yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
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1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
101 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
101 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Columbia Data Products MPC
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Professional Computer
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origins:
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- U.S.A.
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years:
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- '1982'
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cpus:
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- Intel 8088
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params:
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name: MPC
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image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_pc_system_1.jpg
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company: /companies/columbia-data-products
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company_name: Columbia Data Products
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: MPC
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Columbia Data Products
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- label: TYPE
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value: Professional Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: U.S.A.
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- label: YEAR
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value: June 1982
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: None
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: Full-stroke 86 keys with function keys & numeric keypad
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- label: CPU
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value: Intel 8088
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- label: SPEED
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value: 4.77 Mhz.
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- label: RAM
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value: 128 KB up to 1 MB
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- label: ROM
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value: Unknown
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 40 or 80 columns x 24 lines (MDA or CGA modes)
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: 320 or 640 x 200 dots (CGA mode)
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- label: COLORS
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value: '16'
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- label: SOUND
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value: Beeper
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: 2 x Serial RS-232, 1 x Parallel Centronics, 8 x ISA slots
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: Dual 320 KB 5'' floppy disc drives
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- label: OS
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value: MS-DOS, CP/M-86, MP/M-86, OASIS, XENIX
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Built-in power supply unit
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- label: PERIPHERALS
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value: all 8-bit PC expansion boards
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- label: PRICE
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value: |-
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$3400 - 128k memory, 2 floppies and color CGA card\
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5 MB hard drive : $1700
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tabs:
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- adverts
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forum_thread: 619
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adverts:
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- title: PREVIOUS SYSTEM
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subtitle: ''
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text: Before manufacturing the MPC, Columbia tried to sell a massive multi-user, Z80 based system.
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image: /media/museum/pubs/columbia_pc_pub_1.jpg
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- title: 'U.S. AD #1 (1982)'
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subtitle: ''
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text: Better features, cheaper price, the PC price war has just started.
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image: /media/museum/pubs/columbia_pc_pub_2.jpg
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- title: 'U.S. AD #2 (1983)'
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Advert said:
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The columbia MPC is shipped with fully suported software that will save you $3,000. Included is the entire self-teaching Perfect Software family: Perfect Writer, a word processor; Perfect Speller, a 50,000 word dictionnary; Perfect Filer, a data base manager; and Perfect Calc, a financial calculation system.
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In addition, you get MS-DOS, CP/M-86, Macro/86 assembler, BASICA, Asynchronous communication support, Diagnostics and the Columbia Tutor program...
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image: /media/museum/pubs/columbia_pc_pub_3.jpg
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oc_id: 633
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230530114140/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=633
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date: '2023-05-30'
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---
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The Columbia MPC (for Multi Personal Computer) was the first exact copy of the young IBM PC. This desktop clone version will be followed few months later by a portable version designed by the new [Compaq](/museum/compaq-portable/) company.
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Technically, there is nothing to say about this computer which hardware features are exactly the same as those of the [IBM 5150](/museum/ibm-pc-model-5150/). However, for about $1500 less, the MPC offered standard features that were optional on the IBM: 128 KB of RAM, two Serial one parallel ports and 8 ISA slots (versus the IBM-PC's five). The MPC's disk controller was integrated into the motherboard.
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As IBM didn't well protect the PC hardware and BIOS software copyrights, this first clone will be followed by many others, desktops and portables version, manufactured in numerous countries by hundreds of independant companies, all over the world.
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The Columbia company was sold in 1986 to a company based in Florida which kept the name and still exists.
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---
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**Contributors:** Joe Cassara.
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