Gemini Micro Advert - November 1982
From Personal Computer World
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 system.
Gemini Micro had been founded by John Marshall, the founder of Nascom, which for a while had been the UK's most successful micro company with its Nascom 1 system.
Nascom had gone bust - firstly in 1980, when it was rescued by Manas Heghoyan, and again in 1982 when it was bought by Lucas Logic.
However, there were a lot of Nascom systems around, including the new Nascom 3 from Lucas, which was essentially a Nascom 2 in a nice case.
In order to service this market, Gemini was founded initially to continue building Nasbus cards and peripherals.
Unsurprisingly then, Gemini's first complete micro was also built around the Nascom Nasbus (later renamed to 80-bus) and as such the Galaxy 1 was considered as offering an upgrade path for the many owners of Nascom boards and micros[1].
Although apparently aimed at the office/business market - it came with a "compact but very powerful word processing package" - the other software that shipped with the Galaxy 1 seemed aimed more at developers, with a Z80 assembler editor and a machine-code monitor.
Otherwise, it was a fairly standard Z80 system of the time (and from several years before that), with dual floppies, CP/M 2.2 and 64K.
It did stray off the path slightly with its use of COMAL-80 - the improved structured-programming version of BASIC.
The Galaxy retailed for £1,450 plus VAT, or about £7,990 in 2025.
Date created: 15 January 2024
Last updated: 25 July 2025
Sources
Text and otherwise-uncredited photos © nosher.net 2025. Dollar/GBP conversions, where used, assume $1.50 to £1. "Now" prices are calculated dynamically using average RPI per year.
