website/content/museum/datavue-spark.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
DATAVUE Spark	Computers	Portable	U.S.A.	1987	Intel 8088	name image company company_name specs tabs photos links comments oc_id source Spark /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_system_1.jpg /companies/datavue DATAVUE label value NAME Spark label value MANUFACTURER Datavue label value TYPE Portable label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR June 1987 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1993 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Full stroke 76 Key IBM Style. No Keypad label value CPU Intel 8088, later Nec V20 & V30 label value SPEED 9.77 MHz. label value RAM 640 KB label value VRAM Suspected to be 128 KB label value ROM 384 KB label value TEXT MODES 40-80 chars. x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 320 x 200, 400 x 320 dots label value COLORS 16 blueish greyscales label value SOUND PC Speaker label value SIZE / WEIGHT 13 (W) x 13 (D) x 18 (H) Inches / 6.5 Kg. (14 lb) label value I/O PORTS 9 Pin RS232C, 9 Pin RGBI, RF Port, 25 Pin Centronics, 16 Pin External Floppy Port label value BUILT IN MEDIA One or two 3 ½ 720K Floppy Disk Drives - Hard disc version came later label value OS MS-DOS label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply unit label value PRICE $1000-$1200 (USA, 1988)\ AU$10999 (Australia, 1987) photos links title subtitle text image TOP VIEW This case design would be used by dozens of laptop PC manufacturers for several years. /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_topview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image CLOSED Along with its power supply unit. /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_closed_s1.jpg title subtitle text image DISPLAY The display could be turned down when the computer was used with an external monitor. /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_display_s1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP A complete PC-type keyboard with separate arrow keys. The BIOS allowed to shitch between letter or numeric keys (in red). /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_keyboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PROFILE Notice the 'Line' and 'Tel' RJ11 sockets of the built-in modem.\ The second floppy disk drive is available on the right side of the Spark. /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_profile_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SPARK CARRYING BAG /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_bag_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SPARK LABEL /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_logo_s1.jpg title subtitle text image BOTTOM LABEL /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_label_s1.jpg title subtitle text image ORIGINAL DOS DISKETTE Original Datavue DOS 2.11 and utilities diskette. /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_dosdiskette_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR CONNECTORS From left to rignt:\ • Reset button\ • Serial RS-232 DB9 connector\ • RGBI connector for external CGA monitor\ • Monochrome Composite video output jack\ • Parallel printer DB25 connector\ • External floppy drive DB15 connector\ • Extension bus connector (covered). /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_rearcon_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE **(1)** 256 KB Expansion RAM card (8 x 4464 Dip IC's)\ **(2)** Dual 3.5" 720 KB floppy disc drives\ **(3)** Modem card\ **(4)** Power regulation card /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_inside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MAIN BOARD **(1)** Expansion RAM card connector\ **(2)** A faster NEC V20 replaces the original Intel 8088\ **(3)** The rare and expensive 8087 math co-processor option has been added\ **(4)** Modem and power regulation card connectors\ **(5)** Battery pack housing\ **(6)** Keyboard cable\ **(7)** RAM banks. 12 x 4464 chips hold 384 KB of RAM /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_mainboard_s2.jpg title subtitle text image CUSTOM CHIPSETS Each custom chip has different and enigmatic figurines painted on it! /media/museum/photos/datavue_chipsigns_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MODEM AND RAM CARDS Internal Modem and 256 KB RAM expansion cards /media/museum/photos/datavue_modemcard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image CHARLY We also found this 'Charly 286' which case is strictly the same as the Spark. Was it a copy? or was it manufactured under licence? We don't know the story. /media/museum/photos/datavue_spark_charly_s1.jpg title url text Good pictures of the Spark, manual, bag,... http://sbibuilder.free.fr/spark/ author date text Simon Templar (Finland) Monday 19th April 2021 To Harie Elkiess: I''ve sold one for 15€ without a power supply. Still have another to sell, hope to get a bit more. author date text Harie Elkiess (Uk) Tuesday 19th January 2021 Just wondering what they are worth now as I have one in great working condition author date text Tony Logan (USA) Friday 29th May 2020 Hello, I would like to thank you for sharing this useful material. I appreciate reading it. What is more, the material provided here will be useful for a lot of people author date text Stewart (New Zealand) Tuesday 21st January 2020 This was our first family computer when I was at high school. Mum and dad got it second hand when the local polytechnic sold off their fleet (probably because hard drives were just coming in as an essential...)\ Many assignments were done using First Choice. Many hours were spent playing Bill and Ted''s Excellent Adventure, and Lemmings. (All in glorious blue monochrome.)