website/content/museum/gemini-galaxy.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Gemini GALAXY	Computers	Professional Computer	United Kingdom	1983	Zilog Z80A	name image company company_name specs tabs photos adverts links comments oc_id source GALAXY /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy2_system_s1.jpg /companies/gemini Gemini label value NAME GALAXY label value MANUFACTURER Gemini label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR 1983 label value KEYBOARD Full stroke keyboard with numeric keypad label value CPU Zilog Z80A label value CO-PROCESSOR second Zilog Z80A running the 'programmable' video card (Called the IVC). label value RAM 64 KB dynamic label value VRAM 2 KB label value ROM 2 KB Phantom Bootstrap ROM label value TEXT MODES 80 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 160 x 75 label value COLORS Unknown label value I/O PORTS Centronics, RS232, Light Pen, Tape label value BUILT IN MEDIA Two 5.25'' disk-drives label value OS CP/M 2.2 and MP/M label value POWER SUPPLY Unknown label value PRICE Unknown photos adverts links title subtitle text image GEMINI CATALOG, 1985 Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s1.jpg title subtitle text image GEMINI CATALOG #2 Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s2.jpg title subtitle text image GEMINI CATALOG #3 Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s3.jpg title subtitle text image GEMINI CATALOG #4 Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s4.jpg title subtitle text image GEMINI CATALOG #5 Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_catalog_s5.jpg title subtitle text image PRICE LIST, NOV. 1985 Prices are given in UK pounds. Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_pricelist_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PRICE LIST #2 Thanks to **Henk Bekkers** /media/museum/photos/gemini_galaxy_pricelist_s2.jpg title subtitle text image UK ADVERT, OCT. 1983 /media/museum/pubs/gemini_galaxy2_pub_s1.jpg title subtitle text image UK ADVERT #2 Close-up of the previous advert showing the various cards of the Gemini 80-BUS system. /media/museum/pubs/gemini_galaxy2_pub_s2.jpg title url text 80 BUS http://www.80bus.com Lots of things about Gemini & Nascom title url text MIXTEL http://www.mixtel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Info about Gemini & Nascom author date text John Newcombe (West Berkshire) Sunday 9th May 2021 To Peter Harding: I would be very interested in the keyboard. I am trying to preserve what I can and have assembled a small collection of Galaxy parts. I am missing the keyboard you mention. author date text John Newcombe (West Berkshire) Sunday 9th May 2021 To Peter Harding: I would be very interested in the keyboard. I am trying to preserve what I can and have assembled a small collection of Galaxy parts. I am missing the keyboard you mention. author date text Peter Harding (Southampton, UK) Tuesday 4th August 2020 I have a Galaxy 1 keyboard (without numeric pad) which I bought with a job lot of other computer stuff at an auction some 30 odd years ago. It has a 15 pin D connector which I presume was used before keyboard connectors were standardised across manufacturers. Is it something you would like? author date text John Newcombe (United Kingdom) Sunday 9th June 2019 I am very keen to gather and archive as much Gemini software and documentation as I can. These were great machines, however, very little seems to have been kept over the years. If you can help me preserve this stuff for future generations, please get in touch via john.newcombe@me.com or this forum. If you can author date text Paul Terrey (U.K.) Friday 9th February 2018 I still have a Gemini Galaxy 2 (GM905) which I used for many years to design printed circuit boards. It is installed with a Pluto IO828 graphics board which ran a CAD-8 design software package. I also have lots of documentation including catalogues, price lists and original advertising material. author date text Noel Marshall (United Kingdom) Wednesday 29th March 2017 My father, John Marshall, was the founder of NASCOM and then Gemini. I remember this great lump of a computer very well. We had one at home that I was not allowed to use! I never really inherited my father''s interest in technology and to me I still find iphones and PCs a thing of mystery and frustration. I was fascinated to find this article. My father passed away a few years ago now but I think about him all the time. It is lovely being able to read things like this and to realise there are still some of them out there, even if they are in garages or boxes. author date text Svend Saustrup (Denmark) Sunday 24th July 2016 I sold quite a few of those at the time from my shop/workshop in Aarhus.\ A brilliant machine that came with all documentation - even schematics for\ all the boards in the machine. (I guess I still have the manuals somewhere).\ We used to convert them to be used for entry to professional phototypesetters.\ The MFB model was equipped with all the types of floppy drives and a program\ to analyse and setup all diskette formats. Genious !! author date text James Harrison (UK) Monday 6th September 2010 I bought a Gemini Galaxy 1 when they first were available, still have though haven''t used for many years. It was £1850 new. I wrote many programs using the language Comal which was one the software packages that came with the machinre. It had twin processors one video, one for the processing Z80a chips were used. Twin 400k floppy 5 1/4 inch drives ment quick loading. Well ahead for it''s time. I added a modem later on which I bought second hand for £40.00 so I could connect to Bulletin Boards sites. The 80 bus was a great inovated system with board sloted in to adapt the computer and CP/M was a good operating system with now blue screens. A light pen system for touch screen opertion was available also a clock board.could give date and time. author date text Robert Forsyth (Earth) Tuesday 10th October 2006 I have the bare-bones version in my garage. Mine has the IO Pluto graphics board 640x575 or 768x575 RGB (3 bit). Some CPU boards had 256kB paged memory. I also have a RAM Disk - which made WordStar fast, and the SVC video card. author date text Pete Fenelon (UK) Thursday 2nd January 2003 I briefly had a Galaxy 2 passing through my collection a few years ago - didn't have space to keep it and traded it on various kit that I needed. It was a very nice CP/M system. Three floppy drives, which was unusual. The video card was absolutely excellent - very crisp and fast - it was quite the nicest machine I've ever run WordStar on. Reasonable keyboard, nicely put-together - but obviously more expensive than the Superbrains and other CP/M boxes people tended to spend their money on. 385 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230605025122/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=385 2023-06-05

The Gemini Galaxy range of computers were of "all British" origin, being manufactured by Gemini Microcomputers Ltd., Amersham, Bucks.

Also called the 'Multiboard Microsystem', the Galaxy systems were built around the 80-BUS, specifically designed for the Z80 microprocessor. They had two Z80A processors, one acting as the CPU and the other running the 'programmable' video card (Called the IVC).

The video card memory was composed of: 2 KB Monitor ROM (SIMON), 2KB User workspace RAM (it was capable of holding user routines), 2 KB Screen RAM, 2KB character generator ROM, 2KB character generator RAM (programmable fonts). Numerous cards were available, like IEEE488 interface card, SASI floppy drive controller or colour graphics card.

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.