Thorn/EMI Liberator

[thatsteve]

Hello. I've acquired two of these and am looking for info.

From the limited information I can pull up via Google, I've deduced that they were built for British Government use and may be the first portable word processor (in the UK perhaps, if not worldwide). 1985 or so seems to be their date of origin. The Government theory seems plausible as they belong to my friend who is ex-civil service and he bought them from his boss for 50p each in an office clearout in the early 90s.

Amazingly, after a short charge, they both still work!

Anybody have any other information on these?

 

[Martyn Wyatt]

Hi Steve.
I kind of worked on the Liberator, at the tail end of the project. Do you want to know more?

 

[nige the hippy]

I'd like to know a little more too. I've got one. ex-Foreign Office, the battery pack was shot, but replacement of the current regulator, associated resistor & the cells (which caused the regulator to pop in the first place!) it works fine. Nice neat little machine.

 

[El Reg Tony Smith]

The full story is here, folks:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/1..._liberator_the_first_british_laptop_part_one/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/1..._liberator_the_first_british_laptop_part_two/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/1...iberator_the_first_british_laptop_part_three/

Seems only fair to mention thatsteve's Liberator pics were among the first things I came across when I started researching this story.

Tony Smith,
The Register

 

[GRiD]

Hi Tony,

Great article! I've enjoyed reading it over the past week. Never owned one of these machines but have seen them pop up on Ebay from time to time. Might be tempted to put in a bid on the next one I see now

 

[acollins22]

Hi,

I too have picked up a Liberator. I'd love to get it going.

Does anyone out there have the technical manual, schematics etc?


Thanks,

Andy.