website/content/museum/philips-p5000-series.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Philips P5000 series	Computers	Professional Computer	Netherlands	1978	Intel 8080	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos oc_id source P5000 series /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_system_s1.jpg /companies/philips Philips label value NAME P5000 series label value MANUFACTURER Philips label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Netherlands label value YEAR October 1978 label value END OF PRODUCTION Unknown label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD 82 keys with editing and cursor keys label value CPU Intel 8080 label value SPEED Unknown label value CO-PROCESSOR None label value RAM 64 KB or 128 KB label value VRAM 8 KB label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 80 columns x 28 line + 3 control lines label value GRAPHIC MODES None label value COLORS Monochrome green phosphore label value SOUND beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT main unit 56 (W) x 48 (D) x 68 (H) cm label value I/O PORTS Two parallel printer connector label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 x 8'' 300 KB floppy disc drives label value OS Proprietary OS label value POWER SUPPLY Built in power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS No extensions label value PRICE About $25,000 photos 968 title subtitle text image SYSTEM /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image DISPLAY & KEYBOARD /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_dispkeyb_s1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_keyboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE RIGHT The right part holds the power regulation card and four logic cards, from left to right:\ • Video card\ • Intel 8080 CPU and I/O card\ • Floppy drives controller card\ • 64 KB RAM card /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_insideright_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE LEFT The left side contains two Shugart 300 KB 8" floppy disc drives and a massive power transformer. /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_insideleft_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SYSTEM CARDS From top to bottom:\ • 64 KB RAM card\ • 8080 CPU and I/O card\ • FD controller card\ • Video card /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_systemcards_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR CONNECTORS Only two printer connectors and power plugs. The video cable is not removable. /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FD DRIVES The twin 8" Shugart floppy disc drives. /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_fddrives_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PHILIPS LABEL The beast was born and first used in Canada, then its owner carried it to the U.K. /media/museum/photos/philips_p5200_label_s1.jpg 994 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230607045836/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=994 2023-06-07

P5000 came in two major types. One was 8080 based, and the other was Z80 based. RAM on the 8080 was 64K, 128K on the Z80. The Z80 was used on the "twin" (two terminal and two printer) version, and the Cluster (or 4 Head/4 terminal version).

Software was remarkably efficient, copies going between the two floppies, printing, and editing all at the same time on up to 4 terminals, on an 8 bit CPU and 128K of RAM.

The software was originanally developed in Ottawa, lead by the person who would become company president. Company started as Micom, and was eventually bought by Philiips.

The pictured model is a P5004, second generation from P5002 series. This huge system (at least 50 kg) was conceived by D. K. Hammer at system software development department of Philips in Vienna, but manufactured in Canada. It was commonly connected to a Qume daysywheel printer and was used not only for word processing, but also as billing, accounting or specialized system for technical or scientific documents production.

First P5000s did not boot from a floppy but from a Magnetic card reader. The ‘Schugart’ 8” drives came later. Each 300 KB 8" floppy disc could store up to 128 A4 size pages.

There was also a P5040 third generation which looked like a modern pc. This was the last of the dedicated Philips word processors.

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Contributors: Kevin Holdaway, Kostas Kritsilas