yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
b274874139
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
230 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
230 lines
8.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Polymorphic POLY 88
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Professional Computer
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origins:
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- U.S.A.
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years:
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- '1976'
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cpus:
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- 8080A
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params:
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name: POLY 88
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_system_1.jpg
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company: /companies/polymorphic
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company_name: Polymorphic
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: POLY 88
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Polymorphic
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- label: TYPE
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value: Professional Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: U.S.A.
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1976'
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: None
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: Full-stroke 54 keys (made by Cherry)
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- label: CPU
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value: 8080A
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- label: SPEED
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value: 2 MHz 8080A, running at 1.8432 MHz (so that it could be easily divided to produce standard baud rate clocks)
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- label: RAM
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value: 512 bytes to 32 KB.
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- label: VRAM
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value: 1 KB
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- label: ROM
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value: Monitor 1 KB (2 KB optional)
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 40 chars x 25 lines
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: Semi-graphic mode (128 x 48)
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- label: COLORS
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value: Monochrome
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- label: SOUND
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value: None standard (available through S100 boards)
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: 11(W) x 17.5(H) x 43 (D) cm.
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Keyboard, tape recorder, printer, video vomposite
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: None
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Built-in PSU
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- label: PERIPHERALS
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value: |-
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Video, keyboard, cassette, serial interfaces.\
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Some Altair S-100 cards
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- label: PRICE
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value: From $595 to $1350
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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- hardware
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- software
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- emulators
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- links
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forum_thread: 554
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photos:
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- title: 'SYSTEM #1'
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_system_2.jpg
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- title: FRONT PANEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: Unlike competitors systems of the time (Imsai, Altair) the POLY 88 front panel only featured Power and reset switches.
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_frontpanel_1.jpg
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- title: BACK PANEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: 'Note the red switch used to modify the tape record speed (300 - 1200 bauds); and the serial number: 1904!'
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_backpanel_1.jpg
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- title: INSIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Full system featuring 32 KB of RAM, video, keyboard and cassette interfaces.
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**(1)** Cassette interface\
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**(2)** Keyboard cable coming from the video board\
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**(3)** Cassette interface cable coming from a serial port of the CPU board\
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**(4)** CPU board\
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**(5)** Video / Keyboard board\
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**(6)** 16 KB static RAM card\
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**(7)** 8 KB static RAM card (Polymorphic)\
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**(8)** Second 8 KB static RAM card
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_inside_1.jpg
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- title: BACKPLANE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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The backplane supported:
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**(1)** Power supply filtering components\
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**(2)** Five S-100 connectors, an expansion connector for additional cards\
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**(3)** Fan and reset switch connector
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_backplane.jpg
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- title: CASE FRAME
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_chassis.jpg
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- title: COMPLETE SYSTEM
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subtitle: ''
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text: Cherry keyboard, Sanyo 9" monitor and General Electric data recorder.
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_system_3.jpg
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- title: ASSEMBLY, ADJUSTMENTS MANUAL
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/polymorphic_poly88_manual_1.jpg
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adverts:
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- title: U.S. ADVERT (1976)
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/pubs/polymorphic_poly88_pub_1.jpg
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- title: 'U.S. ADVERT (1977) #1'
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subtitle: ''
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text: This advert (May 1977) introduced the **System 16**, same as assembled System 7 with 16 Kb of RAM. ($1995)
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image: /media/museum/pubs/polymorphic_poly88_pub_2.jpg
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- title: 'U.S. ADVERT (1977) #2'
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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An advert dédicated to Polymorphic BASIC language features and to a new version of the system named System 0.
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The **System 0** was intended for the users who already have a S-100 Bus based system and wanted to transform it into a Poly 88 system. It consisted of the central processor card with ROM monitor, the video card and the cassette interface, all in kit form. Price: $525
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image: /media/museum/pubs/polymorphic_poly88_pub_3.jpg
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hardware:
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- title: POLY88 DISK KIT
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subtitle: ''
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text: 'The advert says : "Each kit contains a brushed aluminium front panel and walnut cabinet"!'
