website/content/museum/computer-devices-incorporated-dot.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
COMPUTER DEVICES INCORPORATED DOT	Computers	Pocket	U.S.A.	1983	Intel 8088	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos oc_id source DOT /media/museum/photos/dot_computer.jpg /companies/computer-devices-incorporated COMPUTER DEVICES INCORPORATED label value NAME DOT label value MANUFACTURER Computer Devices Incorporated label value TYPE Pocket label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR may 1983 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke 89 keys with numeric keypad and 10 function keys label value CPU Intel 8088 (16-bit cpu) label value SPEED 5 Mhz label value CO-PROCESSOR optional Intel 8087 math co-processor, optional Z80 board for CP/M compatibility label value RAM 64 KB or 128KB of main user RAM expandable to 256KB on a single board (optional 64K OEM unit). Up to 704KB of main memory with an expander board. 2KB of static RAM memory for terminal configuration label value VRAM 32 KB label value ROM 24 KB or 64 KB depending models label value TEXT MODES 40 columns x 25 or 16 lines / 80 x 25-16 / 132 x 25-16 label value GRAPHIC MODES 40 x 16 / 40 x 25 / 320 x 200 / 640 x 200 / 512 x 254 / 1024 x 254 / 1056 x 254 label value COLORS Monochrome label value SOUND Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT 46 x 38 x 19 cm / 19 Kg label value I/O PORTS Two expansion slots, two RS232/V24 ports, external monitor, parallel port optional label value BUILT IN MEDIA one or two 3.5'' floppy disk drives (287 KB each); average acces time: 365 ms; transfer rate: 500 KB/s label value OS MS DOS label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit, 100w label value PERIPHERALS Embedded printer, 2 x Serial RS-232 ports, Z80 card, built-in 300/1200 bauds modem, IBM 3780 & 327x compatible boards label value PRICE From $2995 to $3997, depending upon options photos 129 title subtitle text image THE DOT COMPUTER /media/museum/photos/dot2.jpg title subtitle text image THE DOT LOGO /media/museum/photos/dot3.jpg title subtitle text image HAPPY GUY /media/museum/photos/cdi_dot_pub_2.jpg 116 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230330085435/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=116 2023-03-30

The DOT was a portable IBM PC compatible computer. It was the last portable computer developed by Computer Devices Incorporated (CDI) back in 1981-1983. It followed the example of the Osborne systems, its main competitors. But while most other transportable systems were powered by 8-bit microprocessors, the DOT used a "powerful" 16-bit Intel 8088.

It has a wide built-in 5 x 9" green monochrome display which can display up to 1056 x 254 pixels or 132 x 25 characters. There are 256 characters from the original IBM PC character set for compatibility, as well as 256 more characters for double size displays. The DOT features a real time clock. One or two (depending models) 3.5'' Sony disk drives were mounted inside the system (287 KB each).

An optional Zilog Z80 expansion board allowing to run CP/M 2.2 was also available.

There is also an optional thermal printer (160 cps) mounted on top of the monitor, which can print everything displayed on the screen. It can also be remotely operated through 1200 baud line. Here are the Printer characteristics :

- Print method: Thermal, with a 5 x 10 dot matrix
- Print speed: 160 characters per second bidirectional
- Paper: 8 3/4 " wide, thermal paper; 150' or 100' roll with last 5' color coded
- Line length (characters): 80/132 columns, selectable
- Automatic carriage return and line feed: At 81st or 137th column
- Character spacing: Vertical - 6 lines per inch Horizontal 80 column: 10 . 7 characters/inch 132 column: 18.4 characters/inch
- Graphics density: Vertical - 64 dots per inch Horizontal - 64 or 128 dots per inch
- Paper feeds : friction drive, 30 line feeds per second

This is some of the software available: MS-DOS, CP/M (optional), assembler, Basic, Fortran, Cobol, Pascal, C, macro-assembler, Pearl, Record Manager, terminal emulation (TTY, IBM 3101, 327x, 3780, VT100), mailing, Volkswriter (wordprocessor), Multiplan, Time Manager, Project Manager...