website/content/museum/osborne-corp-vixen-occ4.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Osborne Corp. VIXEN (OCC4)	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1984	Zilog Z80A	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos oc_id source VIXEN (OCC4) /media/museum/photos/osborn_vixen_2.jpg /companies/osborne-corp Osborne Corp. label value NAME VIXEN (OCC4) label value MANUFACTURER Osborne Corp. label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1984 label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard, 60 keys label value CPU Zilog Z80A label value SPEED 4 MHz label value RAM 64 KB label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES Unknown label value GRAPHIC MODES Unknown label value COLORS monochrome monitor label value SOUND Unknown label value I/O PORTS Centronics - RS232 - Expansion slot label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 x 5.25'' FDD label value OS CP/M 2.2 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in PSU label value PRICE $1298 photos 355 title subtitle text image OSBORNE VIXEN Picture courtesy of photog102002 Ebay seller /media/museum/photos/osborne_vixen_ebay_2.jpg title subtitle text image REAR Picture courtesy of photog102002 Ebay seller /media/museum/photos/osborne_vixen_ebay_rear_1.jpg title subtitle text image ANOTHER PICTURE /media/museum/photos/osborn_vixen_1.jpg 351 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230419175127/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=351 2023-04-19

The VIXEN is bundled with CP/M 2.2, WordStar 3.3, Supercalc 2, MBASIC, a game called Desolation, Osboard Software (for drawing graphics), Media Master (to transfer data to MS DOS disks) and Turnkey to change some system features.

The Osborne VIXEN was priced at $1298. An optional 10 MB hard disk could be added with an interface card (the hard disk was $1498, more than the computer !).

Curtis A. Ingraham (who worked for Osborne) reports:
The Osborne Vixen was in development at the time the company filed bankruptcy. I believe it was never offered for sale. It was developed by a consultant, Fred Coury, as I recall. It was significantly smaller and lighter than the Osborne 1. One of the unique aspects of the electronic design was that all of the diskette drive electronics was integrated onto the main printed circuit board of the computer, thus saving cost and space. The disk electronics for the Vixen was designed by Patrick L. McGuire. (In typical computers of that time, diskette drives came from their manufacturers with a large electronics board on each drive.)
The Vixen was a great follow-on product to the Osborne 1. Unfortunately, the IBM PC was released about that time, and customers stopped buying anything but the PC and, later, the Compaq portable. The CP/M computer market disappeared almost overnight.

Barry Carlton reports:
Your information that the Osborne Vixen was never offered for sale is incorrect. I owned one from about 1985 to 1988, buying it new from Worswick Industries (Dwight Worswick) in San Diego. Osborne went into bankruptcy in 1983, as I recall, but reorganized and went back into operation briefly in about 1984 or 1985. That's when I bought the Vixen (to replace my Osborne 1). I had the Vixen up until I got my first Mac, in 1988. Toward the end, I got a modem, joined CompuServe, and also hooked the machine to a 10 Mb hard drive that was horribly noisy, and as long as the Vixen was deep.