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image: /media/museum/hardware/polymorphic_poly88_diskkit.jpg
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- title: CPU BOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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The CPU board features ROM, RAM and serial I/O. It could be used as a stand-alone system, connected to a serial Input / Output device (Teletype).
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**(1)** 512 bytes of RAM holded in 4 \* 9111 chips (256\*4)\
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**(2)** 8080 chip. Here a NEC version\
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**(3)** Sockets for additonal 2 KB ROM chips\
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**(4)** 1 KB Boot ROM chip\
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**(5)** Serial connectors
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image: /media/museum/hardware/polymorphic_poly88_cpuboard_1.jpg
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- title: VIDEO BOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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This board manages video output and keyboard input.
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**(1)** composite video output connector\
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**(2)** Character generator ROM chip\
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**(3)** 8 \* 2111 memory chips (256 bits \* 4) holding 1 KB of video RAM memory\
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**(4)** Keyboard connector
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image: /media/museum/hardware/polymorphic_poly88_videoboard_1.jpg
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- title: 8 KB RAM BOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: 8 KB static RAM are made of 64 \* 2102 RAM chips (1K \* 1 bit).
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image: /media/museum/hardware/polymorphic_poly88_8kramboard_1.jpg
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- title: 16 KB RAM BOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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This standard S-100 bus 16 KB memory board cames from California Computer Systems. The memory is broken into four 4 KB groups which are independantly addressable.
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**(1)** Power regulators (one per chips row)\
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**(2)** Led indicators for board selection and bank selection\
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**(3)** Bank and address select switches\
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**(4)** Ram is arranged in four 4 KB independant groups
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image: /media/museum/hardware/polymorphic_poly88_16kramboard_1.jpg
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- title: PROCESSOR CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/hardware/polymorphic_poly88_proc8080_1.jpg
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- title: CASSETTE INTERFACE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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The cassette interface operates through the serial port of the CPU board.\
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It could read/write programs at 30 or 120 chars per second. Selection was made with the red switch.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/polymorphic_poly88_k7interface.jpg
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screenshots:
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- title: BASIC INTERPRETER
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subtitle: ''
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text: A diskette version was also available with data files management addition.
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image: /media/museum/software/polymorphic_poly88_k7basic.jpg
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- title: ASSEMBLER AND MONITOR.
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subtitle: ''
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text: These tools were delivered with each Poly 88 version.
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image: /media/museum/software/polymorphic_poly88_k7asm.jpg
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emulators:
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- title: Bob Bybee's PolyMorphic Emulator program
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url: http://www.bybeeweb.com/pm.htm
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platform: MS DOS
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text: Polymorphic systems emulator !
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links:
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- title: Polymorphic documentation
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url: http://www.hartetechnologies.com/manuals/PolyMorphic/
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text: ''
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- title: www.retrotechnology.com
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url: http://www.retrotechnology.com/restore/poly_restore.html
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text: A page dedicated to the restoration of a Poly 88
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related:
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- /museum/polymorphic-system-8813
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oc_id: 563
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230531223712/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=563
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date: '2023-05-31'
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---
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The POLY 88 was a S-100 bus based computer sold in kit or assembled versions. The small case could receive the 8080 CPU board and three additional S-100 cards. Daughter boards were provided by Polymorphic to expand system capacities: video, keyboard, serial and cassette interfaces.
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The system was also compatible with Altair peripherals. Originally, the computer was sold with the name "Micro-Altair", but MITS (the Altair manufacturer) required to change it quickly. So the company name became Polymorphic and its first computer, the POLY 88.
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In 1976, five versions were proposed:\
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**System 1** Kit version including 512 bytes RAM, 1 Kb. ROM monitor, 16 lines x 32 chars. video interface, keyboard input port and power supply. ($595)\
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**System 2** System 1 plus 64 chars. per line option and cassette interface kit. ($690)\
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**System 3** System 2 plus 8 Kb. of RAM, Basic and Assembler programs on cassette tape. ($990)\
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**System 4** Complete kit including System 3 plus TV monitor, keyboard and cassette recorder ($1350)\
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**System 7** System 4 assembled and ready to use. ($1350)
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Thanks to **Leon H. Schindel** for his invaluable help
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<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>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.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>
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