website/content/museum/fortune-32-16.md at 7d3b1bec89221c1d2d9becd1eec26dfd08766348

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Raw Blame History

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

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FORTUNE 32:16

Computers

Professional Computer

United Kingdom

1982

Motorola 68000

name

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company

company_name

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32:16

/media/museum/photos/fortune_3216_system_1.jpg

/companies/fortune

FORTUNE

label	value
NAME	32:16

label	value
MANUFACTURER	Fortune

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TYPE	Professional Computer

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ORIGIN	United Kingdom

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YEAR	1982

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BUILT IN LANGUAGE	None

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KEYBOARD	Full-stroke 99 keys with numeric keypad and 16 function keys

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CPU	Motorola 68000

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SPEED	6 Mhz

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RAM	from 256 KB, to 2 MB (4 x 256 KB + 1 MB)

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ROM	unknown

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TEXT MODES	80 chars. x 24 lines

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GRAPHIC MODES	optional High resolution graphic card

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COLORS	Monochrome

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SOUND	Beeper

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SIZE / WEIGHT	Total system weight : 24 Kgs

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I/O PORTS	External hard-disk unit, Serial RS232 (up to 16), monochrome display

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BUILT IN MEDIA	One or two 5''1/4 800 KB FDD - Hard disk from 5 to 70 MB - optional tape unit

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OS	Berkeley BSD 4.1 Unix

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POWER SUPPLY	Built-in power supply unit

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PERIPHERALS	External hard disk, cartridge tape,

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PRICE	from $5000 to about $15000 according to hardware configuration

adverts

748

title	subtitle	text	image
UK ADVERT, OCT. 1983			/media/museum/pubs/fortune_3216_pub_s1.jpg

767

url	date
https://web.archive.org/web/20230531225206/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=767	2023-05-31

When the 32:16 was launched, Fortune Systems Corp. advertised that it was the first integrated Unix-based system for $5000. Actually, the cheaper version was a single floppy disc, single user system that was never sold. A practical small business multiuser configuation, called System 10, and including a 10 MB hard disk and 512 KB of RAM costed about $9000.

The system could support up to 4 four-port serial terminal controllers and several other peripheral controllers: storage modules, Parallel interfaces, high resolution graphic board and Ethernet network board. The keyboard was a close cousin of the Wang word-processing system one. Keys was well arranged and color coded. The system came with different hard-disk storage options, 5, 10, 20 or even 70 MB on latest models.

The Fortune 32:16 was a true multiuser multitasking Unix based system offering services that was a length ahead over CP/M's. However, both Unix and Fortune was new to most of the dealers and users. Fortune offered them training courses in hardware, operating system and application software.

A wide range of high quality business application software was available, as well as programming languages, like a very extended BASIC able to convert code written in other BASICs (AppleSoft, MBASIC, CBASIC, TRS-80 BASIC), PASCAL, FORTRAN 77, COBOL and, of course, C language.

The 32:16 was also built and sold in France by Thomson under the name of Micromega 32

3.3 KiB Raw Blame History

3.3 KiB

Raw Blame History