website/content/museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-4p.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
OHIO Scientific CHALLENGER 4P	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1979	6502	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread adverts links docs related oc_id source CHALLENGER 4P /media/museum/photos/ohio_c4p_system_1.jpg /companies/ohio-scientific OHIO Scientific label value NAME CHALLENGER 4P label value MANUFACTURER OHIO Scientific label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1979 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1981 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Basic interpreter label value KEYBOARD Full stroke keyboard - 53 keys label value CPU 6502 or 6502C (GT option) label value SPEED 2 Mhz. label value RAM 8 KB expandable to 48 KB label value ROM 8 KB (Basic interpreter) label value TEXT MODES 32 lines x 64 char. label value GRAPHIC MODES None label value COLORS 16 label value SOUND Tone generator and sound digital/analog converter label value SIZE / WEIGHT Unknown label value I/O PORTS Audio tape, modem, parallel printer, Bus label value OS OSI-OS label value POWER SUPPLY Internal Power supply label value PERIPHERALS F.D. unit, joysticks label value PRICE $698 (C4P), $1695 (C4P MF) adverts links docs 563 title subtitle text image U.S. ADVERT (1979) Advert said: You know about computers. In fact, you probably own one now. One that you might be thinking of expanding. We have a better idea. Take a giant step into the personal computing future with an amazing, new C4P from Ohio Scientific... ...The C4P is an outstanding premium computer - years ahead of the market. We know because there's nothing quite like it for the price, anywhere. And probably won't be for a very long time. About the DISPLAY paragraph:\ "256 x 512 effective graphic points" **Kurt Vogel** rectifies:\ The C4P did NOT have a 256x512 graphics mode! If it had, that would have been amazing for the price way back then. Instead, it had a 32x64 character display and claimed that because each character was made up of a 8x8 grid that that was supposed to count as 256x512 graphics. Even given that they used an extended 8 bit character set that included special line and shape characters, you were NEVER able to address indivual pixels! /media/museum/pubs/ohio_c4p_pub_1.jpg title subtitle text image U.S. ADVERT #2 (1979) This is one of the first adverts showing a one computer dedicated software range. In 1979, the computer manufacturers understood that it was not enough any more to sell hardware and that the success of a computer depended now on the range and quality of the software that came with it. Advert said: The simple fact is nobody - nobody in the personal computer industry - offers more software than Ohio Scientific! Right now, as you read this, Ohio Scientific has just about 2 million bytes of software available for our C4P MF computer. **Kurt Vogel** adds:\ I'd like to mention that Aardvark Software in Michigan was one of the better vendors of software for the C4P games. /media/museum/pubs/ohio_c4p_pub_2.jpg title subtitle text image PICTURE FROM POPULAR SCIENCE (NOC.1980) Not sure which model it is.... Looks like Challenger model, but with some difference... /media/museum/pubs/ohioscientific_challenger_popscience_nov1980.jpg title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com title url cover text SUPERBOARD II / CHALLENGER 1P - USERS MANUAL null /media/museum/docs/couvs/challenger_user-manual.jpg **SUPERBOARD II / CHALLENGER 1P - USERS MANUAL**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 2,7 MB\  source : www.old-computers.com title url cover text THE 8K BASIC-IN-ROM - REFERENCE MANUAL null /media/museum/docs/couvs/doc_ohio-scientific_osi-basic.jpg **THE 8K BASIC-IN-ROM - REFERENCE MANUAL**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 576 KB\  source : www.old-computers.com title url cover text CHALLENGER 1P - TECHNICAL REPORT null /media/museum/docs/couvs/challenger-1p_technical-report.jpg **CHALLENGER 1P - TECHNICAL REPORT**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 1,4 MB\  source : www.old-computers.com title url cover text THE CHALLENGER CHARACTER GRAPHICS REFERENCE MANUAL null /media/museum/docs/couvs/challenger_characters-graphics-reference-manual.jpg **THE CHALLENGER CHARACTER GRAPHICS REFERENCE MANUAL**\ written by Ohio Scientific  compiled/archived by David Wilson\  type of document : PDF\  size : 1,3 MB\  source : www.old-computers.com /museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-1p /museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-ii /museum/ohio-scientific-challenger-iii /museum/ohio-scientific-superboard-ii 572 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230322031136/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=572 2023-03-22

When the C4P was launched, Ohio Scientific said that it was a giant step in the world of the home computers. It was twice as fast as an Apple ll or Commodore Pet and more than three times as fast as a Tandy TRS 80.
However, despite its technological lead, the C4P and other Ohio Scientific computers always suffered of a lack in efficient software and attractive handbooks. For this reason, very few third companies built cards and peripherals for the Challenger series. So, the C4P didn't withstand to the competition of the Apple II and II+ version which appeared 4 months later.
However, Ohio Scientific sold it until 1981 as a business oriented system.

In March 1981, OSI was sold to 'M/A-Com' company, but the name did continue until at least 1985. Some OSI based systems were also sold under the name OSITRON.

In 1979, two versions were sold:
The C4P basic version ($698) with:
- 8KB Basic ROM
- 8KB of static RAM expandable to 32KB
- Audio tape interface.
The C4P MF ($1695) with all the features of the C4P plus:
- 24KB RAM expandable to 48KB
- 5" floppy-disc drive unit
- Real time clock
- Interfaces for Home Security System, parallel printer, modem
- Bus connector.

Brett Molotsky reports:
The Challenger 4P was also sold for a VERY brief time by JCPenney stores in a consumer-friendly version. It had an all-plastic case that was a bit more sleek and that looked much like an Apple II case. That's where we bought ours, along with a black and white TV and a cassette tape player.

David Pelleg recalls:
The C4P was my first computer. It was great except it had ONE MAJOR DESIGN FLAW which anyone who ever used it would know quite well. That was the placement of the reset key directly adjacent to the (very small) enter key. One little touch of reset and EVERYTHING you had been working on was wiped out instantly. That is why I'm so paranoid about constantly saving files even today (where it takes ctrl-alt-delete plus "Are you sure you would like to restart?").