---
title: Litton - Monroe OC-8820
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Z80
params:
  name: OC-8820
  image: /media/museum/photos/monroe_8820_system_s2.jpg
  company: /companies/litton-monroe
  company_name: Litton - Monroe
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: OC-8820
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Litton - Monroe
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1982'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: The Monroe BASIC was an extended version of the BASIC used in the Luxor ABC80/ABC800 computers.
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Typewriter type, 93 keys with numeric keypad & function keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80
  - label: SPEED
    value: Unknown
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 to 256 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: 16 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 columns x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: None
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome amber
  - label: SOUND
    value: Unknown
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 1 parallel and 1 serial port
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 300 KB 5.25 floppy-disk drives
  - label: OS
    value: Proprietary Monroe OS called OS8MT (MT for multi-tasking), CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in PSU
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: 10 MB hard-disk unit
  - label: PRICE
    value: about $3,000
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  forum_thread: 1048
  photos:
  - title: FRONT VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to **Chris Kelepouris**
    image: /media/museum/photos/monroe_8820_system_s1.jpg
  - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to **Bob Heptig** for all the following pictures.
    image: /media/museum/photos/monroe_8820_keyboard_s1.jpg
  - title: 'OPENED #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/monroe_8820_inside_s1.jpg
  - title: 'OPENED #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/monroe_8820_opened_s1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Main board and FDD controller card.
    image: /media/museum/photos/monroe_8820_electronics_s1.jpg
  - title: MONROE ORIGINAL DISKETTES
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/monroe_8820_diskettes_s1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: MONROE ADVERT, FEB. 1983
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/monroe_8820_pub0283_s1.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: 10 MB HDD UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to **Chris Kelepouris**, the proud owner of an OC-8820
    image: /media/museum/hardware/monroe_8820_hddunit_s1.jpg
  - title: INSIDE THE HDD UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/monroe_8820_hddunit_s2.jpg
  oc_id: 1078
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608081221/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1078
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

The Monroe OC-8820 was an all-in one Z80 based system featuring 128 to 256 KB of RAM, a monochrome CRT and a dual 5.25" 300 KB floppy disk drive.

It used its own multitask operating system, but a CP/M OS could be acquired separately along with a specific Monroe BASIC interpreter, Dbase II, Wordstar and a spreadsheet (probably CalcStar). Even under CP/M, You could run the a Spreadsheet report and still run Wordstar.

A 10 MB hard-disk drive unit was also available.

The Monroe computer family also had a color graphics model, but we have no information about it.