--- title: Gemini GALAXY categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1983' cpus: - Zilog Z80A params: name: GALAXY image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy2_system_s1.jpg company: /companies/gemini company_name: Gemini specs: - label: NAME value: GALAXY - label: MANUFACTURER value: Gemini - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: '1983' - label: KEYBOARD value: Full stroke keyboard with numeric keypad - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80A - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: second Zilog Z80A running the 'programmable' video card (Called the IVC). - label: RAM value: 64 KB dynamic - label: VRAM value: 2 KB - label: ROM value: 2 KB Phantom Bootstrap ROM - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 x 25 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 160 x 75 - label: COLORS value: Unknown - label: I/O PORTS value: Centronics, RS232, Light Pen, Tape - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: Two 5.25'' disk-drives - label: OS value: CP/M 2.2 and MP/M - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Unknown - label: PRICE value: Unknown tabs: - photos - adverts - links photos: - title: GEMINI CATALOG, 1985 subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s1.jpg - title: 'GEMINI CATALOG #2' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s2.jpg - title: 'GEMINI CATALOG #3' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s3.jpg - title: 'GEMINI CATALOG #4' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s4.jpg - title: 'GEMINI CATALOG #5' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s5.jpg - title: PRICE LIST, NOV. 1985 subtitle: '' text: |- Prices are given in UK pounds. Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_pricelist_s1.jpg - title: 'PRICE LIST #2' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** image: /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_pricelist_s2.jpg adverts: - title: UK ADVERT, OCT. 1983 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/gemini_galaxy2_pub_s1.jpg - title: 'UK ADVERT #2' subtitle: '' text: Close-up of the previous advert showing the various cards of the Gemini 80-BUS system. image: /media/museum/pubs/gemini_galaxy2_pub_s2.jpg links: - title: 80 BUS url: http://www.80bus.com text: Lots of things about Gemini & Nascom - title: MIXTEL url: http://www.mixtel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ text: Info about Gemini & Nascom comments: - author: John Newcombe (West Berkshire) date: Sunday 9th May 2021 text: 'To Peter Harding: I would be very interested in the keyboard. I am trying to preserve what I can and have assembled a small collection of Galaxy parts. I am missing the keyboard you mention.' - author: John Newcombe (West Berkshire) date: Sunday 9th May 2021 text: 'To Peter Harding: I would be very interested in the keyboard. I am trying to preserve what I can and have assembled a small collection of Galaxy parts. I am missing the keyboard you mention.' - author: Peter Harding (Southampton, UK) date: Tuesday 4th August 2020 text: I have a Galaxy 1 keyboard (without numeric pad) which I bought with a job lot of other computer stuff at an auction some 30 odd years ago. It has a 15 pin D connector which I presume was used before keyboard connectors were standardised across manufacturers. Is it something you would like? - author: John Newcombe (United Kingdom) date: Sunday 9th June 2019 text: |- I am very keen to gather and archive as much Gemini software and documentation as I can. These were great machines, however, very little seems to have been kept over the years. If you can help me preserve this stuff for future generations, please get in touch via john.newcombe@me.com or this forum. If you can - author: Paul Terrey (U.K.) date: Friday 9th February 2018 text: I still have a Gemini Galaxy 2 (GM905) which I used for many years to design printed circuit boards. It is installed with a Pluto IO828 graphics board which ran a CAD-8 design software package. I also have lots of documentation including catalogues, price lists and original advertising material. - author: Noel Marshall (United Kingdom) date: Wednesday 29th March 2017 text: |- My father, John Marshall, was the founder of NASCOM and then Gemini. I remember this great lump of a computer very well. We had one at home that I was not allowed to use! I never really inherited my father''s interest in technology and to me I still find iphones and PCs a thing of mystery and frustration. I was fascinated to find this article. My father passed away a few years ago now but I think about him all the time. It is lovely being able to read things like this and to realise there are still some of them out there, even if they are in garages or boxes. - author: Svend Saustrup (Denmark) date: Sunday 24th July 2016 text: |- I sold quite a few of those at the time from my shop/workshop in Aarhus.\ A brilliant machine that came with all documentation - even schematics for\ all the boards in the machine. (I guess I still have the manuals somewhere).\ We used to convert them to be used for entry to professional phototypesetters.\ The MFB model was equipped with all the types of floppy drives and a program\ to analyse and setup all diskette formats. Genious !! - author: James Harrison (UK) date: Monday 6th September 2010 text: I bought a Gemini Galaxy 1 when they first were available, still have though haven''t used for many years. It was £1850 new. I wrote many programs using the language Comal which was one the software packages that came with the machinre. It had twin processors one video, one for the processing Z80a chips were used. Twin 400k floppy 5 1/4 inch drives ment quick loading. Well ahead for it''s time. I added a modem later on which I bought second hand for £40.00 so I could connect to Bulletin Boards sites. The 80 bus was a great inovated system with board sloted in to adapt the computer and CP/M was a good operating system with now blue screens. A light pen system for touch screen opertion was available also a clock board.could give date and time. - author: Robert Forsyth (Earth) date: Tuesday 10th October 2006 text: I have the bare-bones version in my garage. Mine has the IO Pluto graphics board 640x575 or 768x575 RGB (3 bit). Some CPU boards had 256kB paged memory. I also have a RAM Disk - which made WordStar fast, and the SVC video card. - author: Pete Fenelon (UK) date: Thursday 2nd January 2003 text: |- I briefly had a Galaxy 2 passing through my collection a few years ago - didn't have space to keep it and traded it on various kit that I needed. It was a very nice CP/M system. Three floppy drives, which was unusual. The video card was absolutely excellent - very crisp and fast - it was quite the nicest machine I've ever run WordStar on. Reasonable keyboard, nicely put-together - but obviously more expensive than the Superbrains and other CP/M boxes people tended to spend their money on. oc_id: 385 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230605025122/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=385 date: '2023-06-05' --- The Gemini Galaxy range of computers were of "all British" origin, being manufactured by Gemini Microcomputers Ltd., Amersham, Bucks. Also called the 'Multiboard Microsystem', the Galaxy systems were built around the 80-BUS, specifically designed for the Z80 microprocessor. They had two Z80A processors, one acting as the CPU and the other running the 'programmable' video card (Called the IVC). The video card memory was composed of: 2 KB Monitor ROM (SIMON), 2KB User workspace RAM (it was capable of holding user routines), 2 KB Screen RAM, 2KB character generator ROM, 2KB character generator RAM (programmable fonts). Numerous cards were available, like IEEE488 interface card, SASI floppy drive controller or colour graphics card.
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.