Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
210 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
210 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: ACT Apricot Xen
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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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- '1985'
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cpus:
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- '80286'
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params:
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name: Apricot Xen
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image: /media/museum/photos/apricot_xenxi_sysstem_1.jpg
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company: /companies/act
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company_name: ACT
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Apricot Xen
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: ACT
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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: October 1985
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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: |-
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Full-stroke keyboard, numeric keypad, 10 function keys and 6 dynamic function keys\
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Small LCD screen (40 characters x 2 lines)
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- label: CPU
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value: '80286'
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- label: SPEED
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value: 7,5 Mhz
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- label: RAM
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value: 512 KB or 1 MB depending models
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- label: ROM
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value: Unknown
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 80 chars. x 25 lines
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: |-
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Monochrome (green or paper white) 800 x 400 dots\
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Colour 640 x 350 dots
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- label: COLORS
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value: Unknown
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- label: SOUND
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value: Unknown
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: 37 (W) x 37 (D) x 10 (H) cm (CPU)
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Parallel, Serial, Video out, Apricot monitor output
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: One 3''1/2 disk-drive (sometimes 5''1/4) and 20Mb hard-disk
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- label: OS
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value: MS-DOS 3.2, Windows, Xenix optional
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: External or internal power supply unit, depending models
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- label: PERIPHERALS
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value: Trackball, external 5.25 F.D.D. unit
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- label: PRICE
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value: 'Xen FD: £1699 - Xen HD: £2699 - Xen WS: £1199'
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tabs:
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- photos
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- emulators
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- links
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- docs
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photos:
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- title: XEN-I MODEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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A XEN-i.10 version with a 10 MB hard disk, optional Xen-Tel and high resolution colour monitor.
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The Xen-i was launched with a 5.25" FDD, and then reverted to a 3.5" FDD. You can still tell the Xen from the Xen-i because the floppy drive design was different (Xen had an eject button on the right of the drive, Xen-i had a centred eject button).
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image: /media/museum/photos/act_apricotxi_system_2.jpg
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- title: XEN MODEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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The Xen only came in a 3.5" FDD version.
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You can still tell the Xen from the Xen-i because the floppy drive design was different (Xen had an eject button on the right of the drive, Xen-i had a centred eject button).
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Notice the cordless track-ball which replaced the mouse.
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image: /media/museum/photos/act_apricot-xen_1.jpg
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- title: RIGHT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: Monochrome version
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image: /media/museum/photos/apricot_xenxi_rightside_1.jpg
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- title: FRONT PANEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: 5.25'' version. We have no information about the 'voice' LED feature
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image: /media/museum/photos/apricot_xenxi_frontpanel_1.jpg
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- title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: The 80-character LCD display is used to dynamically label programmable function keys
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image: /media/museum/photos/apricot_xenxi_keyboard_1.jpg
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- title: REAR CONNECTORS
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** External floppy drive unit connector\
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**(2)** Expansion connector\
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**(3)** 12V / 5V DC outlet\
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**(4)** Parallel printer connector\
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**(5)** Serial DB9 connector\
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**(6)** Apricot video connector\
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**(7)** PC compatible video connector\
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**(8)** Mains plug and switch\
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**(9)** Keyboard DIN plug
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image: /media/museum/photos/apricot_xenxi_back_1.jpg
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- title: INSIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Switching power supply unit\
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**(2)** Internal speaker\
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**(3)** Provision for a second floppy disc unit (but no room inside the case!)\
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**(4)** 2 x AA batteries housing used for hardware setup backup\
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**(5)** 5.25" floppy disc drive\
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**(6)** 20 MB 3.5" hard disc drive\
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**(7)** Internal and external expansion slots. Internal one is 16-bit PC compatible\