\ in the end it got trashed by a virus and I could never get another boot diskette to work... author date text Speedypaper (USA) Wednesday 26th December 2018 Cheap essay writing can be top-notch with Speedypaper writing service. author date text Rupesh Joshi (Mumbai) Tuesday 18th December 2018 Linktter is an aggregator having a tie-up with multiple ISPs at every location saving your time and money. We are the one-stop destination for all internet services requirement like Home Broadband, Commercial Broadband, Leased Lines needed for corporates, SMEs, Events etc. Linktter helps you to find the best option available at your location with best rates and services. author date text IOTAP (UK) Tuesday 21st August 2018 IOTAP is a global IT consulting and software services company with presence in USA, UK, India and the Middle East. author date text IOTAP (UK) Tuesday 21st August 2018 IOTAP is a global IT consulting and software services company with presence in USA, UK, India and the Middle East. author date text Ket Jaw (Mumbai) Wednesday 18th July 2018 Work 365 eliminates billing and invoicing challenges for Microsoft CSP Partners. Built on Dynamics 365 CRM Customer experience platform for Microsoft Partners and Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs). Sign up for Microsoft CSP Billing Software now. author date text Ket Jaw (Mumbai) Wednesday 18th July 2018 Work 365 eliminates billing and invoicing challenges for Microsoft CSP Partners. Built on Dynamics 365 CRM Customer experience platform for Microsoft Partners and Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs). Sign up for Microsoft CSP Billing Software now. author date text NY Charlie (United States) Monday 7th May 2018 I just bought one of these at an estate sale in Albany NY. It was part of the estate of a former editor of the Washington Post. Boots right up to MSDOS 2.11. It came with a disk that launches Wordperfect. author date text Ketan Jawale (Mumbai) Tuesday 28th November 2017 This very unique info related to PCs author date text Ketzilla (India) Monday 13rd November 2017 Thats Great. author date text Ketzilla (India) Monday 13rd November 2017 Linkcue is an online platform for comparing best broadband in Mumbai and searching list of internet service providers in Mumbai. author date text Sql Online Programming Help Wednesday 16th August 2017 This a good way to appreciate the teacher as they put their efforts to train students. UK dissertation Writers appreciates the teachers. author date text Accounting Homework Help Wednesday 16th August 2017 Dissertation Guidance Provides quality Online Dissertation Help for students. author date text Joe C Buckner (USA) Friday 6th January 2017 Have one of these for sale email me if interested pyajoe@earthlink.net author date text Kelvin Walter (Boston,United States) Tuesday 6th September 2016 Time really flies, some years ago, floppy disks were all over. I am personally a computer lover but good things keep disappearing. Anyway they sparkle good memories. author date text Ronald Harper (USA) Tuesday 10th November 2009 I bought about 15 of these in the late ''80s and wrote Turbo Pascal programs for our field salesmen to use. First, the price was about $1000-$1200, depending on the amount of memory and whether 1 or 2 drives. The "tiny" screen was about 5" high by 10" wide, which was HUGE for 1987. Plus, it was backlit, which made it very bright and readable. The screen was bright white with blue text and graphics. (No color) The closest (decent) competitor to the Spark was the Toshiba T-1000. A very well-made laptop, but its screen was only about 3-1/2" x 7" and much less readable. author date text Keith (Philadelphia PA) Thursday 25th October 2007 Wow this brings back memories. I had one of these while I was in grammar school. (mid 90s)\ I had a small box of floppies I would carry with it, as it had 2 low density 3 1/2 floppies built into it (no hard drive). I would keep a boot disk with a DOS menu system in drive A, and insert the appropriate floppy for the program before I selected it off the menu, into drive B. I remember spending hours on dial-up AOL searching for free DOS software for this laptop, and giving a presentation on it for the science fair (external CGA monitor. presentation written in Q-BASIC) Great times. Wish I still had it, but it broke while in high school. author date text Michael Reilly (Ft. Walton Beach, FL) Friday 21st April 2006 Does anyone know how long it takes the battery to charge? Or, more importantly, the amperage required on the transformer? Also, mine says Fivestar Express on the top, and Datavue Spark on the bottom on the label. Remanufactured? author date text Michael Buchan (Perth, Australia) Sunday 29th June 2003 Hello Ken You could do this, but It may be expensive. You can probably only run A Maximum of windows 3.0 On it and Wordpad. Glad To Help! Michael author date text Ken Lopossa (Olympia ) Thursday 12th June 2003 I am interested in getting the Old Spark going and I see it has an exxternal floppy option could this be a hard drive instead? could it handle windows? word, or wpad? Where could one get a manual? 808 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230531230529/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=808 2023-05-31

The Datavue Spark was one of the First Laptops Ever Made. It Featured a Powerful (Back Then) Intel 8088 with a clock Speed of 9.77MHz.

It had a blue 5" x 10" screen (which was big for 1987) made by Epson that supported 16 shades of blueish grey. Plus, it was backlit, which made it very bright and readable.

DOS could be run on this system, but needed a boot disk to do anything.

Due to a very high retail price, very few Spark were sold (at least in Australia). In the US, the price was about $1000-$1200, depending on the amount of memory and whether 1 or 2 drives.

The closest (decent) competitor to the Spark was the Toshiba T-1000. A very well-made laptop, but its screen was only about 3-1/2" x 7" and much less readable.

Datavue made it up until 1993, then the company went under due to the many more powerful laptops on the market at the time. Datavue produced many other laptops.

Thanks to Michael Buchan, Ronald Harper for information.

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.