Osborne Executive
| Osborne Executive | |
|---|---|
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Osborne Executive unfolded; in front an Apple iPhone for size comparison |
|
| Manufacturer | Osborne Computer Corporation |
| Sales start | 1983 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass storage | 2 floppy disk drives, 5¼-inch |
| processor | Zilog Z80 4.0 MHz |
| random access memory | 128 kB RAM |
| screen | 7 inch |
| Current operating system | CP / M 3.0 |
| Connectivity | |
|
connections |
2 × serial RS-232 with 50 to 9600 baud , 1 × IEEE-488 / Centronics |
| measures and weight | |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 229 mm × 520 mm × 330 mm |
| Weight | 12.9 kg |
The Osborne Executive was the second portable computer model from Osborne Computer Corporation founded by Adam Osborne in 1983 and the successor to the legendary Osborne 1 . Compared to its predecessor, the Executive had a larger screen and a RAM memory that was enlarged to 128 kilobytes . He was in particular in competition with portable computers such as the Kaypro II, which was equipped with a 9-inch screen and was offered at low prices.
In September 1983 Osborne had to file for bankruptcy. As a result, the Executive was only launched in limited numbers. One possible reason for bankruptcy was the so-called “Osborne Effect”: Successor models were publicly touted long before they were available. While customers were already waiting for the better "Executive", the "Osborne 1" stayed in the warehouse and prices fell. Osborne employees, on the other hand, point to the high competitive pressure from better equipped and cheaper models from Apple and Kaypro .
hardware
- 4 MHz - Z80 - CPU
- 128 kilobytes of RAM
- 69-key keyboard incl. Numeric block with 12 keys
- 7-inch CRT monitor , 80 characters × 25 lines, monochrome amber
- Two half-height 5¼ inch floppy disks
- IEEE-488 interface, can be used as a Centronics printer connection
- Two serial RS-232 interfaces, 50 to 9600 baud
software
The Osborne Executive was delivered with a software package which, in addition to the operating system CP / M 3.0 (CP / M Plus), included the word processing program Wordstar , the spreadsheet program SuperCalc , the programming languages CBASIC and MBASIC as well as several other programs.
compatibility
The Osborne Executive supported the following disk formats: Osborne 1, single and double density, IBM PC (CP / M-86), DEC VT 180 , Xerox 820-1, Cromemco mini-disk and UCSD p-System Universal Format.
Individual evidence
- ↑ "The laptop is now 30 years old". Archived from the original on April 14, 2011 ; Retrieved September 25, 2014 . , Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, April 10, 2011