website/content/museum/grundy-new-brain.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
GRUNDY NEW BRAIN	Computers	Home Computer	United Kingdom	1980	Zilog Z80 A	name image company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware links comments oc_id source NEW BRAIN /media/museum/photos/grundy_newbrain_pub.jpg /companies/grundy GRUNDY label value NAME NEW BRAIN label value MANUFACTURER Grundy label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR 1980 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Basic interpreter label value KEYBOARD QWERTY, calculator style, 62 keys label value CPU Zilog Z80 A label value SPEED 4 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR COP 240 (I/O) label value RAM 32 KB label value ROM 29 KB (8 KB for Basic, 4 KB for graphics, 4 KB for OS/characters set/editor) label value TEXT MODES 80 columns x 25-30 lines / 40 columns x 25-30 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES From 256 x 10 to 640 x 220 pixels label value COLORS Monochrome label value SOUND unknown label value I/O PORTS Tape (two - 1200 bauds); RGB, UHF, RS232c (two - 9600 bauds, one was used as a printer one was cut down in lacking an 'in' line.), Z80 Bus label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS Expansion interface featuring 2 serial ports, 2 parallels, 1 DAC, 1 joystick port, and a light pen port. label value PRICE $325 - £229 photos adverts hardware links title subtitle text image THE FIRST NEWBRAIN This is the first model of the Newbrain, without the 1 line display of the Newbrain AD. /media/museum/photos/grundy_newbrain.jpg title subtitle text image NEWBRAIN AD Notice the 1 Line x 16 characters display. /media/museum/photos/newbrain_pub_0.jpg title subtitle text image EXPANSION & CONNECTION SCHEME /media/museum/photos/newbrain_connection_scheme.jpg title subtitle text image NEWBURRY BROCHURE #1 First Newburry brochure cover Courtesy of **www.oldcomputers.freeserve.co.uk** /media/museum/pubs/grundy_newbrain_leaflet_3.jpg title subtitle text image NEWBURRY BROCHURE #2 According to this brochure, Newbury had four models: Model M: Main Only\ Model MB: Main and with Batteries and display\ Model MD: Mains only with display\ Model MBS: Main and with Batteries and display with special low power consumption. Courtesy of **www.oldcomputers.freeserve.co.uk** /media/museum/pubs/grundy_newbrain_leaflet_newburry_inside.jpg title subtitle text image NEWBURRY BROCHURE #3 Courtesy of **www.oldcomputers.freeserve.co.uk** /media/museum/pubs/grundy_newbrain_leaflet_5.jpg title subtitle text image NEWBRAIN BROCHURE The first Newbrain brochure only offered two models: Model AD: with display\ Model A: without Display Courtesy of **www.oldcomputers.freeserve.co.uk** /media/museum/pubs/grundy_newbrain_leaflet_4.jpg title subtitle text image ADVERT New Brain complet package with FDD´s and peripherals... (the dot matrix printer was connected to the RS232 port)... The main box you see in the photo is the "school network controller" that permitted that "n" computers were plugged in as a network sharing one "5Mb hard drive" Thanks to Rui Santos for this picture /media/museum/pubs/newbrain_completo.jpg title subtitle text image DISK-DRIVE UNIT Under the Newbrain is also a neon-digit readout expansion (!). Thanks to [Allard's Computermuseum Groningen](http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/computermuseum/index.html)for this picture ! /media/museum/hardware/grundy_newbrain_disk-unit.jpg title subtitle text image BATTERY EXPANSION Grundy's marketing literature showed the NewBrain being used on a train. This battery expansion allowed remote operation. It connected in series with the regular NewBrain power supply unit. /media/museum/hardware/grundy_newbrain_batterypack_s1.jpg title url text Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grundy_NewBrain Grundy Newbrain entry title url text www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk http://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Grundy/gerald.php Very detailed info from an insider author date text Niels Roskam (Australia) Monday 4th April 2016 The first computer I got to play with in 1983 when doing high-school in the Netherlands. From learning to beginnings of BASIC to doing poke and peeks into video RAM to get some graphics moving... author date text Nick (United States) Tuesday 21st October 2014 My first real computer! author date text Evert (NL) Sunday 28th October 2012 In the details of the NewBrain it says that the machine has\ a "calculatortype" keyboard. That is nonsense !!!!\ Measure the keydistances !! They are the same as the "big"\ keyboards sold today !!\ Only the surface of the keys were a bit smaller.\ A BIG advantage !!! You would not hit 2, 3, or 4 keys at the\ same time !! I have never seen such a beautyfull and perfect\ working keyboard !! author date text Scouter3d (Österreich) Tuesday 25th October 2011 Finally i got my NewBrain working again! see the whole story here: http://www.8bit-homecomputermuseum.at/repair/newbrain/newbrain.html Greetings TOM:-) author date text Scouter3d (Österreich) Saturday 20th August 2011 Hi, unfortunately my Newbrain is dead ... is there anyone who can help me /guide me in the repair process? I am an engineer and know a little bit about electronics, i have the shematics, i can use an oscilloscope and i can solder ... Any help is welcome!\ Thanks TOM:-) author date text BER (lisbon) Wednesday 27th July 2011 For infos etc. about Newbrain:\ http://www.newbrain.info/\ http://newbrain.hcc.nl/ author date text ATV Shineray (Bulgaria) Thursday 30th September 2010 I found a HQ picture http://tiny.cc/newbrain author date text Jon (UK) Monday 12th July 2010 I still have LOADS of New Brain gear. It was a truely fantastic system. I have the Serial I/O V24 adapter - as far as I know never actually put into production! 8 V24 ports, parallel printer and parallel I/O. Another very special item is the Expansion Interface Module that included multiple parallel ports as well as analogue I/O and a very crude sound device port. I modified New Brains to use 3.5" fdd''s and added the missing ports to the EIM that were never installed in production. A Paris-based micro club added hi-res colour graphics and a standard bus-based expansion system. A great system! author date text maxim (Bulgaria) Saturday 18th October 2008 I can sell you PRAVETZ 8c. Its a relic, one of the first computers. With monitor and 5 1/4 discet device. for only 300 euro author date text Stefano Bodrato (Italy) Tuesday 19th June 2007 All, I've been fascinated by this machine, so, basing on the informations found on the dutch user group I've extended the Z88DK compiler to support it.\ If you are willing to port small C programs to the Grundy Newbrain, give it a try: http://www.z88dk.org author date text Ben Jennings (Britian) Thursday 26th February 2004 I have a Grundy new brain model AD but I don't have the wire that connects it to the tape recorder so I have to write programs down on paper it would be good if someone would post on this message board where to get one. author date text Martin Bensley (Hamburg, Germany) Saturday 1st November 2003 Has anyone got a New Brain they would be willing to sell me. My father used to work for New Brain in Cambridge but a few years ago he threw away his New Brain by mistake - terrible I know but these things do happen. I would love to own a New Brain for old times sake. Can anyone help please, regards Martin Bensley, Hamburg Germany martinbensley@hotmail.com author date text infernokis (norway) Thursday 9th October 2003 Grundy makes television-sets and tv-programs in the U.K author date text Dr. Ron Amir (Hebrew University, Jerusalem Israel) Monday 13rd January 2003 I work with a newbrain computer (model AD) to command a stepper (micromanipulator). I have a mechanical problem with the stepper. No manufacturer name is written on the stepper. The only thing written is "west Germany". Does anybody know who should I contact regarding my stepper problem? Does Grundy, the company behind newbrain still exist? author date text Ronny Jacobs (Nederland, The Netherlands) Friday 29th November 2002 I also have a New Brain computer, unfortunatly without a powersupply. It would be nice if someone\ could mail me the voltages that this nice computer\ needs te be reborn.... author date text Voyager (Athens Greece) Thursday 30th May 2002 Does anybody knows any links or FAQs on the Newbrain? Any emulators? author date text Pere Batlle i Izard (Mollet del Valles /Barcelona/Catalunya/Spain) Friday 3rd May 2002 I've got one.\ During the years I used I was the president in Spain of a Users club, we edited 2 numbers of our journal. I have some 5 1/4 disk and K7 with software and many documentation manuals author date text George (Athens/Greece) Saturday 20th April 2002 Very nice micro. Does anyone knows if the 2MegaBytes memory expansion was ever released? author date text raf (Hellas (Greece)) Friday 15th February 2002 I've got one. Some guys gave it to me without understanding what exactly it is. Unfortunately i have no any documentation about it. The set contains the pc, 3 or 4 connecting cables, transformator. It seems that works.\ If someone has some (electronic) documentation or instructions and feels to be a very kind person, please, send me something.\ Thanks! 176 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230320213423/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=176 2023-03-20

