website/content/museum/televideo-ts-803.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Televideo TS-803	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1983	Z80A	name image company company_name specs tabs photos adverts comments oc_id source TS-803 /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_system_s2.jpg /companies/televideo Televideo label value NAME TS-803 label value MANUFACTURER Televideo label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR March 1983 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Typewriter type, 117 keys with function & editing keys & arrows pad label value CPU Z80A label value SPEED 4 MHz label value RAM 64 KB expandable to 128 KB label value VRAM 32 KB label value ROM 8 KB label value TEXT MODES 80 columns x 24 lines - 7x8 dot matrix label value GRAPHIC MODES 640 x 240 dots label value COLORS Monochrome green label value SOUND Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT 47 (W) x 38 (D) x 36 (H) cm / 23 kg label value I/O PORTS 2 x serial, Mouse label value BUILT IN MEDIA TS-803: 2 x 368 KB 5.25'' FDD\ TS-803H: 1 x 5.25'' FDD, 1 x 10 MB Winchester hard disk label value OS CP/M with GSX label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS optional RS-422 port label value PRICE 5410 photos adverts title subtitle text image TS-803 /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_system_s3.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT VIEW /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_system_s4.jpg title subtitle text image TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_topview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_keyboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR SIDE **(1)** Hardware configuration switches\ **(2 & 3)** Serial connectors\ **(4)** Mouse RJ11 connector. /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MAIN BOARD **(1)** Video connector\ **(2)** Power connector. The PSU is located behind the main board\ **(3)** 64 KB user RAM chips (8x4164). Provision is made for a second 64 KB bank\ **(4)** Mostek MK3801, Serial timer & Interrupt controller\ **(5)** Mostek MKDART4N dual asynchronous receiver / transmitter, manages both the serial ports\ **(6)** Z80A CPU, here a SGS version\ **(7)** Western Digital FDC-1793 floppy-disks controller\ **(8)** Hard-disk connector\ **(9)** Floppy-disks connector\ **(10)** Keyboard connector\ **(11)** 8 KB EPROM holding the system basic routines and the OS loader\ **(12)** Motorola 6845 display controller\ **(13)** RS422 controller chip /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TELEVIDEO LABELS /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_labels_s1.jpg title subtitle text image USER MANUALS /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts803_manuals_s1.jpg title subtitle text image HEAD OFFICE Televideo Systems, Inc. was located in Silicon Valley, California, the center of the US computer industry. /media/museum/photos/televideo_headoffice_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PC COMPATIBLE VERSION PC compatible version of the TS-803, called Tele-PC. This version features two 5.25" 360 KB floppy disk drives. Thanks to **Marvin Wolfe** /media/museum/photos/televideo_telepc_system_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TELEVIDEO TS-1603 Thanks to Glen Keywood for this picture /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts1603_front_1.jpg title subtitle text image TELEVIDEO TS-1603 - BOOT SCREEN Thanks to Glen Keywood for this picture /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts1603_boot-screen_1.jpg title subtitle text image TELEVIDEO TS-1603 - BACK Thanks to Glen Keywood for this picture /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts1603_rear_1.jpg title subtitle text image TELEVIDEO TS-1603 - BACK CLOSE-UP Thanks to Glen Keywood for this picture /media/museum/photos/televideo_ts1603_rear_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH AD (DEC.1983) /media/museum/pubs/televideo_pub_prenez-de-l-elan.jpg title subtitle text image PROMO PICTURE Taken from a Televideo brochure /media/museum/pubs/televideo_ts803_prmpict_s1.jpg author date text jay c (United States of America ) Saturday 26th February 2022 i need one boot disk PLEASE!.. cant find what other options are there? author date text Thomas (USA) Sunday 10th October 2021 I drove a TS-803 CP/M computer from 1984-1986 at my first job. It was there when I came on board. Ran CP/M 2.2. Had some manuals and disks with the system. Among other things, I wrote a program that made use of the graphics capability to plot graphics. I think I was using BASIC to pass variables and make the system call to plot points. Not very fast, but worked. Migrated to an NEC 8 MHz turbo XT and a Novell network in ''86 or so. author date text Bill Schmidt Sunday 4th October 2015 I bought a Televideo 803 towards the end of 1983 and used it for word processing until about 1989. It ran Wordstar. Incredibly, both the CP/M operating system AND the Wordstar software were on a single 5-1/4 floppy, with my work being saved on the second floppy. The machine was completely nsilent with no fan $ having a cooling tower design. You could invert the screen, which was my preference, so the typing was in black and the background was green. I connected it to a dot-matrix printer using continuous feed paper with the holes along the edges. You could tear off the edges that had the holes and turn in perfect paper. As a freelance writer, found my productivity effectively doubled with this computer as I could work right up to the point of printing. No need to retype. My next computer was a Mac SE, bought used for $2500, which was the same price I paid for the Televideo. Weren''t those the days?? author date text Abe (Pennsylvania, USA) Friday 24th April 2015 I am an original owner of a working TS803. I do have a boot disk if anyone needs one. author date text Joe (United States) Thursday 15th January 2015 Have you tried using an MS-DOS 2.11 360k floppy? If I recall, those systems could run either CP/M or DOS. author date text Jay (Oregon, USA) Tuesday 10th July 2012 I purchased a TS-803 in spring of 1983 as my first personal computer. I used it for word processing and early spreadsheets (running early version of Lotus 1-2-3). I bought the TS-803 along with a wide carriage Epson dot matrix printer and still have both. Unfortunately, the ''boot disc'' required to start the unit got lost somewhere along the line. If anyone knows if it is possible to replace that, I''d appreciate the information. 1077 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230609043502/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1077 2023-06-09

The TS-803 succeeded to the TS-802. Although it was basically the same CP/M machine, it had several notable enhancements.

The all-in-one case had an innovative design. The main unit and mass storage devices were mounted vertically at the right side of a large tilting 14" green display (at the time the standard size was of 12").

The keyboard was also greatly improved. It offered 16 programmable function keys and 10 pre-programmed text-editing keys. It was one of the first keyboard to offer a built-in wrist rest.
The TS-803 was also one of the rare CP/M machines to run graphics.

At the same period, Televideo also released the TS-1603, an Intel 8088 version with same design which ran CPM/86 and MS-DOS OSs.

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TS803s network by VB Woodfield:
The accounting office I worked for in the late 80's used 5 TS803's connected to a single Televideo external 40MB Winchester belt driven harddrive with built in tape drive.
The case was roughly the same size as the TS803 and could connect to 8(?) TS803s. It came with the standard CP/M and an optional enhanced CP/M OS you loaded via the tape drive and provided commands via the TS803 connected to the first network plug. I believe there was a dip you moved on the TS803 to toggle this function.
The TS803 had a non standard pinned serial port to attach a direct printer or mouse and an special connection for the network "server"
Televideo also used a proprietary format on it's 5 1/4 floppy drives.
The system disks included quite a good demo of the graphics capability in the form of a sales pitch for Televideo.

Movie star by Ernest:
The Televideo TS-803 was used in the Library scene of the movie "Pretty in Pink," and as usual for Hollywood movies, the computer was shown to do impossible things (for that time.) In particular, the computers were networked together like modern ethernet office computers, and the video images were impressive even by today's standards (ie, impossible for the day.)

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.