80’s Microcomputer Museum

I filed away most of this collection of 80'‘s personal computer documents, mostly manufactures’ marketing materials, around 1984/5. I hope that as searchable PDFs they’re of use to others who also fondly remember or are just discovering that exciting period of innovation. There’s a bonus Sinclair C5 brochure too. At the bottom of the page there’s online services - mostly pre-public internet, printers and other web sites sections

If you’ve any documents you would like me to scan / host here, or if any of this proves useful to you, I’d love to hear about it. I’m also happy to help if you’re after something scanned from my many PCW Magazine back-issues. Get in in touch here.

The A-Z of Personal Computers (Autumn 1985 edition) a magazine style book, includes most micros of the day with photos, a description and summary specs, plus bonus ads and articles (82 pages).

Acorn
Acorn Electron brochure.
The Electron. Because it's not just where you start. - brochure .
The BBC microcomputer system - brochure.
The BBC Micro B+ The Best. Better. - brochure.
The BBC Micro Z80 Second processor.
BBC Micro Z80 Software.
BBC Micro 6502 Second processor.
The BBC Micro Winchester Disk System .
The BBC Micro Disk Storage system .
The Electron Plus 3 - 3.5 inch Floppy Drive
Acorn Data Recorder ‘New dimensions in capability’.
The BBC Micro IEEE interface.
The BBC Micro Speech Synthesis and Cartridge ROM system .
The BBC Micro Teletext system .
The BBC Micro Prestel Adapter .
The BBC Micro Music 500 Synthesiser.
The BBC Micro IEEE interface.
For ideas that can multiply... Bitstik multi-plotter driver.
For ideas that can multiply... Bitstik analogue joystick and [vector drawing] software
Acornsoft - Discover Europe with your BBC Micro - Linkword Language software - A3.
The View family from Acornsoft.
The View family from Acornsoft - price list and order form.
Acornsoft - Introducing programming... Logo .
Acornsoft Tidy up your Office with Mirle software.
Acorn - BBC Micro hardware 1984 or 85 price list.
Acornsoft - August 1984 price list.

Amstrad
We don't do things by halves PCW8256 - CPC6128 - CPC426 + peripherals.
CPC464 + peripherals - Amstrad info and reprints of magazine reviews - 48 pages.
CPC464 review reprint - Personal Computing Today - by Simon Rockman.
Amstrad on test - Computer Choice Amstrad CPC464 and Commodore 64 by Vince Clark .
CPC664 brochure.
CPC 6128 + Amstrad peripherals.
PCW 8256 Word Processor.
Amstrad CPC 8256 example NLQ dot matrix printer output.pdf
DMP200 printer.
Making connections RS232C Serial Interface with ROM software and power supply.
The Power of Speech SSA-1 Speech Synthesiser and stereo audio amplifier.
LP-1 Light Pen for CPC464-664 and CPC6128.
The Amstrad Network Specification by Northern Computers Ltd. Intriguingly vague on detail.
Pocket Wordstar for the Amstrad CPC-6128.
[Official] Amstrad User Club it pays to belong .
Amsoft Hardware and Software Order Sheet 01.10.85.
Amsoft Hardware and software price list .

Atari
Atari 130XE Personal Computers.
Atari 520ST Computers System.
Atari 1040ST Reviewed - PCW mag - by Nick Walker + An Interview with Shiraz Shivji in Byte mag by Philip Robinson + A Thoroughly
Atari Computers Silica Shop A5 booklet prices and info.
Atari 520ST Silica Shop Magazine Advert.
Atari SF314-SF354 Floppy Disk Drives .
Atari SM124-SC1224 Monitors.
Join Now! The U.K. Atari Computer Owners Club.

Canon
X-07 Hand held computer and Canon MSX V-20 Home Computer.
Canon X-07 hand held computer Power and performance in your hands - 2 pages.
Canon X-07 hand held computer Power and performance in your hands - 6 pages.
Personal products division trade price list [and product info].

Commodore
Commodore 16 The starter pack .
Commodore 64 The Advanced home computer.
Commodore peripherals - widen the scope of your computer.
Commodore 64 - Llamasoft - Jeff Minter - Batalyx flyer and press release .

Enterprise
Enterprise 128 (A.K.A. Samurai, Oscar, Flan and Elan] + Enterprise printer and monitor.

Epson
Epson HX-20 Portable Computer.
Epson ‘Taxi’ PC .

IBM PCs and compatibles
Answers to some technical questions about the IBM Personal Computer.
Epson ‘Taxi’ PC .

Jupiter Ace
Jupiter Ace an exciting new concept in personal computing.

Lynx
Lynx - Computers Ltd - If you're looking ahead look at our back.

Mattel / Radofin Electronics
Mattel / Radofin Electronics - Aquarius Home Computer System specifications .
Mattel / Radofin Electronics Aquarius Home Computer System. This is the age of Aquarius (it wasn’t).
Mattel Radofin Electronics Aquarius price list.

Memotech
Memotech MTX series - technical specification .
Memopak High Res Graphics Pak (HRG) - commands and example programs .

