website/content/museum/ncr-pc4.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
NCR PC4	Computers	Professional Computer	Germany	1985	Intel 8088-2	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts comments oc_id source PC4 /companies/ncr NCR label value NAME PC4 label value MANUFACTURER NCR label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Germany label value YEAR 1985 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None - NCR GW-Basic on diskette label value KEYBOARD Full stroke 95 keys with cursor keys, numeric keypad and functions keys label value CPU Intel 8088-2 (16 bit) label value SPEED 4,77 Mhz label value CO-PROCESSOR Socket for a 8087 math coprocessor label value RAM 128 KB expandable to 640KB on the main processor board. label value VRAM 32 KB label value ROM 16 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 640 x 400 (Colour version), 720 x 348 (Monochrome version, Hercules Graphics emulation) label value COLORS 16 colours or grey shades label value SOUND Built-in speaker. 1 channel label value SIZE / WEIGHT 46 W) x 36 (D) x 38 (H) / 23 kg label value I/O PORTS 8 x ISA compatible slots, Serial and Parallel ports label value BUILT IN MEDIA 6 configurations, typicaly one 5.25'' 360 KB disk drive and one 10 MB hard-disk label value OS NCR-DOS operating system, MS-DOS label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in PSU label value PERIPHERALS Any 8-bit PC-compatible extension cards, and peripherals label value PRICE Monochrome, 1 drive, 128 KB: $2400 - 2nd drive: $425 - 64K RAM: $90 - 10 MB HDD: $2195 photos adverts title subtitle text image LARGE VIEW null title subtitle text image COLOUR VERSION Colour system running NCR-DOS user interface. null title subtitle text image MONOCHROME VERSION null title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE null title subtitle text image TOP VIEW null title subtitle text image FRONT SIDE CLOSE-UP The 360K floppy drives came from NEC. They were the best FD drives of the time. null title subtitle text image REAR SIDE **(1)** Serial DB25 connector\ **(2)** Keyboard DIN plug\ **(3)** Parallel DB25 connector\ **(4)** Oddly enough, the video cable comes out of video side to be connected to the video card null title subtitle text image INSIDE THE COLOUR VERSION **(1)** A vertical drawer holds the logic part of the computer, mainboard and expansion cards\ **(2)** Video circuitry\ **(3)** Switching power supply unit null title subtitle text image NCR LABEL null title subtitle text image PC4 MANUALS NCR binders hold diskettes and complete explanation about NCR-DOS (MS-DOS 2.11), NCR User Interface, GW-BASIC (V.3.21), Getting Started, NCR TUTOR, NCR PAL, On-line NCR HELP, and User Diagnostics. null title subtitle text image NEW-ZEALAND ADVERT (OCT. 1985) from Bits & Bytes magazine null author date text Dave (United States) Thursday 17th December 2020 My first computer was an NCR PC4. I was in a mom/pop store of some sort. Behind the counter sat the PC4. It was obvious they were getting rid of it. I offered $250. They gave it to me. It had one floppy and an aftermarket 30 MB hard drive. Obsolete even then (1990), but absolutely reliable and great for the college student that I was at the time. author date text Sebastian Blanco (uruguay) Thursday 22nd September 2016 I am currently in process of restoring one of this system, have already installed a new vga monitor inside the case but the motherboard have a DB15 connector for the power supply i need the pinout of this connector or the shematics. author date text Fred (ohio) Friday 5th August 2016 I have a DMV/ color monitor/prtr intfc/ expan mem/ all manuals /cables. I would like to sell. author date text Chris (NJ/USA) Wednesday 12th September 2012 I have a spare PC4, mono, that likely doesn''t work. But all the components, except the tube, are likely standard, so if anyone wants one they can have that much more fun fixing it! 25$ + shipping from NJ. author date text Larry (South Carolina, USA) Friday 7th May 2010 As one of three engineers responsible for the design of the PC4 I would like to clarify a few data points. The DMV, designed at our facility in Augsburg, Germany, won the German industrial design award. The DMV ran CPM and MSDOS but was not hardware compatible with the IBM PC. The PC4 was the first fully IBM PC compatible computer from NCR. It was designed and manufactured at the NCR plant in Liberty, South Carolina, USA. author date text Matthew (Ohio, US) Friday 11th June 2004 This was the very furst computer that was totally mine as a kid. I simply loved it at the time, and now seeing it again, I almost want to track one down for old times sake. The all-in-one build was such a pain to work on for even the simplest of things, but other than that, it was one hell of a little computer. This brings me back to days of Hero's Quest in whopping CGA graphics, hopping around bbs's, Norton Commander, and programming black jack in gwbasic. The big block of manuals were fantastic. I literally always had one with me, going thru page after page of dos commands. A true delight for a geek of a kid. 539 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230605040710/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=539 2023-06-05

When NCR discontinued the Decision Mate V, they released the PC4.

This was more or less a 8088 based IBM PC/XT clone. It came in six variations: monochrome or colour screen, one or two 5.25" DS-DD floppy disk drive or a half-height 10 MB hard disk in place of the second floppy drive.

It did support the IBM ISA bus, but also had an NCR proprietary expansion bus for memory and some adapters to integrate with other NCR proprietary banking and retail products. It ran a separately licensed version of MS-DOS called NCRDOS.

The later versions were called PC4/i, for (really) IBM compatible.

The PC4 won the German International Forum Design award, in 1985.

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Jon Andre Finnerud from Norway writes us:
As the local bank in my town were replacing their old computer systems, a lot of PC4's were just thrown away. I got mine from a friend working there. It was actually a PC4i, It had an internal 12" graphics display, capable of hi-res CGA-graphics. In adittion it had a standard 5,25" floppydrive and a 10MB Harddisk. The sound was the traditional beeper, with a knob in the front to adjust the volume(!) The main processor was a 8086-16bit running at 4Mhz, and i also believe i had a Z80 processor (after it failed i studied the mainboard firmly). My friend at the bank also told me that they where running CP/M on them while in use at the bank. (i never tested it myself) Sadly the internal display went dead, and since it was impossible to get a replacement, i started fiddling with the idea of somehow replace the internal display with an old IBM 12" VGA monitor i had laying. But it never happened, and i somehow managet to throw it in the garbage :-( Now i regret it, and have even been looking around for a "new" one.

Siva Balendran clarifies:
I used to work for NCR in London (UK); it was called PC4i.
The reason Jon Andre Finnerud could not connect the IBM monitor was it used a hi-res CGA-graphics card developed by NCR.
I could remember it was used there up until 2000, for running some applications.