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
267 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
267 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Thomson TO 9
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Home Computer
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origins:
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- France
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years:
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- '1985'
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cpus:
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- Motorola 6809 e
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params:
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name: TO 9
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company: /companies/thomson
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company_name: Thomson
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: TO 9
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Thomson
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- label: TYPE
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value: Home Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: France
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1985'
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- label: CPU
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value: Motorola 6809 e
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- label: SPEED
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value: 1 MHz
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- label: RAM
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value: 128 KB (107 KB for the user)
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- label: ROM
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value: 136 KB
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 40 x 24 / 80 x 24
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: 320 x 200 (16 colors) / 640 x 200 (2 colors) / 320 x 200 (4 colors) / 160 x 200
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- label: COLORS
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value: from 2 to 16 among 4096
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- label: SOUND
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value: three channels, 7 octaves
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Light Pen, Joystick, Mouse, Centronics, Cardridge, Audio, Bus slots (3)
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: One 3.5'' disk-drive
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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- hardware
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- emulators
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- links
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- videos
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photos:
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- title: ANOTHER VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: TOP VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: MAIN UNIT
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subtitle: ''
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text: With external 3.5" FDD unit
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image: null
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- title: FRONT PANEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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From left to right:\
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• ROM cartridges housing\
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• Reset switch\
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• Keyboard RJ11 plug\
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• Light pen DIN plug\
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• Tape recorder DIN plug
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image: null
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- title: KEYBOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: REAR SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** TV aerial output, not installed on this French version\
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**(2)** Sound output\
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**(3)** Scart connector. A TV set or colour moniteur could be used in RGB mode\
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**(4)** Printer connector\
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**(5)** Connector for an external floppy drive unit\
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**(6)** I/O module connectors (Serial interface, joysticks,...)
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image: null
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- title: MONITOR REAR SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: The Thomson monitor offered a headphone output as well as numerous screen adjustments, among them one adjustment for each RGB colour.
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image: null
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- title: INSIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: The case was originally designed to receive a 5.25" floppy drive. The 5.25" housing have been adapted to receive a 3.5" drive just before mass production.
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image: null
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- title: MAINBOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** 128 KB RAM chips (16x4464)\
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**(2)** Custom Thomson gate array chip\
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**(3)** FDD controller chips. They have probably been changed at the last time, when Thomson designers chose a 3.5" FDD instead of a 5.25"\
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**(4)** External FDD connector\
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**(5)** Printer connector\
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**(6)** BASICs and file management ROMs\
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**(7)** Motorola MC6809EP processor\
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**(8)** Motorola 6821 PIA chip\
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**(9)** Monitor ROM\
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**(10)** Reset switch\
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**(11)** Motorola 6850 ACIA chip in charge of keyboard and light pen management\
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**(12)** 6846 PIA/timer and ROM chip used, inter alia, for ROM cartridge and keyboard management\
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**(13)** ROM cartridges connector\
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**(14)** Switching power supply unit
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image: null
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- title: BOOT SCREEN
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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When the T09 is switched on, the boot screen offers several options:\
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**\[1\]** "Fiches et Dossiers" database\
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**\[2\]** "Paragraphe" word processor\
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**\[3\]** Microsoft BASIC 128 KB\
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**\[4\]** Microsoft BASIC 1.0, TO7 compatible\
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**\[5\]** User adjustments\
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**\[6\]** Diskette files management
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If a ROM cartridge is inserted, an additional option allows to run the ROM program.
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image: null
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adverts:
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- title: FRENCH ADVERT (DEC. 1985)
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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"9990 francs the TO9. Colors included"
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"Thomson. All the world in a present"
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image: null
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- title: FRENCH ADVERT (APRIL 1987)
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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"You're never so well served than by yourself..."
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"...create your own micro-server on Thomson."
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image: null
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hardware:
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- title: THOMSON JOYSTICKS
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: 3.5'' FD UNIT
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subtitle: Ref. DD09-350
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: 5.25'' DISK DRIVE
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subtitle: 320 KB model
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text: This 5.25'' disk-drive offers a 320 KB capacity (40 tracks > 16 sectors > 256 bytes) and a built-in controller.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_diskdrive_2.jpg
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- title: DISK CONTROLLER
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subtitle: CD 90-351
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text: This interface was used to connect a disk drive or a Quick Disc Drive (QDD) to a TO-7, TO-7/70, MO5 or MO6.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_disk-interface.jpg
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- title: JOYSTICK MODULE
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subtitle: ''
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text: Dual Atari compatible joysticks module
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_joymodule_1.jpg
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- title: MUSIC & GAME MODULE
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subtitle: CM 90-112
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text: This module offers two joystick connectors (Videopac joysticks can be used) and adds three channels to the TO-7 or MO-5 (resulting in a total of 4 voices). Sadly, these new sound features were scarcely used in games...
