--- title: OHIO Scientific CHALLENGER III categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1978' cpus: - '6502' params: name: CHALLENGER III image: /media/museum/photos/ohio-scientific_challengeriii_1.jpg company: /companies/ohio-scientific company_name: OHIO Scientific specs: - label: NAME value: CHALLENGER III - label: MANUFACTURER value: OHIO Scientific - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1978' - label: CPU value: 6502 + 6800 + Z80/8080 - label: SPEED value: 1 Mhz / 2 Mhz - label: RAM value: 32 KB (up to 1 MB !) - label: ROM value: Unknown - label: I/O PORTS value: Expansion slots - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: One or two 8'' disk-drives - label: OS value: OS-65U, OS-65D, CP/M - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Internal P.S.U. - label: PERIPHERALS value: RS-232 card, Centronics card, etc. - label: PRICE value: $3481 with a dual F.D. drive unit tabs: - photos - adverts - links - docs forum_thread: 63 photos: - title: STANDING RACK SYSTEMS subtitle: '' text: |- In 1980, Ohio Scientific produced multi-users systems in standing racks, based on its three microprocessors board (6800, 6502, Z80). The basic **C3-A** version included 48 KB of static RAM, dual 8'' floppies and 17 OSI slots. (Price: $7000)\ The **C3-B** added an OkiData 3306 74 MB Winchester disk working under the OS-65U or CP/M operating systems and allowing up to 8 users. (Price: $14000)\ The **C3-C** used the Shugart SA4008 29 MB Winchester disk (Price: $11000) At this time, Ohio Scientific said: Ohio Scientific produced the first large capacity fixed media hard disk (Winchester) based microcomputers in 1977. Since then we have shipped more of these systems than the rest of the microcomputer industry combined. image: /media/museum/photos/ohio_scientific_c3_rack_1.jpg - title: THE CHALLENGER PRINTER subtitle: '' text: It can print 65 lines / minute. image: /media/museum/photos/challenger_printer.jpg - title: THE DELUXE CRT TERMINAL subtitle: '' text: This upper-lower case X-Y addressable CRT terminal (actually a Lear-Siegler ADM3A) was available with the printer and the Challenger III in a 'bundle' for (relatively low) price of $6000 ! image: /media/museum/photos/challenger_terminal.jpg adverts: - title: OHIO BROCHURE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/ohio_c8p_brochure_1.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-4p - /museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-ii - /museum/ohio-scientific-superboard-ii oc_id: 47 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609190413/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=47 date: '2023-06-09' --- This computer was an enhanced version of the [Challenger IIp](/museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-ii/). The motherboard was equipped with 3 microprocessors: 6800, 6502A and Z80. An optional 74 MB harddisk was available ($6000 !). It was supplied with a word processor called WP-1 and a database called DMS. An enhanced version of the operating system allowed to connect up to 16 terminals to the computer at one time. --- About OSI, **Frank Leonhardt**\* adds:\ Unfortunately OSI did not get its model numbers straight - it was a very disorganised company. A lot of users got the circuit diagrams for bits of OSI equipment and modified one board to another, as they were all made up of the same parts - and dealers would mix and match boards to build a machine to customers requirements. Their final machine was the **Challenger 5**, which was a bit like the Challenger 3 but it had five processors - again, OSI could not decide which 16-bit processor was going to WIN so they added a 68000 and a Z8000 to the C3. They never believed that the 8086 would become popular. I know someone connected to their main dealer who saw something about this, but I don't think they were ever sold. The 74Mb Winchester disk was real - amazing for 1978. Apparently it was very unreliable until the guy who owned it (Dave Graham) covered the outside of the box with lots and lots of fans. \* Frank was the first Technical Editor for the famous **Personal Computer World** magazine, England's (Europe's) biggest computer magazine - founded in 1978.