A history of the microcomputer industry in 300 adverts

Sharp: The Amazing Pocket Computer in Living Color

Sharp's PC-1500 was - like Epson's HX-20 and Tandy/Radio Shack's Micro-Executive Workstation - one of several LCD-based hand-held computers around at the time, although Sharp's mo...

Simplify your bookkeeping with this $3432 Radio Shack TRS-80 Computer System

Here's another advert from Tandy/Radio Shack for the Model III variant of its TRS-80, or Trash-80 - the original version of which had been launched back in 1977. It was not uncom...

Omninet: The Corvus Connection

The Corvus Omninet was an early Local Area Network (LAN) system which used twisted pair cables, rather than the earlier and more expensive coaxial. It used the RS-422 standard and...

Three out of every four computers going into schools are BBC Micros

Acorn churned out a lot of adverts around this time which were broadly similar: a BBC Micro doing something, with reams of text explaining it. This one - whilst even more wordy t...

Research Machines: Graphics machine

There weren't many constants during the microcomputer explosion, but if there was one it was possibly this: Research Machines' 380Z. First launched in 1977, it was still going he...

What can 16 CP/M user have in common?

This advert almost didn't make it in as it's one of those text-heavy layouts with not much apparently going on. However, it's worth an entry because it's for a microcomputer whic...

At £1,795 it can only be a Miracle

The Miracle, from Portico, was another British-built Z80 machine running CP/M, but is clearly aiming at the Osborne/Kaypro "luggable" market. When the Osborne 1 launched in 1981,...

Future Computers: Here is your future

Future Computers Limited had been created in 1983 as a result of venture-capital funding from MGM/APA, and additional funding from BTG - the British Technology Group. Each had app...

The Galaxy 1 Computer - The cost-effective solution to your computer needs

The Galaxy 1, from Amersham-based Gemini Microcomputers, was a Z80 - or actually twin Z80 - microcomputer which was based around the company's older multiboard systems. These wer...

Informex Wicat Multi-User System 150

WICAT had been founded in 1980 as a division of the World Institute for Computer-Assisted Teaching, and concentrated on multi-user systems for educational institutions. The multi...

Nascom means performance. Nascom means solutions

Nascom - now owned by car-parts-to-semiconductors industrial conglomerate Lucas Industries, or at least its Lucas Logic division - is still trundling on with its re-packaged Nasco...

TI's Home Computer. Unbeatable value. Unrivalled software.

The original TI99/4 had been released back in 1979 and was the first ever 16-bit home computer, running TI's own TMS 9900 CPU. It didn't get off to a good start in the UK, as ea...

NEC turns 28 years of computer experience to your personal advantage

NEC's PC-8000 - known as the PC-8001 outside of Europe - was part of NEC's PC-8000 range. It was only the third fully-assembled microcomputer specifically made for the Japanese ma...

Imagine a totally portable computer that slips into your briefcase. We did

Considered by some as the first "true" laptop, Epson's HX-20 was actually designed - in 1980 - by Yukio Yokozawa, an employee of Seiko. It ran two Hitachi 6301 CPUs - a clone of...

Oric 1: The computer challenge

The Oric was aimed very much at the Sinclair Spectrum market. The models and prices were similar, with only a few pounds difference between them. That said, it actually started o...