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-interface.jpg
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- title: 'MUSIC & GAME MODULE #2'
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_musicetjeu_s1.jpg
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- title: ORDI 94
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subtitle: Joystick Interface
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text: This interface enables Atari joysticks to be used with TO-7, TO-7/70 and MO5. It was sold by Ordivisuel under the name Ordi 94.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-atari.jpg
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- title: PRINTER PR-90 080
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subtitle: ''
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text: 80 columns dot-matrix printer which was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-80
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_imp_pr90-080.jpg
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- title: PRINTER PR-90 600
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subtitle: ''
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text: 80-column 9-pin dot matrix printer. A rebadged version of the Seikosha SP-1000 with graphics capabilities
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image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_imppr90_600_1.jpg
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emulators:
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- title: DCMO5
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url: http://dcmo5.free.fr/
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platform: Windows
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text: Thomson MO5 emulator for PC
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- title: DCMO5 Gamer Edition
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url: HTTP://DCMO5.FREE.FR
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platform: Windows
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text: Easy to use emulator, to run MO5 games without knowing MO5 commands
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- title: DCMO6
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url: http://dcmo6.free.fr/
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platform: Windows
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text: Thomson MO5NR, Thomson MO6 and Olivetti Prodest PC128 emulator for PC
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- title: DCMOTO
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url: http://dcmoto.free.fr/
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platform: Windows
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text: Universal 8-bit Thomson emulator for Windows. Emulates Thomson MO5, MO5E, MO5NR, MO6, T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D, TO9, TO9+ and Olivetti Prodest PC128 !
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- title: DCTO7 and DCTO8
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url: http://dcto7.free.fr/
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platform: Windows
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text: Thomson T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D emulator for Windows
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- title: TODC
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url: http://www.jplang.fr.st/
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platform: Other platform
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text: No, you are not dreaming. This is a TO-7/70 emulator for the Dreamcast game system !
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links:
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- title: AmiTO8
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url: http://membres.lycos.fr/amito8/data/Accueil.html
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text: Amiga / Thomson dedicated site. Some original stuff there!
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- title: Christophe's Lair
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url: http://lair.thomsonistes.org/
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text: Lot of stuff here, a must see site (french)
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- title: Collection Thomson
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url: http://gfournier.free.fr/
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text: Another great site with tons of documentation
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- title: DCMOTO
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url: http://dcmoto.free.fr/
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text: Excellent site !! Home of the DCMOTO emulator. Lot od documentations and software to download. A must see !
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- title: Forum Thomson
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url: http://forumthomson2001.free.fr/forum01.htm
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text: Get in contact with other Thomson fans (in french)
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- title: MOTO, le site Des micros Thomsons
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url: http://www.multimania.com/tonews/
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text: Some info about the Thomson computers (french)
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- title: Nostalgies Thomsonistes
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url: http://nostalgies.thomsonistes.org/
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text: Excellent site dedicated to Thomson computers (french)
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- title: Thomatoes
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url: http://wiki.forler.ch
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text: Thomson Wiki
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- title: www.logicielsmoto.com
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url: http://www.logicielsmoto.com/home.php
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text: Fantastic site! Very big software library and much more!
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videos:
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- title: MO5 french TV commercial
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url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPr7NeqMobc
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text: 'Length: 31 s'
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related:
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- /museum/olivetti-prodest-pc-128
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- /museum/thomson-mo-5
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- /museum/thomson-mo-6
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- /museum/thomson-mo5-e
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- /museum/thomson-mo5-nr
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- /museum/thomson-to-7
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- /museum/thomson-to-7-70
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- /museum/thomson-to-8-to-8d
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- /museum/thomson-to-9-plus
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oc_id: 239
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608080739/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=239
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date: '2023-06-08'
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---
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The Thomson TO9 had a short career and was quickly replaced with the [Thomson TO9](/museum/thomson-to-9-plus/) plus.
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It was designed to be a "super" [Thomson TO 7-70](/museum/thomson-to-7/) and has lost of its characteristics. Some options were available : RS232c and joystick connector, modem or genlock. Notice that the very first version of the TO 9 (never marketed) had a 5.25" floppy disk drive.
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Contrary to the next Thomson series which have a sophisticated memory management, the TO 9 upper 64 KB ram are used as a ramdisk.
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It is provided with several utilities in ROM : two basics, a word processor (paragraphe) and a data base (fiche & dossiers), there were some problems with these utilities which couldn't be easy updated.
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