A history of the microcomputer industry in 300 adverts

The Hawk has hatched!

Hawk Computers had been around since at least 1978 but seemed to have been fairly invisible, with this being one of only a few adverts appearing in PRAC towards the end of 1982. The company appeared...

You can keep your 8-bits - with the new 16-bit TeleVideo family

From the company which over its lifetime sold millions of terminals comes a range of 16-bit micros that look somewhat like, er, terminals. That wasn't really a coincidence as Richard DuBridge, executive...

The 16-bit micro with 8-bit compatibility

Zenith Data Systems - the company formed after Zenith Radio Corporation had bought the Heath company from Schlumberger in early 1980 - is back with a couple of "16-bit" micros - the Z-120 and the Z-110....

The office information centre

Tandy had announced its "bigger brother" follow-up to the 1977 Model I at the end of 1979, but wasn't initially expecting to ship until April of the following year, whilst as this advert shows the machine...

Drop us a line... and we'll drop you a Panther

First released a few months before this advert, towards the end of 1981, the Panther micro - from Cyber Electronics - is back with an updated advert which this time doesn't feature an all-green screen....

Introducing the KD 700 - the most advanced microcomputer available today

It's perhaps something of a stretch to claim that yet another Z80, CP/M system was the most advanced available, but here it is, apparently: the Karadawn KD 700, first launched towards the end of 1981....

Now, Zilog introduces the generation-ahead microcomputer

It sometimes seems odd that CPU manufacturers were building their own micros, but there was precedent, with MOS Technology having to introduce the KIM-1 single-board computer in order to demonstrate its...

CompuStar: Tough to outgrow

Here's a nice advert for InterTec's CompuStar, which makes it look like the terminal-looking thing in the foreground is the most important part of the system. In this case, it was, sort of, which was...

Gemini Multiboard - the Logical Route

Here's an unusually-fun advert for Gemini's multiboard collection, showing a cheapskate route, an esoteric route to "Sky High Prices Inc", and, naturally, the Logical Route from the 80-Bus Station, via...

At Commodore, we leave you no choice

Here's another straightforward advert from Commodore, which was by far the most prolific of all computer companies if measured by the variety of adverts generated. Shown in this advert is the range of...

Dynabyte 5000. The system that grows with you

The Metrotech Dynabyte 5000 was the result of a collaboration between the UK-based technology company Metrotech Limited - part of the same Grand Metropolitan Group that once owned Burger King - and the...

What Cromemco computer card capability can do for you

According to the advert - which like Clenlo's advert of 1982 gives a nice insight into what a microcomputer "bus" actually does - Cromemco offered one of the most complete lines of computer cards in the...

Designed for expanding minds

This advert for the Transam Tuscan S100 curiously features product photos of the older Tuscan before it was rebranded. However, at least it manages to be one of the few adverts for the machine where...

Expand your Horizons

With an odd mixture of tech and Monty Python visuals, here's an advert from Hotel Microsystems, the company that would become HM Systems, which clearly hints at HM's change of direction which would lead...

Another successful deal completed while Genie III looks after your business

Adverts for microcomputers in this era can be broadly grouped into three or four types: a micro sitting on a table surrounded by something incongruous like the family silver, a micro in an office being...