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yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import) 
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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
2026-10-13 17:26:43 +02:00

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---
title: Applied Technologies Microbee 128
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Australia
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- Z80A
params:
name: Microbee 128
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_system_s1.jpg
company: /companies/applied-technologies
company_name: Applied Technologies
specs:
- label: NAME
value: Microbee 128
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Applied Technologies
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: Australia
- label: YEAR
value: '1984'
- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
value: None
- label: KEYBOARD
value: QWERTY 64-key full-stroke keyboard with arrow keys
- label: CPU
value: Z80A
- label: SPEED
value: 3.375 MHz
- label: RAM
value: 128 KB
- label: VRAM
value: 16 KB
- label: ROM
value: 4 KB BIOS + 4 KB FDD controller
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 64 x 16 (Microbee BASIC) - 80 x 24 (CP/M
- label: GRAPHIC MODES
value: 512 x 256 (2 colours), 128 x 48 (16 colours)
- label: COLORS
value: '16'
- label: SOUND
value: Built-in 1 canal loudspeaker
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: 35.5 (W) x 23 (D) x 5.5 (H) cm
- label: I/O PORTS
value: Power/Video/tape, Expansion/drive Interface, Serial ,Parallel, RGB, Optional user ports
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: Dual 5.25''Single Sided Drives (386 KB) or 3.5'' DS/SD (776 KB)
- label: OS
value: CP/M 2.2
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: Switching PSU built-in the FDD unit
- label: PERIPHERALS
value: EPROM programmer
- label: PRICE
value: Unknown
tabs:
- photos
- adverts
- hardware
- connectors
- software
- emulators
- links
forum_thread: 457
photos:
- title: FRONT VIEW
subtitle: ''
text: The Premium machines often had key switch problems. Several keys of this machine had to be repaired.
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_frontview_s1.jpg
- title: TOP VIEW
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_topview_s1.jpg
- title: LEFT & RIGHT SIDES
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_bothsides_s1.jpg
- title: 'WITH FDD UNIT #1'
subtitle: ''
text: This FDD unit version holds two 776 KB 3.5" double sized single density floppy-disk drives.
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_withfdunit_s1.jpg
- title: 'WITH FDD UNIT #2'
subtitle: ''
text: This version uses two 386 KB 5.25" 360 KB double sided single density drives.
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_fdunit5_s1.jpg
- title: RUNNING SYSTEM
subtitle: ''
text: The Microbee is running the Microbee demonstration disk.
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_demoscreenshot_s1.jpg
- title: REAR SIDE
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** Multi-function DIN socket used to supply power from the FD unit, also for composite B/W video and tape recorder outputs. The second DIN hole isn't used\
**(2)** Expansion connector used to connect de floppy-disk drives\
**(3)** Serial DB25 connector\
**(4)** I/O DB15 connector\
**(5)** RGB video output connector, compatible with colour CGA monitors.
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_rearside_s1.jpg
- title: MAINBOARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
The mainboard is normally covered by the piggyback RAM card. Keyboard's keys are soldered upon the mainboard.\
**(1)** 6545 video chipset. First IBM PC video cards used the same chipset\
**(2)** Z80A PIO used for various I/O. Here a Sharp LH0081A version\
**(3)** Nec D780C, one of the numerous Z80 clones of the Z80 CPU\
**(4)** 4 KB BIOS ROM\
**(5)** 16 KB Video RAM (2x3264 chips)
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_inside_s1.jpg
- title: RAM CARD
subtitle: ''
text: |-
**(1)** RAM management ROM\
**(2)** 128 KB RAM chips (16x4164)\
**(3)** Western Digital floppy drives controller\
**(4)** Provision is made for two user ports chips.
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_inside_s2.jpg
- title: MANUALS
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_manuals_s1.jpg
- title: BOXES
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/microbee_premium_boxes_s1.jpg
adverts:
- title: AUSTRALIAN ADVERT (1987)
subtitle: ''
text: Thanks to John Kahler for this picture
image: /media/museum/pubs/microbee_pub_aus_1.jpg
hardware:
- title: FDD UNIT & MODEM
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/applied_microbee_fddmodem_1.jpg
- title: BEEMODEM
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/hardware/microbee_premium_beemodem_s1.jpg
connectors:
- title: PARALLEL PRINTER CONNECTION
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/connectors/microbee32_parallel-port.jpg
- title: SERIAL PRINTER CONNECTION
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/connectors/microbee32_serial-printer-port.jpg
screenshots:
- title: THE SHELL
subtitle: ''
text: A shell was available to perform easy file management under CP/M.
image: /media/museum/software/microbee_premium_cpmshell_ss_s1.jpg
- title: SWORD QUEST
subtitle: An adventure game
text: ''
image: /media/museum/software/microbee_128_ss_swordquest.jpg
- title: VIPER
subtitle: Action game
text: ''
image: /media/museum/software/microbee_128_ss_viper.jpg
emulators:
- title: Picomozzi
url: http://www2.ee.mu.oz.au/pgrad/apsh/microbee/
platform: Windows
text: Picomozzy is a Microbee 32 KB emulator for DOS or Windows.
- title: MESS Emulator
url: http://www.mess.org/
platform: Multiplatform
text: Emulates some Microbee computers !
- title: NanoWasp
url: http://NANOWASP.SOURCEFORGE.NET/
platform: Multiplatform
text: A MicroBee 128k Disk System emulator for Windows & Unix
- title: uBee512
url: http://freshmeat.net/projects/ubee512
platform: Multiplatform
text: An emulator for the Microbee Z80 Premium/Standard FDD and ROM based microcomputers.
links:
- title: Microbee Archive
url: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mikeleys/microbee.html
text: Essential site to understand it all
- title: MicroBee Homepage
url: http://www.mdstud.chalmers.se/~md6cbm/bee/
text: Short page with few software to download
- title: Microbee Microcomputer Micro-FAQ
url: http://www.microbee-faq.in-tl.net/
text: very informative FAQ
- title: Microbee official homepage
url: http://www.microbeetechnology.com.au/
text: Since march 2012, Microbee is relaunching a new model !
- title: The Bee Board
url: http://microbee.no-ip.com/beeboard/
text: Forum and documentation repository for Microbee
related:
- /museum/applied-technologies-microbee-32
oc_id: 462
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230529195009/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=462
date: '2023-05-29'
---
The Microbee computers were popular in Australia where they equipped many schools. But these computers also sold well in Scandinavia or Sweden for example.
The Microbee 128 and its extended version, the Premium series, were housed in the same case as the Microbee 32 but had four additional cursor keys. they shipped with a 5.25" or 3.5" single or double disk drives unit.
Both 128 and Premium versions boasted improved graphics over the earlier machines, colour as standard and many other detailed improvements. They ran CP/M operating system. The Premium had an IBM CGA compatible video interface and dual density floppy drives, offering 776 KB capacity instead of 386 KB for the 128. a 10 MB hard disk was also available.
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