yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
3eeabe9649
6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun. 4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
117 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
117 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: COMART Communicator
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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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- United Kingdom
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years:
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- '1979'
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cpus:
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- Z80-A
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params:
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name: Communicator
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company: /companies/comart
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company_name: COMART
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Communicator
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Comart
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- label: TYPE
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value: Professional Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: United Kingdom
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1979'
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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: Serial video terminal
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- label: CPU
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value: Z80-A
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- label: SPEED
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value: Unknown
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- label: RAM
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value: 64 KB
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: Depends on the video terminal used
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: 2 x Serial RS-232
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: 2 x 5.25'' floppy disc drives - 190 KB, 390 KB or 790 KB each
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- label: OS
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value: CP/M
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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: S-100 boards
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- label: PRICE
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value: $3500
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comments:
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- author: Mike Arnold (United Kingdom)
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date: Wednesday 8th December 2021
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text: I used to sell Comart and Cromemco in the 1980s. Still have some Comart parts in the attic somewhere. Much prefer Cromemco though and still have a working system from them.
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- author: Stacey (United Kingdom)
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date: Saturday 14th November 2020
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text: So weird. The man in this photo is my dad. He died 3 years ago and I miss him so much. I''d love to know who Sarah is...
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- author: Ross (United Kingdom)
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date: Monday 2nd March 2020
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text: Does anyone have any bootable software for the Communicator please?
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- author: John Adams (UK)
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date: Monday 23rd May 2016
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text: |-
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I worked in Byeshiop Manchester we sold these along side North Star Commodore Pet, Apple II, Sharp Mz80k vic20 and Cromemco.
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I still have a Communicator with 10Mb hard drive, I think it will end up at Bletchley as they said $ it off.
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I fell out with them somewhat after I set up sale to Kellogg''s to weight the frosties packets instead of them buying a harris mini, then when the guy came round to discuss the sale I was told to make the tea.
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I said to the young lad who worked Saturdays that I thought I should set up on my own, he told the owner who sacked me.
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He had previously given me my P45 when I had to visit hospital for something less than trivial.
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I am not bitter as it was a really good grounding and I have had my own Computer company ever since.
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He went on to manage Clive sinclairs z88 thing and Byteshop went on to be purchased by another company which still trades.
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- author: Paul Hindley (uk)
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date: Friday 10th July 2015
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text: One of these ran the flight display boards at Manchester Airport. I remember the screen was on top of the Base unit and would wobble. I always felt drunk after using it.
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- author: Paul Kerry (Scotland)
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date: Monday 27th October 2014
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text: |-
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I have a copy of PCW magazine from 1983 in which the CC was promoted as \*future proof\*.
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I think I''d like to upgrade mine, now. My 5mb HD isn''t particularly power-efficient, the coils which move those disk-heads make my lightbulbs dim !! $)
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- author: Sarah
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date: Friday 11th October 2013
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text: Feels strange seeing this as comart and Kode was my fathers company ....
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- author: Peter Todd (United Kingdom)
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date: Wednesday 4th September 2013
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text: |-
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Comart Ltd. CP1525M 8086
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$r79uslEWQj8
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- author: Peter Todd (UK)
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date: Wednesday 4th September 2013
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text: Footage of a Comart CP1525M is here, any information to help with restoration would be welcome - I have the CROSS montior running but no Rodime spinup.
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oc_id: 759
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608143122/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=759
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date: '2023-06-08'
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---
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Comart was the computer system group that took over the Byte Shop/Computerland chain when it had financial difficulties in the late 70s. They were a large company distributing [North Star](/museum/northstar-horizon/) systems, and similar equipments. The Communicator was their first effort in distributing a British-made system.
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The Communicator is a S-100 bus system based around a main chassis with a 10-slot-mother-board. The system had 64 KB of RAM and came with three variations of dual floppy disk drives.
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Several S-100 boards were available. They offered Viewdata/Prestel capabilities, or 18.7 MB hard disk, with 13.4 MB cartridge backup.
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The system ran CP/M operating system. A smaller system called **the Educator**, with networking facilities, was also available.
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**Chris Coggins** adds:\
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The Communicator was upgraded over several years until the Communicator was given multi-user capability by running MP/M80 but finished off running Intel 386 processors with 512 KB RAM running CCP/M86. Hard disk had grown to 40MB Rodime drive.
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David Broad sold Comart to Kode International and 2 years later it lefts it's Cambridgeshire factory and moved to Swindon. The Company went downhill, dropped the S-100 bus to use standard PC architecture but eventually closed.
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