---
title: QUAY Corporation 500 Series
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1980'
cpus:
- Z-80A
params:
  name: 500 Series
  image: /media/museum/photos/quay_520_front_s.jpg
  company: /companies/quay-corporation
  company_name: QUAY Corporation
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: 500 Series
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: QUAY Corporation
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1980'
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: '1989'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Depends on the terminal used
  - label: CPU
    value: Z-80A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4 Mhz.
  - label: RAM
    value: 32 KB expandable up to 64 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: Video terminal
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 16" x 18" x 6"
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Disc Drive Expansion connector, 3 x Serial Ports, Parallel printer connector
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Dual 200 KB or 400 KB floppy drives
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in P.S.U.
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: RS232C & TTY serial port compatible product
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      Model 500 : $2500\
      Model 520 : $4600 list (but usually sold to OEM's for 30%-40% - $3200 less)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  photos:
  - title: MODEL 520
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/quay_520_front.jpg
  - title: LEFT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/quay_520_l-side_1.jpg
  - title: REAR
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      From left to right:

      \- big fan\
      \- disc drive expanson connector\
      \- 3 x serial ports\
      \- parallel line printer connector

      Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/quay_520_rear.jpg
  - title: INSIDE MODEL 520
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/quay_520_inside.jpg
  - title: MODEL 500
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/quay_500_system_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: U.S. ADVERT (1980)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Advert said:

      The facts speak for themselves. The QUAY 500 SERIES offers more for the money than North Star Horizon computers...

      ...The bottom line is simple. There is a new star in the computer field. The 500 SERIES by Quay. It outshines all of the competition.

      A little pretentious tone!
    image: /media/museum/pubs/qua_500_pub_1.jpg
  oc_id: 577
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230323152424/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=577
    date: '2023-03-23'
---

The QUAY 500 was a clone of the [North Star Horizon](/museum/northstar-horizon/) offering some technical improvements compared to its competitor: a standalone single-board instead of a backplane and several S-100 boards, Direct Memory Access for better disk access performance, on-board expansion capabilities for additional parallel and serial port and higher disk capacity.

The 500 model was sold with two 200 KB double density 5"1/4 floppy drives, the 520 model with two quad density 400 KB drives.

In spite of these technical advantages and a price 20% lower than North Star's similar models, the Quay 500 series do not seem to have been marketed for long.

**Phillip Good** comments:\
The Quay computer was not sold to consumers but to OEM's who would package it around some kind of accounting package and sell it to professionals--accountants, dentists, physicians, and so forth for use in their offices. Its wooden case was intended and succeeded in making it look professional in contrast to the rinky tink plastic and metal contraptions which are standard today.