website/content/museum/welect-w86.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
WELECT W86	Computers	Professional Computer	France	1983	Intel 8086	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts oc_id source W86 /media/museum/photos/welect_w86_1s.jpg /companies/welect WELECT label value NAME W86 label value MANUFACTURER WELECT label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN France label value YEAR June 1983 label value KEYBOARD AZERTY mechanical keyboard, 96 keys with functions keys and numeric keypad label value CPU Intel 8086 label value CO-PROCESSOR Z80A for CP/M compatibility, optional Intel 8087 arithmetic processor label value RAM 128 KB (up to 1 MB) label value TEXT MODES 24 x 80 label value GRAPHIC MODES Semi-graphics characters are optional label value COLORS Black & white display. Monochrome monitor (green phosphor) label value I/O PORTS serial, parallel label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 x 8'' floppy disk drives (1 MB each) label value OS CP/M 86 and MS-DOS label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in label value PERIPHERALS 20 MB Cynthia hard disk label value PRICE 58 500 FF (march 1984) photos adverts 1304 title subtitle text image W86 ON ITS STAND null title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL PICTURE (JUNE 1983) null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (DEC. 1982) null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (FEB. 1983) null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (SEPTEMBER 1983) from Micro-Systèmes magazine (N°34)\ The advert is for the Welect line of products.\ The system pictured is a W86. /media/museum/pubs/welect_pub_ms34_sept-83%5B1%5D.jpg 1339 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608162814/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1339 2023-06-08

The W86 is a french computer released in 1983 by Welect. It's the second computer released by Welect after the W80.2.

The W86 is powered by an Intel 8086 (hence its name) to catch up with the IBM PC compatible trend of the moment and is thus able to run MS-DOS. But the W86 is also equipped with a Z80A to also be CP/M 86 compatible. It's thus an hybrid machine typical of the mid-80s when the professional industry was moving from CP/M to MS-DOS.

There are 128 KB RAM available that can be expanded up to 1 MB. The two built-in 8'' floppy drives (double sided, double density) can store 1 MB each, for a total of 2 MB data storage. They were marketed as identical to the IBM 3600 standard... Up to six 20 MB Cynthia hard disks could also be connected to the computer.

The display features are basic with a 24x80 text resolution. Semi-graphics and blinking characters are in option. The monitor is monochrome (green phosphor).

The Welect W86 apparently had no success as it is very difficult to find a specimen nowadays. Its exaggerated price (65 230 FF in June 1983) must have prevented a lot people from buying one. But Welect was used to have big french companies as clients, often nationalized ones (PTT, INSEE, Météorologie Nationale, Charbonnage de France, Renault, Éducation Nationale, Ministère des Équipements et des Transports, etc). They thought that they could continue to sell them average systems to a very high price, which was apparently not the case...

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.