Hotel Microsystems Advert - November 1981
From Practical Computing
5¼" Winchesters - from Hotel Microsystems
Over a year before Hotel Microsystems Limited - later HM Systems - launched its first microcomputer, the Minstrel, comes this advert positioning the company as an importer and parts supplier.
The advert is primarily advertising the arrival of the first 5¼" Winchester hard disk drives, but also contains the two S-100 boards necessary to install one of the new drives: an Xcomp disk controller car and Hotel Microsystems' own S-100 power card.
Also of interest is the complete upgrade kit on offer for North Star's Horizon, as HM's later Minstrel appeared to be largely based upon the Horizon.
The North Star machine appeared to have become a mini standard in its own right, with companies such as Morrow Designs and Comart also advertising compatibility or producing plug-in cards.
Date created: 17 July 2025
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