website/content/museum/telcon-industries-zorba.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Telcon Industries Zorba	Computers	Portable	U.S.A.	1983	Z80-A	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts oc_id source Zorba /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_system_1.jpg /companies/telcon-industries Telcon Industries label value NAME Zorba label value MANUFACTURER Telcon Industries label value TYPE Portable label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1983 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Detachable 95 keys with 19 function keys and numeric keypad label value CPU Z80-A label value SPEED 4 Mhz. label value RAM 64 KB label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 80 chars. x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES None label value COLORS Monochrome. 7'' green CRT label value SOUND Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT 11 Kg. label value I/O PORTS Serial, Parallel, IEEE-488 label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 x 380 KB 5'' diskette drives, single or double density label value OS CP/M label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in Power SupplyUnit (No batteries) label value PRICE $1,595 photos adverts 623 title subtitle text image LARGE VIEW /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_system_2.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_rightside_1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP A complete and good quality keyboard with a numeric keypad, arrow keys and 19 function keys. Three of them have a control LED /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_keyboard_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT SIDE Notice that the power plug is oddly located on the front panel. /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_frontside_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT SIDE UNCOVERED **(1)** Power switch and contrast button, like old radio sets\ **(2)** 'logic' reset switch for warm boot\ **(3)** Keyboard RJ11 connector\ **(4)** 'Hard' reset switch. It simply disconnects the power supply from the main board! /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_frontuncover_1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR SIDE From left to right:\ • Parallel or Serial connector. The selection was made by software\ • Composite video RCA plug\ • Second serial connector\ • IEEE 488 connector /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_rearside_1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE **(1)** Switching power supply unit\ **(2)** Dual Canon double side single density floppy drives\ **(3)** Video board /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_inside_1.jpg title subtitle text image MAINBOARD **(1)** Western Digital floppy disc controller\ **(2)** 64 KB RAM chips (Motorola 6665)\ **(3)** Motorola 6821 PIA used for FD and Parallel interfaces\ **(4)** BIOS ROM\ **(5)** 3 x Intel 8251 UART used for keyboard, printer and communication ports\ **(6)** Intel 8254 counter/timer\ **(7)** Second 6821 PIA in charge of the IEEE-488 interface\ **(8)** Z80 DMA, memory management chip\ **(9)** Z80 processor, here a Mostek version\ **(10)** Intel 8275 CRT controller and character generator ROM\ **(11)** Composite video add-on card /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_mainboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image MANUFACTURER LABEL This computer seems having been manufactured during the 46th week of 1983 /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_label_1.jpg title subtitle text image CARRYING BAG This bag was essential because of the thinness and fragility of the Zorba's plastic case. /media/museum/photos/telcon_zorba_bag_1.jpg title subtitle text image FIRST AD. January 1983 Telcon needed customers payments before manufacturing the systems: Upon receipt of your check, we will forward an end-user agreement. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery of the units. /media/museum/pubs/telcon_zorba_pub_1.jpg 637 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230331133809/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=637 2023-03-31

The Zorba is one of the last 8 bits portable computer running the CP/M operating system. Its features were almost identical to the Kaypro II.

The Zorba was first manufactured and sold by Telcon, a company specialized in telecomunication equipments manufacturing.

For $190 more, the user could order the Perfect Software Package including the 'Perfect Writer' word processor, the 'Perfect Speller' spell checker, the 'Perfect Filer' database manager and the 'Perfect Calc' spreadsheet.

Having spent a lot of money designing the Zorba, Telcon was seeking for new investors to market its portable and settle a network sales. It was then bought up by ModComp (Modular Computer), a company specialized in mini-computer manufacturing. A group called Modular Micro Group, specialized in Zorba marketing was created. In spite of that, results were very bad and one year after its launch date, Zorba computers stock was sold to a company specialized in selling off surplus stocks, wich sold them at a very low price.

Zorba users were nevertheless very satisfied. They were able to read practically every existing CP/M floppy format. Its several video emulations (H19/Z19/VT52) allowed them to run virtually any existing CP/M software.