website/content/museum/imsai-vdp-80.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
IMSAI VDP 80	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1977	Intel 8085	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos oc_id source VDP 80 /media/museum/photos/imsai_vdp80_1.jpg /companies/imsai IMSAI label value NAME VDP 80 label value MANUFACTURER IMSAI label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1977 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Full stroke keyboard label value CPU Intel 8085 label value SPEED 3 MHz label value RAM 48 or 64 KB label value ROM Bios'es were located on the VIO-C video card and the DIO-C floppy controller label value TEXT MODES 80 x 24 (with inverse video and 256 programmable characters) label value GRAPHIC MODES None label value COLORS Monochrome label value SIZE / WEIGHT 55 kg (121 lbs) label value I/O PORTS Parallel port - Serial port (asynch/synch, programmable from 0.05 to 56 Kbauds) label value BUILT IN MEDIA Two PERSCI 8 label value OS CP/M 1.4 to 2.2 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PRICE between $9,995 and $12,995, depending on RAM and FDD configuration photos 347 title subtitle text image THE VDP 80 AND ITS PERIPHERALS The VDP 80 supports up to 6 terminals or modems and four drive tapes. /media/museum/photos/imsai2.jpg title subtitle text image WOMAN USING A VDP-80 /media/museum/photos/imsai_vdp80_pub_1.jpg 343 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230401021936/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=343 2023-04-01

The IMSAI VDP-80 was the first commercially succesful business computer, accounting for almost 50% of the store sales where I worked at the time.

It was delived with 48 KB or 64 KB of RAM, and newer systems offered the Persci 299, double-sided, double density floppy drives. Both models of Persci (277 or 299) were a dual drive with a shared voice coil positioner in the center.

The primary CP/M applications were Electric Pencil or Wordstar which made them a hit in law offices. FMS-80 (database), Supercalc (spreadsheet) and Accounting Plus were also used.

Several languages were also available for this computer : BASIC (with compiler) and Fortran IV level 2 ANSI compiler.

These units were the first used by the Alexandria Police department to automate their booking and arrest database in 1978.

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Douro says :
This computer had a very simplified design; it was built around the Intel 8085. This processor contains the complete 8080 core and additional glue logic (i.e. the clock chip). The 8085 performed five times faster than the 8080 due to its smaller transistor size and the use of very large scale integration (VLSI). The CMOS version of this chip was the Oki 80C85, and the EPROM version was the 8075.

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.