website/content/museum/osborne-corp-encore.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Osborne Corp. ENCORE	Computers	Portable	U.S.A.	1983	Intel 8086	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos oc_id source ENCORE /media/museum/photos/osborn_encore_1.jpg /companies/osborne-corp Osborne Corp. label value NAME ENCORE label value MANUFACTURER Osborne Corp. label value TYPE Portable label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1983 label value KEYBOARD 76 mechanical keys and 14 touch-sensitive functions keys label value CPU Intel 8086 label value SPEED Unknown label value RAM 128 Kb. expandable to 512 Kb. label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 80 col. x 16 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 480 x 128 dots label value COLORS monochrome label value SOUND Unknown label value SIZE / WEIGHT 32,5(W) x 25,1(H) x 14,1(D) cm. Weight : 6 Kg. label value I/O PORTS Parallel Centronics, RS-232, Phone jack label value BUILT IN MEDIA 1 or 2 x 5.25'' FDD label value OS MS DOS label value POWER SUPPLY Mains and Batteries label value PRICE Unknown photos 135 title subtitle text image INSIDE ENCORE The inside of the Encore computer appears very simple. However, hundreds of hours were necessary to design the case, to optimize the inner space and the weight of the system, to create and test the electronic board and to design the new disk drives, thick as a quarter of the IBM PC ones. **(1)** Built-in loudspeaker.\ **(2)** Power regulation. The Encore can operate with mains or batteries (4 hours lifespan).\ **(3)** Components are packed to the maximum in order to integrate the largest memory capacity : 512 Kb.\ **(4)** Serial RS-232 connector.\ **(5)** Parallel Centronics printer connector.\ **(6)** The basic version of the Encore is delivered with one disk drive, but it's easy to add a second one.\ **(7)** Mechanical keyboard and touch-sensitive functions keys.\ **(8)** The Encore computer is the first off-line portable computer. This is mainly due to its low power LCD display. /media/museum/photos/osborne_encore_inside_1.jpg title subtitle text image LCD DISPLAY What a shame! Nine lines are missing. These 9 lines will considerably handicap the success of the Encore as a great majority of professional software can't be adapted to a 16 lines display and thus, can't run on this system. The only exception is LOTUS 123, the best-selling spreadsheet, which can be used on the Encore without any modification.\ This first generation of LCD display needs an intense source of light above the user to be really readable. Osborne promised a quick and inexpensive exchange for a 25 lines display, but this one will only appear with the Zenith version of the Encore. /media/museum/photos/osborne_encore_display_1.jpg title subtitle text image ENCORE KEYBOARD Mechanical and sensitive keys. The touch-sensitive keyboard includes 10 function keys and 4 keys reserved for calculations and direct access to integrated software : built-in modem management, reading a disk and calendar. These keys were criticized for their lack of precision. /media/museum/photos/osborne_encore_keyboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image OSBORNE 3 /media/museum/photos/osborne_3_system_s1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD /media/museum/photos/osborne_3_keyboard_s1.jpg 122 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230329000505/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=122 2023-03-29

The Osborne Encore was developed by Vadem Inc., a consulting company od Santa Clara, California, which offered the design to Osborne Computer Corp (OCC) for production. At that time, after launching the Osborne Executive, Osborne Corp. had serious financial problems.

It was an MSDOS based computer with a built-in modem. The keyboard had four 'icon' keys which called small programs located in ROM : the "phone" key called the communication software, the "clock" key called a calendar, the "disk" key booted the system and the "calculator" key called a small electronic calculator.

The LCD screen could display only 16 lines, so only a few MS-DOS programs could be used (the lower 9 lines were invisible). When it was conceived, the Encore had a 25 lines LCD screen, but the size was reduced to save production costs.

Morrow Design Co. also licensed the technology from Vadem and released a improved machine called Pivot. Zenith, in turn, licensed the technology from Morrow and sold a similar machine featuring a 25-line CGA display, the Z-171.

Osborne's relationship with Vadem involved manufacturing and system support. Vadem engineers made extensive changes to the original version, mostly improving its IBM compatibility, which gave birth in 1985 to the Osborne 3, the last Osborne computer sold in USA.