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ISC Intercolor 8001

Hello Monty,

My Intercolor is larger and I suspect older than the photo on this thread.

I remember having my trip to the Budapest Academy of Science being delayed for 6 months by the US military because the Tektronix display was barred at the time from being shipped to Iron Curtain countries. It was OK to ship the PDP 11 part of the Mass Spectrometry Data Acquisition System but not it’s Tektronix display. NB. I did not meet him but Professor Rubik the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube had an office in the corridor where the Mass Spectrometry department was located.
 
Wow! The presence of the floppy drives appears to indicate you have the 8080 computer version of the Intecolor!
 
I would say that is good as it sounds like you have a Compucolor computer from the 1970's or early 1980's:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compucolor

a little more searching found that due to the micro floppy drives in your photo, it may be an Intecolor 3600 prototype using the original ISC monitor and a prototype computer with the 3.5" drives.

The first Intecolor computers with Micro drives appeared to be the 3600 series:

http://www.dvq.com/ads/isc_3600.pdf

Lots of docs on this site:

http://www.compucolor.org/docs.html
 
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SteveG,

If you take the vacuum-formed plastic cover off the keyboard/floppy, I think you will find an 8080 CPU motherboard.

The photos I found online for the ISC computers with micro floppy drives integrated the drives into the monitor.

That is why I think you have a prototype of the Intecolor 3600 computer.

If you open the keyboard/floppy case - please post a photo of what is inside.
 
I am sure the 8052 is not a prototype. I got this information from the peripheral exchange Website:-

Intecolor 8050/8060 Series
In 1978, additional options were designed to extend basic terminal operations into one of the first standalone microcomputers. Operating systems incorporated within the product included a version of Extended Microsoft BASIC language (in EPROM) which was based on Microsoft BASIC (at the time). Options for 5-1/4" or 8-0" floppy disk drives (made by Wangco, Shugart, or Seimens), light pens from Information Control Systems (ICC), printer drivers supported (Centronics, Daisywriter, Okidata, Qume, Printronix and a few others), programming languages (BASIC, 8080 ASM, FORTRAN IV), and developer tools were added to the product line.


The keyboard is totally separate unit which may not actually be manufactured by ISC. The display has keyboard/modem/floppy drive connectors at the back.
 
SteveG said:
The keyboard is totally separate unit which may not actually be manufactured by ISC. The display has keyboard/modem/floppy drive connectors at the back.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty certain that the keyboard is actually from an (Acorn) BBC Microcomputer - the three LEDs at the bottom left-hand corner are status lights for "Caps Lock" / "Shift Lock" and "Cassette Motor" - and the red/orange colour of the top row of (function) keys, and the green/grey editing keys on the right-hand side are another giveaway.

Matt
UK
 
Intecolor 8052 is a computer.

Here is an ISC OEM price list with what you have (source Compucolor.org website - they have a lot of Intecolor info):

attachment.php


The computer card cage is in the back of the 19 inch color monitor:

attachment.php


The OEM price list indicated the 8352 is same as an 8052 but smaller 13" color CRT in a contemporary cabinet integrating the keyboard and floppy drives.
 
Matt,

You are spot on the keyboard uses a standard early ACORN motherboard.

I can see that to clarify if/how/why this keyboard I will need to contact the System designer to clarify this.
I have not seen him for many years as he went on to create his own successful computer company.

In the meantime here is another mystery to resolve.
If Intercolor were based in Georgia why is their a City of Los Angeles safety label on the back of the display (see the circular orange sticker to the right of this photo of the back of the Intercolor):-


EFA4013C-A7C9-4615-86EA-65F2FDAA410A.jpeg

Here is a close up photo of the sticker:-

52C264AD-45F5-4B0A-A286-A7EE04BBF05E.jpeg

Sorry about the quality of the photo but the image size limits on the forum are my excuse !




Matt Forbes said:
I'm pretty certain that the keyboard is actually from an (Acorn) BBC Microcomputer - the three LEDs at the bottom left-hand corner are status lights for "Caps Lock" / "Shift Lock" and "Cassette Motor" - and the red/orange colour of the top row of (function) keys, and the green/grey editing keys on the right-hand side are another giveaway.

Matt
UK
Click to expand...
 
I will try that when I have had time to take a picture in the daylight.

Good News

I have managed to track down the system designer and had a chat. NB.

He reminded me that at one time we manufactured our own keyboards. When he has had a look at my photos I hope he will be able to identify them.
He reminded me that at the time these displays were very expensive state of art displays which had encoded valve and other industrial mimic symbols which at the time were unique to the Intercolor.
 
Sorry for the delay but I have now managed to find the correct keyboard for the Intercolor. I just have too much stuff :(

Here is a photo:-

61006BF4-BCC4-4413-BE48-783399CFD7A7.jpeg

Unfortunately there are quite a few keys missing. But it’s still looks very colourful !
 
Looks like Cherry keyswitches - I'll bet the switches still work as the shafts are complete. Even the one on the top row likely has enough shaft to still work.
 
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