--- title: GridCase categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1985' cpus: - 80C86 - low-power version params: name: GridCase image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_running_s1.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/grid_gridcase_logo.gif company: /companies/grid company_name: Grid specs: - label: NAME value: GridCase - label: MANUFACTURER value: Grid - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1985' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: Unknown - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: 57-key IBM PCjr-compatible - label: CPU value: 80C86 - low-power version - label: SPEED value: 4.77 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Socket for an 8087 math corpocessor - label: RAM value: 128 KB up to 512 KB - label: VRAM value: 16 KB - label: ROM value: Up to 512KB of user installable ROMs - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 characters x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 640 x 200 pixels - label: COLORS value: Monochrome - label: SOUND value: Built-in speaker - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 28.5 (W) x 38 (D) x 5.7 (H) cm / 5.8 kg - label: I/O PORTS value: External colour monitor, Serial and Parallel ports, RJ11 phone jack, external PC keyboard, 50-pin expansion bus - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 3.5'' 720 KB FDD - label: OS value: MS-DOS 2.11, Grid-OS (proprietary OS) - label: POWER SUPPLY value: External AC supply, rechargeable battery pack - label: PERIPHERALS value: Internal 1200-baud modem ($795), external 5.25'' FDD ($895) - label: PRICE value: I $2975 - II $3150 - III $4350 - IV $4550 tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware forum_thread: 1027 photos: - title: LARGE VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_system_s1.jpg - title: TOP VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_topview_s1.jpg - title: BOTH SIDES subtitle: '' text: The GridCase used one of the very first version of Sony 3.5" floppy-disk drive. image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_bothsides_s1.jpg - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_keyboard_s1.jpg - title: CLOSED subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_closed_s1.jpg - title: GRIDCASE LOGOS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_gridlogo_s1.jpg - title: REAR PANEL subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Power switch\ **(2)** External keyboard DIN socket\ **(3)** Serial RS232 BD25 connector\ **(4)** Expansion bus DB50 connector\ **(5)** Parallel printer DB25 connector\ **(6)** External CGA monitor output\ **(7)** Battery pack\ **(8)** External AC adaptor jack image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_rearpanel_s1.jpg - title: ROM SOCKETS subtitle: '' text: User could add specific OS or software sold by Grid in these sockets. image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_romsockets_s1.jpg - title: THE 3 MODELS subtitle: '' text: 'The 3 Gridcase models are only different by their screen : classic LCD display (grey), enhanced LCD display (green & yellow), and high-contrast gas-plasma display (orange & black)' image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase_3models.jpg - title: GRIDCASE IV BOOT-UP SCREEN subtitle: '' text: |- Only a few GridCase IV computers were manufactured. Thanks to **Leonard Nagorski** image: /media/museum/photos/grid_gridcase4_bootscreen_s1.jpg adverts: - title: MAGAZINE COVER subtitle: '' text: The Gridcase made the cover of SVM (french magazine) in january 1985 image: /media/museum/pubs/grid_gridcase_svm.jpg hardware: - title: PERIPHERALS subtitle: '' text: |- GridCase stackable portable peripherals. From top to bottom:\ • 3.5" floppy-disk drive\ • 5.25" floppy-disk drive\ • 10 MB hard-disk\ • Base station battery charger/power source. image: /media/museum/hardware/grid_gridcase_peripherals_s1.jpg oc_id: 1054 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230605042356/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1054 date: '2023-06-05' --- The GridCase was about the same size and featured the same robust magnesium case as [Compass](/museum/grid-compass/) model, but Grid forwent the Compass's expensive and power-hungry electroluminescent display and bubble memory. The GridCase series was composed of 4 models. The **GridCase I** featured a bottom-of-the-range LCD display, the **GridCase II** had an enhanced LCD "*that more than one person can read*" Grid said, the **GridCase III** offered a high-contrast gas-plasma display (photo), and the **GridCase IV** which used a full size yellow electoluminescent screen that was also offered on the high end earlier Grid Compass Computers. The keyboard was the same as the IBM PCjr, not very convenient but with a good tactile feedback provided by a key click similar to that on the IBM PC. Two power modules were available, a rechargeable battery pack and an AC transformer. Both were the same size and fitted in a large socket on the rear panel. Each battery pack lasted 4 to 5 hours for the LCD models, and one hour with the plasma model. All models came with eight sockets for ROM chips. Although only four of them could be accessed by the user, Grid offered programs such as MS-DOS, GW-BASIC or Lotus 1-2-3 on ROM chips. Several peripherals were available, a base station battery charger and power source, a 5.25" and 3.5" floppy disk drive units and a 10 MB hard disk. They all were of the same size and could be stacked. Some of these systems were made for military use and included a built-in hard drive. A big thick X was pressed into the case over the hard drive. The purpose of this was to show the user where to shoot in case the computer was in danger of falling into enemy hands. GRiD Defence Systems produced the laptop computers used in the "Aliens" film in 1986. The scenes were cut from the theatrical release but subsequently added to the DVD release. The GridCase systems were marketed in France by Sagem. There were a least the MTP16, MTP32 and MTP1550 models available. The MTP32 had a plasma display and a built-in hard disk and was powered 386 CPU. It could be the equivalent of the GridCase III. The MTP1550 had a LCD display and a kind of bar at the bottom of the keyboard which acted like a mouse/trackball... These systems were indeed quite sturdy and most of them were used for military applications. --- **Contributors:** David Griffith, Guy, Jérôme Ginestet
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