"When the NewBrain was announced to the world, in 1980, the design concept was significantly in advance of anything that had been seen in the field of handheld computing." (Dick Pountain - Personal Computer World)

In fact, the company that created it, Newburry Labs, sold the desing to its current owner, Grundy Business Systems Ltd.
It also seems that a small part of the original design came from Sinclair Radionics which designed later the ZX-80.

At one time, the NewBrain was in line to be the BBC computer, but design problems and the change in ownership caused the BBC to look elsewhere.

In 1982, the machine was advertised as a compact but powerful microcomputer with advanced hardware and software features.

The NewBrain AD, which contains a 1-line, 16-character fluorescent display, was complemented by a no-display cheaper version sold £30 less, the NewBrain A. There was no reset button and no ON/OFF switch either. A third model, called Newbrain M included a battery-backup option (and the LCD screen) so it can be used as a handheld computer.

An expansion interface was available, providing 2 serial ports, 2 parallels, 1 DAC, 1 joystick port, and a light pen port.
A network was also available and allowed to connect 24 computers together through RS-232/V24 bidirectional serial ports.
The New Brain used a special management memory system which allows to expand memory up to 2 Mb (IMPRESSIVE!).
The character set contained 512 letters, numbers and graphics as well as VideoText symbols. The Character set was divided into two 256-character banks, only one of which could be selected at a time.
An optional VideoText module enabled NewBrains owners to access British TeleText and Prestel services It could run under CP/M.