website/content/museum/basis-108.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
BASIS 108	Computers	Professional Computer	Germany	1982	6502	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts oc_id source BASIS 108 /media/museum/photos/basis_108.jpg /companies/basis BASIS label value NAME BASIS 108 label value MANUFACTURER Basis label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Germany label value YEAR 1982 label value KEYBOARD Detached full-stroke keyboard (AZERTY/QWERTY), 100 keys\ 15 functions keys, separated numeric keypad and editing keypad label value CPU 6502 and Zilog Z80 (For CP/M compatibility) label value CO-PROCESSOR None label value RAM 128 kb (two switchable 64k banks) label value ROM 12 kb label value TEXT MODES 40 x 24 / 80 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES 280 x 192 / 280 x 160 / 80 x 48 / 40 x 48 label value COLORS 6 for the two first graphic modes and 15 for the other ones label value SOUND 1 voice label value SIZE / WEIGHT Heavy ! label value I/O PORTS Centronics , RS232c , Tape, Joystick, six Apple II slots, video RGB, video composite label value BUILT IN MEDIA Two 5.25'' disk-drives (optional) label value OS CP/M 3.0+ or CP/M 2.2 - DOS 3.2 or DOS 3.3 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply label value PERIPHERALS Most of the Apple II extensions... label value PRICE 2290 (France, 1983) photos adverts 107 title subtitle text image INSIDE Once the Basis 108 is opened the power supply (top left), mother board (top right), two disk-drives (bottom left and right) and speaker (between the two disk-drives) are easily recognizable. /media/museum/photos/basis_108_inside.jpg title subtitle text image FIRST U.S. AD (1982) A discreet advert and a nice monitor. /media/museum/pubs/basis_108_uspub_1.jpg title subtitle text image U.S. AD (1983) The Basis 108. Microcomputin'g "Best Of Both Worlds" /media/museum/pubs/basis_108_uspub_2.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH AD #1 ''The European Alternative'' ! The Basis 108 was sold in France by BMI. /media/museum/pubs/basis_108_pub_alternative.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH AD #2 ''The memory tool'' /media/museum/pubs/basis_108_pub_outil-memoire.jpg 92 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608082659/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=92 2023-06-08

This professional computer was compatible with most of the hardware and software designed for the Apple II.

It could run under DOS 3.x, but thanks to its second CPU, a Z80 processor, it could also run under CP/M.

The Basis 108 had 128 KB RAM, (two switchable memory banks of 64k).

Two 5"1/4 disk-drives (Apple compatible) could also be mounted inside the computer. In the picture, these are Apple Disk II drives.

The Basis 108 was a good Apple II compatible machine with a lot of options built-in (80 columns, disk-drives controller, CP/M, high-resolution graphics), and was cheaper than the equivalent Apple system...

A year after introduction, the Basis Junior was presented at various different electronic shows. It was basically the same computer but with only 64 KB RAM (with optional expansion to 128k).