yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
b274874139
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
113 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
113 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: Konix Multisystem
|
|
categories:
|
|
- Consoles
|
|
params:
|
|
name: Multisystem
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_multisystem_1.jpg
|
|
company: /companies/konix
|
|
company_name: Konix
|
|
tabs:
|
|
- photos
|
|
- software
|
|
- links
|
|
- videos
|
|
forum_thread: 998
|
|
photos:
|
|
- title: AEROPLANE CONFIGURATION
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: Thanks to [Classic Computers & Videogames](http://home.wanadoo.nl/hessel.meun/) for this picture.
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_multisystem_2.jpg
|
|
- title: MOTORBIKE CONFIGURATION
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: Thanks to [Classic Computers & Videogames](http://home.wanadoo.nl/hessel.meun/) for this picture.
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_multisystem_bike-mode_1.jpg
|
|
- title: EARLY ARTIST IMPRESSION
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: This drawing was made at the very start of the marketing process, when no working prototype was available...
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_artist-impression.jpg
|
|
- title: AT THE PCS 1989...
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: This is a prototype shown at the Personal Computer Show (London) in 1989. The console was not running, it was only for display...
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_multisystem_2b.jpg
|
|
- title: AT THE PCS 1989...
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: This is a prototype shown at the Personal Computer Show (London) in 1989. The console was not running, it was only for display...
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_multisystem_3.jpg
|
|
- title: HYDRAULIC CHAIR
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: This is a prototype of the hydraulic chair shown at the Personal Computer Show (London) in 1989. It would connect to the Konix Multisystem console and would move according to what was happening on the screen ! wow !
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_multisystem_4.jpg
|
|
- title: KONIX STAFF
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: Some people from Konix presenting an early prototype of the Konix Multisystem (not working)
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_multisystem_people.jpg
|
|
- title: PEARL MULTI-SPIELE-KONSOLE
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: This IBM PC controller sold in Germany used the same design as the Konix system.
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/pearl-multi-spiele-konsole.jpg
|
|
- title: PEARL MULTI-SPIELE-KONSOLE
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: '... in Motorbike mode'
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_pearl_moto.jpg
|
|
- title: PEARL MULTI-SPIELE-KONSOLE
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: '... in airplane mode'
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/konix_pearl_plane.jpg
|
|
- title: MSC MULTI SYSTEM
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: The MSC Multi System is a PC Joystick add-on based on design of KMS. It was marketed after the fall of the Konix.
|
|
image: /media/museum/photos/msc-multi-system_1.jpg
|
|
screenshots:
|
|
- title: STAR RAY
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: ''
|
|
image: /media/museum/software/konix_multisystem_star-ray_ss.jpg
|
|
- title: BIKERS
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: ''
|
|
image: /media/museum/software/konix_multisystem_bikers_ss.jpg
|
|
links:
|
|
- title: Konix Multisystem page
|
|
url: http://home.wanadoo.nl/hessel.meun/konix/konix-menu.htm
|
|
text: Quite complete web page
|
|
- title: Retrogames - online magazine system
|
|
url: http://www.retrogames.co.uk/RGonline/html/page_5-6.html
|
|
text: Nice article about the Konix multisystem
|
|
- title: 'Slipstream : The Konix Multisystem Archive'
|
|
url: http://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk
|
|
text: The most complete website dedicated to the system
|
|
- title: www.grospixels.com
|
|
url: http://www.grospixels.com/site/konix.php
|
|
text: Interesting article with pictures (french)
|
|
videos:
|
|
- title: Konix Multisystem Trailer
|
|
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgkOLfcRWYA
|
|
text: 'Length: 4:32'
|
|
- title: Konix Multi System - Prototype Footage
|
|
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYpebHK4cEo
|
|
text: 'Length: 10:32'
|
|
oc_id: 1024
|
|
source:
|
|
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230207090951/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1024
|
|
date: '2023-02-07'
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
The Konix multisystem console, also known as the Konix slipstream, was a joint development between 2 british businesses, Flare Technology and Konix. Konix were on a high in 1988 after the success of their Joystick range and well known through gaming channels. Flare Technology was formed by 3 ex-Sinclair engineers, all of whome were involved in the aborted Loki "Super Spectrum", which was shelved after Sinclair sold the computer division to Amstrad. Not wanting their work to be wasted, they formed their own company to bring the idea into the real world.
|
|
|
|
Flare first developed the RAM Music Machine for the Spectrum, this used some of the ideas from Loki's sound subsystem to make a synthesizer/sampler add on for the speccy, and generated a revenue to fund development of the Flare 1 computer system. The Flare 1 was based around the Z80 processor, had a BLiTTER chip, 4096 colour palette, advanced 16bit sound system (8 voices) and graphics modes which rivaled the Amiga, all thanks to the custom processors within the system. This specification was very similar to the Loki, which as far as we know, never left the drawing board (Or did it?).
|
|
|
|
In 1988, Flare had a working Flare 1 board with all custom chips fully working, but they did not have the means to put it into production. An article in Persomal Computer World that year, gave a climpse of what this super machine could do. The graphics demo's were astounding, even as photographs. Flare 1 had something the Amiga lacked, the ability to do 3D polygons in the graphics subsystem (The Amiga had to do this with the CPU, just like the ST). As a result of the article, Flare and Konix got together for a meeting, and the multisystem was announced to the public a few weeks later.
|
|
|
|
The multisystem was really the Flare 1, but replaced the 8 bit Z80 with a 16 bit 8086. It was to be released in 1989 at a price point of 200 pounds, with a range of additional hardware being made available soon after. This included hydrolic chairs, light pens/guns and a whole range of additional controllers. The system never saw the light of day. Constant modifications to the case design, adding of storage devices (such as the floppy disk) caused delay after delay.
|
|
|
|
Eventually Konix folded and Flare Technology designed the Flare 2, an improvement on the origional Flare 1 machine, which would eventually be the starting point for [Atari's Jaguar console](/museum/atari-jaguar/).
|
|
|
|
Somehow, the system was later sold as the **MSC Multi System**! In fact it used the same cosmetic design but was only a controller for IBM PC compatible systems (and maybe some other type of computers), with no specific electronic hardware inside. This super controller (driving, moto and flying modes) was also marketed as the **Pearl Multi-Spiele-Konsole** in Germany.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
Text and info by Malcolm Ramage.
|
|
|
|
<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this console ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>
|