yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
3eeabe9649
6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun. 4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
116 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
116 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: QUAY Corporation 500 Series
|
|
categories:
|
|
- Computers
|
|
types:
|
|
- Professional Computer
|
|
origins:
|
|
- U.S.A.
|
|
years:
|
|
- '1980'
|
|
cpus:
|
|
- Z-80A
|
|
params:
|
|
name: 500 Series
|
|
company: /companies/quay-corporation
|
|
company_name: QUAY Corporation
|
|
specs:
|
|
- label: NAME
|
|
value: 500 Series
|
|
- label: MANUFACTURER
|
|
value: QUAY Corporation
|
|
- label: TYPE
|
|
value: Professional Computer
|
|
- label: ORIGIN
|
|
value: U.S.A.
|
|
- label: YEAR
|
|
value: '1980'
|
|
- label: END OF PRODUCTION
|
|
value: '1989'
|
|
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
|
|
value: None
|
|
- label: KEYBOARD
|
|
value: Depends on the terminal used
|
|
- label: CPU
|
|
value: Z-80A
|
|
- label: SPEED
|
|
value: 4 Mhz.
|
|
- label: RAM
|
|
value: 32 KB expandable up to 64 KB
|
|
- label: TEXT MODES
|
|
value: Video terminal
|
|
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
|
|
value: 16" x 18" x 6"
|
|
- label: I/O PORTS
|
|
value: Disc Drive Expansion connector, 3 x Serial Ports, Parallel printer connector
|
|
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
|
|
value: Dual 200 KB or 400 KB floppy drives
|
|
- label: OS
|
|
value: CP/M
|
|
- label: POWER SUPPLY
|
|
value: Built-in P.S.U.
|
|
- label: PERIPHERALS
|
|
value: RS232C & TTY serial port compatible product
|
|
- label: PRICE
|
|
value: |-
|
|
Model 500 : $2500\
|
|
Model 520 : $4600 list (but usually sold to OEM's for 30%-40% - $3200 less)
|
|
tabs:
|
|
- photos
|
|
- adverts
|
|
photos:
|
|
- title: MODEL 520
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
|
|
image: null
|
|
- title: LEFT SIDE
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
|
|
image: null
|
|
- title: REAR
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: |-
|
|
From left to right:
|
|
|
|
\- big fan\
|
|
\- disc drive expanson connector\
|
|
\- 3 x serial ports\
|
|
\- parallel line printer connector
|
|
|
|
Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
|
|
image: null
|
|
- title: INSIDE MODEL 520
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: Thanks to Phillip Good for this picture
|
|
image: null
|
|
- title: MODEL 500
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: ''
|
|
image: null
|
|
adverts:
|
|
- title: U.S. ADVERT (1980)
|
|
subtitle: ''
|
|
text: |-
|
|
Advert said:
|
|
|
|
The facts speak for themselves. The QUAY 500 SERIES offers more for the money than North Star Horizon computers...
|
|
|
|
...The bottom line is simple. There is a new star in the computer field. The 500 SERIES by Quay. It outshines all of the competition.
|
|
|
|
A little pretentious tone!
|
|
image: null
|
|
oc_id: 577
|
|
source:
|
|
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230323152424/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=577
|
|
date: '2023-03-23'
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
The QUAY 500 was a clone of the [North Star Horizon](/museum/northstar-horizon/) offering some technical improvements compared to its competitor: a standalone single-board instead of a backplane and several S-100 boards, Direct Memory Access for better disk access performance, on-board expansion capabilities for additional parallel and serial port and higher disk capacity.
|
|
|
|
The 500 model was sold with two 200 KB double density 5"1/4 floppy drives, the 520 model with two quad density 400 KB drives.
|
|
|
|
In spite of these technical advantages and a price 20% lower than North Star's similar models, the Quay 500 series do not seem to have been marketed for long.
|
|
|
|
**Phillip Good** comments:\
|
|
The Quay computer was not sold to consumers but to OEM's who would package it around some kind of accounting package and sell it to professionals--accountants, dentists, physicians, and so forth for use in their offices. Its wooden case was intended and succeeded in making it look professional in contrast to the rinky tink plastic and metal contraptions which are standard today.
|