website/content/museum/applied-technologies-microbee-32.md

---
title: Applied Technologies Microbee 32
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Australia
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Z80 A
params:
  name: Microbee 32
  company: /companies/applied-technologies
  company_name: Applied Technologies
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Microbee 32
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Applied Technologies
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Australia
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1982'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: Microworld Level II extended Basic
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full sized, 60 keys, QWERTY standard layout
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80 A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 3.375 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: 6545 CRT controller
  - label: RAM
    value: 16 KB or 32 KB depending models (battery-backed CMOS)
  - label: ROM
    value: 16 KB (Microworld Basic) + 12 KB (for optional ROMs like word processor and telecommunications software)
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 64 x 16
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 128 x 48, 512 x 256
  - label: COLORS
    value: Yes, with later models
  - label: SOUND
    value: Internal loudspeaker, one channel, 2 octaves
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Serial RS 232, tape interface (300 and 1200 baud), composite and RGB (optional) video output, parallel port (optional on early units), expansion bus
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: External power supplu unit, 12V DC at 1.1A
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Printers, tape recorder, joystick, modem, optional colour board
  tabs:
  - photos
  - hardware
  - connectors
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: EARLY MODEL
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This is the very earliest Microbee - built from a kit and with a metal base plate, blue circuit boards and a one piece plastic case. The badge is from a later Microbee printer.

      Thanks to [Michael's Land Rover Page](http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mikeleys/microbee.html) for this picture.
    image: null
  - title: CONNECTION DIAGRAM
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: THE MICROBEE 128
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  hardware:
  - title: FDD UNIT & MODEM
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  connectors:
  - title: PARALLEL PRINTER CONNECTION
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: SERIAL PRINTER CONNECTION
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  screenshots:
  - title: EARLY MODEL BOOT SCREEN
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This is what the Microworld Basic looked like on the early machines.

      Thanks to [Michael's Land Rover Page](http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mikeleys/microbee.html) for this picture.
    image: null
  - title: BOOT SCREEN
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: LASER BLAZER
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: VIPER
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: WORD BEE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  emulators:
  - title: Picomozzi
    url: http://www2.ee.mu.oz.au/pgrad/apsh/microbee/
    platform: Windows
    text: Picomozzy is a Microbee 32 KB emulator for DOS or Windows.
  - title: MESS Emulator
    url: http://www.mess.org/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: Emulates some Microbee computers !
  - title: uBee512
    url: http://freshmeat.net/projects/ubee512
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: An emulator for the Microbee Z80 Premium/Standard FDD and ROM based microcomputers.
  links:
  - title: Microbee Archive
    url: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mikeleys/microbee.html
    text: Essential site to understand it all
  - title: MicroBee Homepage
    url: http://www.mdstud.chalmers.se/~md6cbm/bee/
    text: Short page with few software to download
  - title: Microbee Microcomputer Micro-FAQ
    url: http://www.microbee-faq.in-tl.net/
    text: very informative FAQ
  - title: Microbee official homepage
    url: http://www.microbeetechnology.com.au/
    text: Since march 2012, Microbee is relaunching a new model !
  - title: The Bee Board
    url: http://microbee.no-ip.com/beeboard/
    text: Forum and documentation repository for Microbee
  comments:
  - author: Laurie May (Australia)
    date: Sunday 20th November 2022
    text: I have a 32k Microbee but no instructions for cables etc. My grandson is interested, having done some computer studies. Where may I find such documentation?
  - author: ChickenMan (Australia)
    date: Friday 25th February 2022
    text: Happy 40th Birthday to Microbee that was initially released in the Feb 1982 issue of Your Computer. Still going strong today :)
  - author: Star wallace (Australia)
    date: Friday 7th August 2020
    text: |-
      I have one in box for sale never removed from box.

      Starnzak@gmail.com
  - author: Star wallace (Australia)
    date: Friday 7th August 2020
    text: Hi
  - author: Mark Cowan (Australia)
    date: Monday 18th May 2020
    text: I remember these from my primary school years. We thought they were crap but it seems the real problem was teacher training. I recently watched a YouTube video of a guy demonstrating them and it looks like they were actually much better computers than anything we ever saw.
  - author: Vex (Australia)
    date: Friday 6th February 2015
    text: Had one of these as a kid did any of you play that yacht around Australia game where you had to type in distance+compass direction,,,I think been about 25 years since I played. What about that one where you were some manner of cargo ship captain going from port to port in trade hoping to avoid pirates but if you were really lucky you had the opportunity to bribe the pirate boss at the beginning of the game? So many memories so few names to stick on them
  - author: Benjamin Ashcroft (Newcastle, NSW, Australia)
    date: Thursday 14th August 2014
    text: |-
      OMG. I remember this computer well. I was around 2 years old when my parents got this computer direct from the manufacturer down in Hornsby.\
      We had the version with the tape deck and programs usually took about half an to load. My first game I ever played was Frogger in green screen....I also remember playing a game that involved going around a set course and you had to avoid hitting the sides or any obstacles dotted around the course but I can''t remember the name of it!!!
  - author: Michael Tooth
    date: Sunday 29th June 2014
    text: |-
      Had several Microbees$ one was the Computer-in-a-Book CPM other wise known as the "Chook in a book" because of its drive noise\
      Great fun
  - author: Shane Doyle (Australia)
    date: Tuesday 17th July 2012
    text: I remember building one of these when they came out. Used to write software for them for a guy named Peter Sinke who had a computer shop and sold the Microbees and the software I wrote. Great fun at the time, miss those old DIY days !
  - author: microbee
    date: Sunday 22nd April 2012
    text: Microbees are back, check out http://www.microbeetechnology.com.au/
  - author: Scott Tester (Sydney Australia)
    date: Saturday 9th August 2003
    text: Is there any place that I can download the manual for the microbee 32k. I'm looking for the exact code to the guessing game that was found in the manual.
  related:
  - /museum/applied-technologies-microbee-128
  oc_id: 287
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608205850/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=287
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

Around 1978 Owen Hill teamed up with an electronic components company, Applied Technology of Hornsby (Sydney), to build a small computer he had designed. Applied Technology had been previously producing kits in Australia for S-100 boards. The Microbee was released as a kit in 1982 on the cover of **Your Computer magazine**, the manual was included free with the magazine. They were an immediate hit, being quite a powerful little system given the cost.

Applied Technology eventually changed their name to Microbee Systems, and sold ready-made versions. Their main market (especially for the 32) were Australian schools, which had the Microbee recommended as the preferred system.

Over the years there has been several versions of the Microbee 32. The early ones (PLUS series) had monochrome display and clock rate at 2 Mhz. Later ones (Colour/IC series), from june 1983, included colour and 3.375 Mhz clock rate.

**Different models:**

\- 32k Home built - 2mHz clock, Z80\
\- 32k IC (with EDASM) - 3.375 mHz clock. All later Z80 Microbees would run at this speed though many were over clocked up to 6 mHz.\
\- 32k Personal Communicator (with Basic, Telcom terminal program and Wordbee - a word processor in ROM)\
\- 32k PC85 (Word processor, Basic, Spreadsheet, Database in ROM) - the last of the line for ROM based machines - very neat and with built in networking.

The Microbee 32 was followed by Microbee 56, 64 and 128 models. There were all disk based systems using CP/M. The Microbee 128 was intended as a high-end business system. There were also two really keen prototype systems, the Gamma and the Delta, which were intended to compete with the [Amigas](/museum/commodore-amiga-1000/), but problems within the company led to their cancellation not long before the company's collapse.