website/content/museum/applied-technologies-microbee-128.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Applied Technologies Microbee 128	Computers	Home Computer	Australia	1984	Z80A	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware connectors screenshots emulators links related oc_id source Microbee 128 /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_system_s1.jpg /companies/applied-technologies Applied Technologies label value NAME Microbee 128 label value MANUFACTURER Applied Technologies label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Australia label value YEAR 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD QWERTY 64-key full-stroke keyboard with arrow keys label value CPU Z80A label value SPEED 3.375 MHz label value RAM 128 KB label value VRAM 16 KB label value ROM 4 KB BIOS + 4 KB FDD controller label value TEXT MODES 64 x 16 (Microbee BASIC) - 80 x 24 (CP/M label value GRAPHIC MODES 512 x 256 (2 colours), 128 x 48 (16 colours) label value COLORS 16 label value SOUND Built-in 1 canal loudspeaker label value SIZE / WEIGHT 35.5 (W) x 23 (D) x 5.5 (H) cm label value I/O PORTS Power/Video/tape, Expansion/drive Interface, Serial ,Parallel, RGB, Optional user ports label value BUILT IN MEDIA Dual 5.25''Single Sided Drives (386 KB) or 3.5'' DS/SD (776 KB) label value OS CP/M 2.2 label value POWER SUPPLY Switching PSU built-in the FDD unit label value PERIPHERALS EPROM programmer label value PRICE Unknown photos adverts hardware connectors software emulators links 457 title subtitle text image FRONT VIEW The Premium machines often had key switch problems. Several keys of this machine had to be repaired. /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_frontview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_topview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT & RIGHT SIDES /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_bothsides_s1.jpg title subtitle text image WITH FDD UNIT #1 This FDD unit version holds two 776 KB 3.5" double sized single density floppy-disk drives. /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_withfdunit_s1.jpg title subtitle text image WITH FDD UNIT #2 This version uses two 386 KB 5.25" 360 KB double sided single density drives. /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_fdunit5_s1.jpg title subtitle text image RUNNING SYSTEM The Microbee is running the Microbee demonstration disk. /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_demoscreenshot_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR SIDE **(1)** Multi-function DIN socket used to supply power from the FD unit, also for composite B/W video and tape recorder outputs. The second DIN hole isn't used\ **(2)** Expansion connector used to connect de floppy-disk drives\ **(3)** Serial DB25 connector\ **(4)** I/O DB15 connector\ **(5)** RGB video output connector, compatible with colour CGA monitors. /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MAINBOARD The mainboard is normally covered by the piggyback RAM card. Keyboard's keys are soldered upon the mainboard.\ **(1)** 6545 video chipset. First IBM PC video cards used the same chipset\ **(2)** Z80A PIO used for various I/O. Here a Sharp LH0081A version\ **(3)** Nec D780C, one of the numerous Z80 clones of the Z80 CPU\ **(4)** 4 KB BIOS ROM\ **(5)** 16 KB Video RAM (2x3264 chips) /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_inside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image RAM CARD **(1)** RAM management ROM\ **(2)** 128 KB RAM chips (16x4164)\ **(3)** Western Digital floppy drives controller\ **(4)** Provision is made for two user ports chips. /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_inside_s2.jpg title subtitle text image MANUALS /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_manuals_s1.jpg title subtitle text image BOXES /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_boxes_s1.jpg title subtitle text image AUSTRALIAN ADVERT (1987) Thanks to John Kahler for this picture /media/museum/pubs/microbee_pub_aus_1.jpg title subtitle text image FDD UNIT & MODEM /media/museum/hardware/applied_microbee_fddmodem_1.jpg title subtitle text image BEEMODEM /media/museum/hardware/microbee_premium_beemodem_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PARALLEL PRINTER CONNECTION /media/museum/connectors/microbee32_parallel-port.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL PRINTER CONNECTION /media/museum/connectors/microbee32_serial-printer-port.jpg title subtitle text image THE SHELL A shell was available to perform easy file management under CP/M. /media/museum/software/microbee_premium_cpmshell_ss_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SWORD QUEST An adventure game /media/museum/software/microbee_128_ss_swordquest.jpg title subtitle text image VIPER Action game /media/museum/software/microbee_128_ss_viper.jpg title url platform text Picomozzi http://www2.ee.mu.oz.au/pgrad/apsh/microbee/ Windows Picomozzy is a Microbee 32 KB emulator for DOS or Windows. title url platform text MESS Emulator http://www.mess.org/ Multiplatform Emulates some Microbee computers ! title url platform text NanoWasp http://NANOWASP.SOURCEFORGE.NET/ Multiplatform A MicroBee 128k Disk System emulator for Windows & Unix title url platform text uBee512 http://freshmeat.net/projects/ubee512 Multiplatform An emulator for the Microbee Z80 Premium/Standard FDD and ROM based microcomputers. title url text Microbee Archive http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mikeleys/microbee.html Essential site to understand it all title url text MicroBee Homepage http://www.mdstud.chalmers.se/~md6cbm/bee/ Short page with few software to download title url text Microbee Microcomputer Micro-FAQ http://www.microbee-faq.in-tl.net/ very informative FAQ title url text Microbee official homepage http://www.microbeetechnology.com.au/ Since march 2012, Microbee is relaunching a new model ! title url text The Bee Board http://microbee.no-ip.com/beeboard/ Forum and documentation repository for Microbee /museum/applied-technologies-microbee-32 462 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230529195009/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=462 2023-05-29

The Microbee computers were popular in Australia where they equipped many schools. But these computers also sold well in Scandinavia or Sweden for example.

The Microbee 128 and its extended version, the Premium series, were housed in the same case as the Microbee 32 but had four additional cursor keys. they shipped with a 5.25" or 3.5" single or double disk drives unit.

Both 128 and Premium versions boasted improved graphics over the earlier machines, colour as standard and many other detailed improvements. They ran CP/M operating system. The Premium had an IBM CGA compatible video interface and dual density floppy drives, offering 776 KB capacity instead of 386 KB for the 128. a 10 MB hard disk was also available.