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**(8)** 80286 processor and socket for 287 math co-processor
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image: /media/museum/photos/apricot_xenxi_inside_1.jpg
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- title: XEN-XI MAIN BOARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Hard disk connector. Up to two MFM hard disks could be connected\
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**(2)** Western Digital hard disk controller chipset\
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**(3)** MOS 6845 video chipset and Apricot video gate array chip\
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**(4)** Western Digital floppy disc controller\
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**(5)** Floppy drive connector\
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**(6)** Reset switch\
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**(7)** 32 KB BIOS ROM chips (2 x 27128)\
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**(8)** RAM memory expansion connector\
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**(9)** 512 KB internal RAM area (16 x 60256 chips)\
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**(10)** Keyboard connector (right), Ni.Cd setup battery backup and power connector (left)\
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**(11)** Apricot monochrome video daughterboard\
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**(12)** Parallel printer connector\
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**(13)** 80287 math co-processor socket\
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**(14)** Apricot XP-i expansion box connector\
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**(15)** Intel 80286 processor\
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**(16)** Internal AT-type expansion slot\
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**(17)** External floppy drive or tape drive connector
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image: /media/museum/photos/apricot_xenxi_mainboard_1.jpg
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emulators:
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- title: 'APE Plus : Apricot Emulator'
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url: http://www.ansible.demon.co.uk/ai/ape.html
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platform: MS DOS
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text: Commercial emulator that emulates PC/Xi/Xen, the \`F' Series, and the Apricot FP Portable
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- title: QDAE
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url: http://www.seasip.info/Unix/QDAE/
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platform: Multiplatform
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text: QDAE is a Quick and Dirty Apricot Emulator for Linux, Windows and MacOS X. This version emulates the Apricot F1; it may support other F-series Apricots as well.
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links:
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- title: ACT Apricot computers support page
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url: http://www.actapricot.org/home/
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text: Useful infos. Some links might be outdated
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- title: ACT Apricot Computers Yahoo Group
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url: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/actapricot/
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text: Discussion list for the ACT Apricot computers.
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docs:
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- title: USER PROMPT APRICOT GUIDE ISSUE 1
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url: http://www.actapricot.org/support/
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/act_apricot-user-prompt_1.jpg
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text: |-
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[**USER PROMPT APRICOT GUIDE ISSUE 1**](http://www.actapricot.org/support/)written by UserPrompt Guides
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compiled/archived by Jonathan Marsters\
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type of document : PDF\
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source : [www.actapricot.org](http://www.actapricot.org)
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- title: USER PROMPT APRICOT GUIDE ISSUE 2
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url: http://www.actapricot.org/support/
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/act_apricot-user-prompt_2.jpg
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text: |-
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[**USER PROMPT APRICOT GUIDE ISSUE 2**](http://www.actapricot.org/support/)written by UserPrompt Guides
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compiled/archived by Jonathan Marsters\
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type of document : PDF\
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source : [www.actapricot.org](http://www.actapricot.org)
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comments:
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- author: Matthew bennett (England )
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date: Tuesday 14th December 2021
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text: Hi there my dad helped develop the zen,,, My main point is that I still have a one off prototype of the zen case, it was is a clear one so you can see all the internal parts ��
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related:
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- /museum/act-apricot-f1
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- /museum/act-apricot-f2-f10
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- /museum/act-apricot-pc
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- /museum/act-apricot-portable
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- /museum/act-apricot-xi
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oc_id: 501
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230603003909/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=501
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date: '2023-06-03'
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---
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Codenamed Candyfloss, this computer was aimed to compete with the IBM PC-AT. It was a multipost system capable of controlling up to 16 stations.
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Three versions were sold:\
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• Xen FD with 512 KB of RAM and 2 x 720 KB 3.5" FDD.\
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• Xen HD with 1 MB of RAM, 720 KB 3.5" or 1.2 MB 5.25" FDD. and 20 MB HDD.\
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• Xen WS (WorkStation) with 1 MB of RAM and no disk drives.
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Some Xen systems used a large black external power supply unit weighing at least 2-3 kilos, others featured a built-in one.
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Speed of processing, supposedly zero wait-state, was superior to that of the IBM-AT. The motherboard featured a hard disk controller but the graphics card was delivered separately.
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Xen systems also shipped with MS-DOS 3.2, GW-Basic and Windows. They could also run Xenix O.S.!
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