--- title: Research Machines Nimbus PC categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1985' cpus: - AMD 80186 params: name: Nimbus PC image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus1_welcomescr_s1.jpg company: /companies/research-machines company_name: Research Machines specs: - label: NAME value: Nimbus PC - label: MANUFACTURER value: Research Machines - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: '1985' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1987' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: RM Basic diskette - label: KEYBOARD value: PC like with 10 function keys and numeric keypad - label: CPU value: AMD 80186 - label: SPEED value: 10 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Socket for a 80187 math coprocessor - label: RAM value: 192 KB, up to 1 MB - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 320 x 250 (16 colours), 640 x 350 (4 colours) - label: COLORS value: '16' - label: SOUND value: 3 voices, 8 octaves + white noise (AY-8910 chip) - label: I/O PORTS value: Mono and colour monitor, Serial, Mouse/Joystick, Serial/Piconet port - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 1 or 2 720 KB 3.5'' floppy drives - optional 10 or 20 MB hard disk - label: OS value: Special version of MS-DOS 3.1 - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in switching power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: Parallel, Network, FDD/HDD adapter cards - label: PRICE value: Unknown tabs: - photos - adverts forum_thread: 985 photos: - title: PC2 VERSION subtitle: '' text: PC2 version with dual floppy drive and 1 MB RAM, running the DOS 3.1 Welcome program. image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus2_welcomescr_s1.jpg - title: FRONT PANEL subtitle: '' text: The 3 slots on the front were for add-on cartridges. However, the connectors were not soldered to the main board. image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus1_frontpanel_s1.jpg - title: PC1 & PC2 MAIN UNITS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus_twocases_s1.jpg - title: FD UNIT subtitle: '' text: External 360 KB 5.25" floppy drive unit. image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus_fdunit_s1.jpg - title: REAR SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right: • Mouse or digital joystick DB9 connector\ • Keyboard DIN socket\ • Colour RGB monitor DIN socket\ • Monochrome monitor DIN socket\ • Serial printer RJ11 socket\ • Piconet network RJ11 socket\ • Optional Ethernet network slot\ • SCSI connector\ • Parallel printer connector along with +5V and +12V output jacks\ • External FDD unit connector image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus_rearside_s1.jpg - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- Notice that the expansion cards are not fixed onto the main board but linked together by a bus flat cable.\ Internal Floppy drives and external FDD connector are also linked through the same cable to the controller card. image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus_insidepc2_s1.jpg - title: MAIN BOARD subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** 64 KB video RAM chips (8 x 4164)\ **(2)** Text and graphics video chip\ **(3)** AMD 80186 processor and socket for the 80187 math co-processor\ **(4)** Memory management chip\ **(5)** AY-8910 sound generator\ **(6)** Main RAM chips can take place onboard (empty sockets)or/and in a RAM module (not inserted here)\ **(7)** I/O management chip\ **(8)** Zilog and Intel I/O chips\ **(9)** Bus connector for expansion cards. image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus1_mainboard_s1.jpg - title: RM MICE subtitle: '' text: RM mice wasn't either compatible with standard PC mice. image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus_mice_s1.jpg - title: MANUALS subtitle: '' text: |- RM Basic, Pascal and Logo programming languages manuals.\ Nimbus machines could also run standard PC software like Microsoft Word, Multiplan and even the first version of Windows. image: /media/museum/photos/researchmach_nimbus_manuals_s1.jpg adverts: - title: UK ADVERT (APR. 1986) subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/researchmach_nimbus_pub_s1.jpg - title: CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/researchmach_nimbus_pub_s2.jpg oc_id: 1011 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230205044606/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1011 date: '2023-02-05' --- When the Nimbus PC series was launched, Research Machines already had a long history of providing innovative and reliable computers for the British education market. The Nimbus PC was also intended to support schools in the use of the computers. It wasn't a pale copy of a standard PC but a fast and versatile DOS machine entirely designed and manufactured by RM. The basic machine held 192 KB of RAM, a single 720 KB floppy drive and extended sound and graphics. It could be expanded to 1 MB of RAM, dual floppy drives and up to 160 MB hard disk. The Nimbus was also designed as a network station and came with built-in Piconet and ethernet ports. The Nimbus ran a modified version of Microsoft MS-DOS 3.10 that could not run on a standard PC. Sadly, this was quite a limitation. Although an IBM emulator software allowed some standard PC programs to run, only software specifically written for the Nimbus was able to take advantage of the improved sound and graphic features. However, RM and third-parties released numerous languages and educational software that fulfilled most school needs.\ A special x86 version of BBC Basic also allowed a wide range of programs written for Acorn machines to be run. To note also that some Nimbus software would run on a standard PC, for example the Nimbus versions MS Word and Multiplan.