MSX
Canon MSX V-20 Home Computer.
[X-07 Hand held computer and] Canon MSX V-20 Home Computer.
Goldstar MSX [1].
Goldstar MSX [2].
Panasonic CF 2700 Personal Computer - Underwoods - Lowest Price MSX Ever.
Sanyo MPC-100 Service manual. Very detailed.
Sanyo MSX 100.
Yamaha CXM5 Music Computer .
Microsoft - Soon to be available [MSX] technical documents and development software.
MSX The format of the future Personal Computer World Show competition flyer.

Psion
Psion Organiser.
The [Psion] Organiser Link-up Pack [serial adapter] - User manual - detailed pinout, data format, device configurations etc.

Sharp
MZ7200 computer and peripherals price list .

Sinclair
Science of Cambridge's MK14 reviewed by Gary Evans - Electronics Today International - September 1978.
Sinclair ZX81.
New ZX81 Software from Sinclair.
Sinclair ZX81 Software Catalogue December 1982 edition.
ZX Spectrum Computer System - Advance Information - November 1982.
ZX Spectrum.
Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Personal Computer World Bench Test by David Tebbutt.
Sinclair ZX Spectrum+.
Sinclair QL (Quantum Leap).
Sinclair - QL User March 84 - The Quantum Leap Year, Adam Denning asses the new machine.
Sinclair - QL User March 84 - QL Super Basic Adding structure to the argument.
Sinclair - QL User March 84 - Getting £2500 into £400.
Sinclair - QL User March 84 - Confused by the fundamentals of Computing? You won't be .
Sinclair Research Fact Sheet -October 1982 [produced by Sinclair] - [Pages 1 to 18 of 23].
Elspeth Joiner talks to Nigel Searle, new chief of Sinclair’s Computer Division - Plotting a course for growth - Sinclair User - June 1982.
Sinclair C5 - A new power in personal transport - Brochure.

Tandy
Tandy 1000... Clearly superior.
Tandy Computers - Tandy 1000 Price list as of 9th April 1985.
Tandy TRS-80 Model 4 Computer.
Tandy's New TRS-80 Model 4 Personal Desktop Computers.
Tandy TRS-80 Model 100.
Kram Electronics 32K Memory expansion box for the TRS-80 and Genie.
Tandy 1984 TRS-80 Microcomputer Catalogue [48 pages].
Tandy Catalogue November 1985 Last 4 pages - computer section.

Tatung
Tatung Einstein.
Tatung Einstein - Tatung TP100 Dot Matrix printer and TM01 Colour monito r.
Tatung Einstein - Einsoft software.
Tatung Einstein - Screen Distribution - trade bundle deal.
Tatung Einstein - Screens Microcomputer Distribution - Hardware - Software trade price list.

Printers
Epson - How to choose a printer for your micro.
Epson FX-80 dot matrix . The best selling printer, at least for home use, of its day.
Epson LX80 Dot matrix.
Epson LQ-1500 24 Dot matrix printers.
Epson SP830 daisywheel.
Fujitsu DL2400 dot matrix.
Fujitsu DPL24 dot matrix.
Fujitsu DX2100-DX2200 80-136 column dot matrix with a colour option.
Fujitsu SP320 daisywheel.
Qume Sprint 11 PLUS 130 character daisywheels.
Mannesmann Tally MT290 Serial [dot] Matrix .
Power Equipment Ltd Powquip printer silencers.
Back in the day printers, particularly daisywheels were very noisy,
enclosures like these were the solution though judging by the picture,
using them might burn down your building :-).
Many more printers to be added.

Online Services
Micronet 800 on BT's Prestel videotext service.
Homelink - Nottingham Building Society on Prestel.
Telecom Gold [BT’s Dialcom X500 email Service] application form, scale of charges and T&Cs . 30p for a <=2K email to the US!
[Telecom] Gold News - Summer 1986.
Microlink [on BT's Telecom Gold Dialcom X500 service ] - brochure.
A quick guide to using Microlink and Telecom Gold - Second edition.
Telelink Magazine’s Guide to using electronic mail [on Telecom Gold].
EpsonLink [on BT’s Telecom Gold - Dialcom X500 email Service] info and application form.
Map of the US internet [backbone] in 1996 by Mecklermedia.

Other web sites
nosher.com - A history of the microcomputer industry in 300 adverts.
Muso's ORIC Site Lots of Oric info.
The Centre for Computing History computers pages. Lots of machines, lots of info.
timexsinclair.com. “The Authoritative Website for Timex/Sinclair Computers”
Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site A TRS-80 documentation goldmine.
The Jupiter Ace Archive. A great Jupiter Ace resource, currently short of funds. Please consider donating.
The Jupiter Ace Archive’s links to many more computer history sites.
The Atari Museum. A resource for the Atari 400 and 800 computers and games consoles
The Dragon Archive. Lots of Dragon 32, Dragon 64, Dragon 200 and Tano Dragon resources.
4corn Acorn Computers archive.
8bs.com “BBC and Master Computer public domain Library”.
Amstrad’s [official] computer archive page. Site covers all of Amstrads many products.
Amiga hardware database. Invaluable Amiga hardware info.
viewdata.org.uk Includes some rare archived Prestel pages.
The Virtual OS Museum Andrew Warkentin’s fabulous collection of over 600 online and downloadable emulators.
The Huffington Post - The Day Olivetti Stitched up Acorn Computers by Ellee Seymour