website/content/museum/ncr-pc8.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
NCR PC8	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1986	80286	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread docs oc_id source PC8 /media/museum/photos/ncr_pc8_1.jpg /companies/ncr NCR label value NAME PC8 label value MANUFACTURER NCR label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1986 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Unknown label value KEYBOARD Advanced mechanical keyboard. 30 function keys. Seperate command and cursor keys. label value CPU 80286 (16-bit CPU) label value SPEED 6/8 Mhz label value CO-PROCESSOR Optional label value RAM 256 kb, 512kb, 640 kb or 1512 kb depending on models. (640 KB max. on the main processor board) label value VRAM Unknown label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 80 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 640 x 400 label value COLORS Yes label value SOUND Beeper? label value I/O PORTS Parallel / Centronics port, RS232 serial port, 8 x PC/AT-compatible expansion slots. label value BUILT IN MEDIA Integrated 5.25'' 1.2M flex disk drive on basic system and integrated 20MB or 30MB fixed disk on enhanced systems.\ Up to 128MB fixed disk capacity with optional 64MB disks. label value OS NCR-DOS 3.1 operating system\ NCR 286 Xenix operating system (optional - supports up to 16 users concurrently) label value POWER SUPPLY PSU built-in docs 535 title url cover text CUSTOMER SETUP OF THE NCR PC-8 PERSONAL COMPUTER: A CASE STUDY null /media/museum/docs/couvs/ncr_pc8_customer-setup_doc.jpg **CUSTOMER SETUP OF THE NCR PC-8 PERSONAL COMPUTER: A CASE STUDY**\ written by Paul Green  type of document : PDF **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** 541 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230528104823/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=541 2023-05-28

After IBM produced the PC/AT, NCR introduced their AT clone and called it the NCR PC8. It was primarly produced in Augsburg Germany.

It was 80286 based and clocked the CPU at 8 MHz max. With the PC8, NCR offered their NCR-DOS, but also a UNIX variant (Xenix).

The system was bundled with NCR-DOS, GW-BASIC, Getting Started booklet, On-line NCR HELP, NCR User Interface, and User Diagnostics.

Better pictures needed !

Ryan May reports :
The PC8 had several varieties. The PC8 on NCRs site was always refered to by a tier number and a model number, NCR themselves rarely use the PCX to identify a unit.

Both units I got had a stock 20mb MFM hard drive (NCR labled), two 5.25" HD floppies, and 640kb RAM on the system board (though there were checkboxs on the front panel of the unit for 256kb, 512kb, 1512kb).
There was a front panel you could fold down that had a checklist of all the possible items that could be installed in the unit. Also under the front panel was a volume control for the pcspeaker.

Both units also had a 15" NGA?? (NCR proprietary video) monitor. I really wanted to use the screens because they were very high quality. I ran all sorts of diagnostics and nothing seemed to know what they where, all said CGA and the only video mode that I could get to work was CGA. BUT!! By appearance, in text mode the screens appeared to be VGA or even SVGA in the 80x25 text mode. I have never seen monitors that where that clear. They where 16 color or possibly 64 color ttl.
One utility I used thought the screens where 640x400, which is what I assume to be correct. The text (in text mode) looked like Modern, it was very thin and very clear/smooth, much different than I am used to.

Omer van der Horst Jansen reports :
The PC8 was designed before thumbscrews were common in PC case design. To help you to open the case it came with a nifty NCR-branded screwdriver that could be flipped for use with Phillips and regular screws. My PC8 has been dead for almost a decade but I'm still using that screwdriver every day!