New Acorn Micro ACORNS New Business Range Will Be Based Around a Repackaged BBC Micro with Two 16- Bit Second Processors Available

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New Acorn micro ACORNS new business range will be based around a repackaged BBC micro with two 16- bit second processors available. There will be eight variants under the generic name ABC— Acorn Business Computer. Top of the range is the ABC310 running an Intel 80286 second processor giving IBM PC and XA (Popcorn) compatibility, with ikon software and high-resolution graphics. The 16-bit operating system will be Concurrent, a development of version SCOOP: first sight of Acorns much-awaited business computer 3.1 from Digital Research. It is comes with one double density, 5. hard disc and colour monitor. capable of performing several 25in drive giving 700k of storage. Whereas the 100 machines tasks at the same time and A 12in monitor comes as cover office productivity, the dividing the screen into windows. should be available by Easter, standard, as do View and ABC200 and 210 are loosely As our picture shows, a full says Acorn. Prices have yet to be Viewsheet. Second processors described as academic work- professional keyboard with released. and other hardware can be stations. The 32016, the 16/32- separate numeric keys links to a Bottom of the range is the added, right up to the top of the bit chip is included with disc box containing the 6502 pro- Terminal, which is exactly what range configuration. variations as above. Standard cessor used in the Beeb, topped its name says. It will not be The ABC100 includes the Z80 RAM is 256k. A choice of pro- by a monitor. expandable, and comes with second processor running CP/M gramming languages will include The monitor tips forward, giving terminal emulator software and and two 700k drives as standard. C, Modula2 and Pascal. The access to internal sockets where Econet as standard. The monitor The three Plan software Xenix operating system comes second processor and hardware is a 14in monochrome with 32k packages are included, and have with the Winchester on the 210. cards can be added. RAM and no disc drive. been enhanced (see Junes AU). Flagship of the series are the ' The machines should be on Next up is the Personal The ABC110 is similar, but with executive workstations with the view at dealers in November, with Assistant wordprocessor. It one drive replaced by a 10Mb 80286 16/24-bit chip. The 300 deliveries starting in the New Winchester will carry two 700k drives and Year. The whole range monochrome moni- page 9► ACORN USER OCTOBER 1984 been designed to meet needs we New micro have identified. They match very • page 7 specific requirements. tor while the 310 will have a single On the question of perform- drive plus Winchester and colour ance, he declared: The 80286 screen. Again 256k RAM is machines are up to five times standard, but upgradable to 1Mb. faster than the IBM PC on A mouse will be released next benchmarks. year for the 300 machines, along Tom Hohenberg, Acorns with a modem card for the range. marketing manager, added: The Interfaces are as on the BBC, ABC range is a neater alternative but with no TV socket and some for the BBC micro, aimed at of the connectors will be changed. business users. There is no Howard Fisher, ABC project conflict with the BBC itself. leader, said: Our research shows Weve gone for a modular people want computers that work, technique to save space and and this range has make it a doddle for the engineers. ACORN USER OCTOBER 1984.

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