website/content/museum/proteus-international-proteus-iii.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
PROTEUS INTERNATIONAL Proteus III	Computers	Home Computer	France	1978	Motorola 6800	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts oc_id source Proteus III /media/museum/photos/proteus_iii_2s.jpg /companies/proteus-international PROTEUS INTERNATIONAL label value NAME Proteus III label value MANUFACTURER Proteus International label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN France label value YEAR 1978 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Extended Basic label value KEYBOARD Full stroke keyboard, 53 keys label value CPU Motorola 6800 label value SPEED 0.894 MHz label value RAM Proteus III-A : 16 KB\ Proteus III-B : 32 KB label value VRAM 1 KB label value ROM 8 KB (Basic) label value TEXT MODES 16 x 64 label value GRAPHIC MODES Unknown label value COLORS monochrome label value SOUND Unknown label value I/O PORTS Tape (300 bauds), Video output (RF), V24 serial connector, RS232, printer serial connector label value POWER SUPPLY Unknown label value PERIPHERALS disk-drives, printer, tape recorder label value PRICE Proteus III A : 8 820 FF (France, 1979)\ Proteus III B : 10 758 FF (France, 1979) photos adverts 207 title subtitle text image PROTEUS III /media/museum/photos/proteus_iii_2.jpg title subtitle text image DRAWING This is an artist impression of the Proteus III, which might not be exactly like the real system... /media/museum/photos/proteus_iii_1.jpg title subtitle text image COMPLETE SYSTEM Proteus III + monitor + disk-drive + printer + tape-recorder /media/museum/photos/proteus_iii_3.jpg title subtitle text image SYSTEM DIAGRAM Proteus system diagram. This diagram was actually a copy of the Proteus III sold in kit form by the French magazine Microsystème, and called Microsystème 1.\ More information, as well as the binary content of the 8 BASIC EPROMs can be downloaded here.\ Thanks to M. Lahaye from Belgium who sent us this information along with the following comment:\ *Eprom1 to eprom8 is the binary content. It is orininaly delivered on 8 EPROMs of 1 Kbytes (27808). A hard error of tangent is present so I fix it but I must limit the length of the presentation message to recover a few bytes. It is the eprom 1b and 8b.*\ *The pdf is the 3 pages of the magazine with the first article. This is enough if someone want to rebuilt the system as you will find the i/o addresses.* /media/museum/photos/proteus_iii_systemdiagram_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (1979) /media/museum/pubs/proteus_iii_pub_1.jpg 197 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604070352/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=197 2023-06-04

Little is known about this computer. Help welcomed.

The Proteus III was apparently made in France. It is powered by a Motorola 6800 CPU. There were two models : Proteus III A with 16 KB RAM, and Proteus III B with 32 KB RAM. There was even a third version (Proteus III C ?) with 48 KB RAM.

It can display 16 lines by 64 characters but has no specific graphical resolution, only semi-graphic characters which can be used to simulate graphics.

5.25'' disk-drives (Double Density) were available as an option. You could also connect a serial printer and tape recorder.

The extended Basic is stored in ROM and thus available as soon as the system is powered on. It has no edition feature but detect errors while typing commands.

It had apparently no great success as its main competitors were Apple II, Commodore PET and Tandy TRS-80 Model I.

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.