title: 'U.S. ADVERT #2 (1979)' subtitle: '' text: |- This is one of the first adverts showing a one computer dedicated software range. In 1979, the computer manufacturers understood that it was not enough any more to sell hardware and that the success of a computer depended now on the range and quality of the software that came with it. Advert said: The simple fact is nobody - nobody in the personal computer industry - offers more software than Ohio Scientific! Right now, as you read this, Ohio Scientific has just about 2 million bytes of software available for our C4P MF computer. **Kurt Vogel** adds:\ I'd like to mention that Aardvark Software in Michigan was one of the better vendors of software for the C4P games. image: /media/museum/pubs/ohio_c4p_pub_2.jpg - title: PICTURE FROM POPULAR SCIENCE (NOC.1980) subtitle: '' text: Not sure which model it is.... Looks like Challenger model, but with some difference... image: /media/museum/pubs/ohioscientific_challenger_popscience_nov1980.jpg links: - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: '' docs: - title: SUPERBOARD II / CHALLENGER 1P - USERS MANUAL url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/challenger_user-manual.jpg text: |- **SUPERBOARD II / CHALLENGER 1P - USERS MANUAL**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 2,7 MB\  source : www.old-computers.com - title: THE 8K BASIC-IN-ROM - REFERENCE MANUAL url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/doc_ohio-scientific_osi-basic.jpg text: |- **THE 8K BASIC-IN-ROM - REFERENCE MANUAL**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 576 KB\  source : www.old-computers.com - title: CHALLENGER 1P - TECHNICAL REPORT url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/challenger-1p_technical-report.jpg text: |- **CHALLENGER 1P - TECHNICAL REPORT**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 1,4 MB\  source : www.old-computers.com - title: THE CHALLENGER CHARACTER GRAPHICS REFERENCE MANUAL url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/challenger_characters-graphics-reference-manual.jpg text: |- **THE CHALLENGER CHARACTER GRAPHICS REFERENCE MANUAL**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 1,3 MB\  source : www.old-computers.com related: - /museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-1p - /museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-ii - /museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-iii - /museum/ohio-scientific-superboard-ii oc_id: 572 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230322031136/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=572 date: '2023-03-22' --- When the C4P was launched, Ohio Scientific said that it was a giant step in the world of the home computers. It was twice as fast as an Apple ll or Commodore Pet and more than three times as fast as a Tandy TRS 80.\ However, despite its technological lead, the C4P and other Ohio Scientific computers always suffered of a lack in efficient software and attractive handbooks. For this reason, very few third companies built cards and peripherals for the Challenger series. So, the C4P didn't withstand to the competition of the Apple II and II+ version which appeared 4 months later.\ However, Ohio Scientific sold it until 1981 as a business oriented system. In March 1981, OSI was sold to 'M/A-Com' company, but the name did continue until at least 1985. Some OSI based systems were also sold under the name OSITRON. In 1979, two versions were sold:\ The **C4P** basic version ($698) with:\ \- 8KB Basic ROM\ \- 8KB of static RAM expandable to 32KB\ \- Audio tape interface.\ The **C4P MF** ($1695) with all the features of the C4P plus:\ \- 24KB RAM expandable to 48KB\ \- 5" floppy-disc drive unit\ \- Real time clock\ \- Interfaces for Home Security System, parallel printer, modem\ \- Bus connector. **Brett Molotsky** reports:\ The Challenger 4P was also sold for a VERY brief time by JCPenney stores in a consumer-friendly version. It had an all-plastic case that was a bit more sleek and that looked much like an Apple II case. That's where we bought ours, along with a black and white TV and a cassette tape player. **David Pelleg** recalls:\ The C4P was my first computer. It was great except it had ONE MAJOR DESIGN FLAW which anyone who ever used it would know quite well. That was the placement of the reset key directly adjacent to the (very small) enter key. One little touch of reset and EVERYTHING you had been working on was wiped out instantly. That is why I'm so paranoid about constantly saving files even today (where it takes ctrl-alt-delete plus "Are you sure you would like to restart?").