Vector Graphic Advert - May 1982
From Personal Computing
Vector 3: Computers for the advancement of society
There weren't many micro companies of the era that claimed that their products were for the advancement of society, but here is such a mission statement from Vector Graphic in this US advert for its Vector 3 machine.
The Vector 3 was another in the company's line of Z80 computers running CP/M by default, although it would also support OASIS and a couple of flavours of Micropolis's operating systems - MDOS and ZDOS.
It was largely derived from the company's previous MZ machine mainboard, with the same S-100 bus, and came in the form of a terminal-like display with fixed keyboard.
1982 was the year that Vector Graphic reached its zenith, with sales of $36.2 million (about £92 million in 2024) and 425 employees[1]. Unfortunately, it bet against MS-DOS and the coming of IBM and stuck with Z80 and CP/M, which set it on a path to irrelevance.
The company - founded by husband-and-wife team Robert and Lore Harp in 1976 - filed for Chapter 11 in December 1985.
Date created: 05 January 2024
Sources
Text and otherwise-uncredited photos © nosher.net 2024. Dollar/GBP conversions, where used, assume $1.50 to £1. "Now" prices are calculated dynamically using average RPI per year.
