---
title: Columbia Data Products MPC
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Intel 8088
params:
  name: MPC
  image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_pc_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/columbia-data-products
  company_name: Columbia Data Products
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: MPC
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Columbia Data Products
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: June 1982
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke 86 keys with function keys & numeric keypad
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 8088
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4.77 Mhz.
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB up to 1 MB
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 or 80 columns x 24 lines (MDA or CGA modes)
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 320 or 640 x 200 dots (CGA mode)
  - label: COLORS
    value: '16'
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 2 x Serial RS-232, 1 x Parallel Centronics, 8 x ISA slots
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Dual 320 KB 5'' floppy disc drives
  - label: OS
    value: MS-DOS, CP/M-86, MP/M-86, OASIS, XENIX
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: all 8-bit PC expansion boards
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      $3400 - 128k memory, 2 floppies and color CGA card\
      5 MB hard drive : $1700
  tabs:
  - adverts
  forum_thread: 619
  adverts:
  - title: PREVIOUS SYSTEM
    subtitle: ''
    text: Before manufacturing the MPC, Columbia tried to sell a massive multi-user, Z80 based system.
    image: /media/museum/pubs/columbia_pc_pub_1.jpg
  - title: 'U.S. AD #1 (1982)'
    subtitle: ''
    text: Better features, cheaper price, the PC price war has just started.
    image: /media/museum/pubs/columbia_pc_pub_2.jpg
  - title: 'U.S. AD #2 (1983)'
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Advert said:

      The columbia MPC is shipped with fully suported software that will save you $3,000. Included is the entire self-teaching Perfect Software family: Perfect Writer, a word processor; Perfect Speller, a 50,000 word dictionnary; Perfect Filer, a data base manager; and Perfect Calc, a financial calculation system.

      In addition, you get MS-DOS, CP/M-86, Macro/86 assembler, BASICA, Asynchronous communication support, Diagnostics and the Columbia Tutor program...
    image: /media/museum/pubs/columbia_pc_pub_3.jpg
  oc_id: 633
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230530114140/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=633
    date: '2023-05-30'
---

The Columbia MPC (for Multi Personal Computer) was the first exact copy of the young IBM PC. This desktop clone version will be followed few months later by a portable version designed by the new [Compaq](/museum/compaq-portable/) company.

Technically, there is nothing to say about this computer which hardware features are exactly the same as those of the [IBM 5150](/museum/ibm-pc-model-5150/). However, for about $1500 less, the MPC offered standard features that were optional on the IBM: 128 KB of RAM, two Serial one parallel ports and 8 ISA slots (versus the IBM-PC's five). The MPC's disk controller was integrated into the motherboard.

As IBM didn't well protect the PC hardware and BIOS software copyrights, this first clone will be followed by many others, desktops and portables version, manufactured in numerous countries by hundreds of independant companies, all over the world.

The Columbia company was sold in 1986 to a company based in Florida which kept the name and still exists.

---

**Contributors:** Joe Cassara.