Osborne Vixen
 | |
| Developer | Adam Osborne |
|---|---|
| Type | Portable computer |
| Release date | 1984 |
| Introductory price | US$1,298 (equivalent to $3,230 in 2020) |
| Operating system | CP/M, CPM + |
| CPU | Zilog Z80 @ 4 MHz |
| Memory | 64 KB |
| Connectivity | Serial port, Parallel port |
| Mass | 18 lb (8.2 kg) |
| Predecessor | Osborne Executive |
The Osborne Vixen was a "luggable" portable computer announced by the Osborne Computer Corporation in November 1984, as a follow up to their Osborne 1 and Osborne Executive system.[1]
The Vixen had a 4 MHz Zilog Z80 microprocessor, with 64 KB dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). It had a 7-inch diagonal amber display that could show 24 lines by 80 columns of memory mapped video. It used two 400 KB disk drives, utilizing double-density double-sided 5.25" diskettes. As a luggable, it weighed about 18 pounds. Contemporary advertising pointed out that it could fit under the seat in an airplane, with dimensions of 125⁄8 by 161⁄4 by 61⁄4 inches (321 by 413 by 159 mm).
When it was released, the Vixen had a retail price of $1298. Customers also had the option of purchasing an external 10 megabyte hard disk for $1495.
The Vixen used version 2.2 of the CP/M operating system. It was also bundled with a number of software packages: WordStar, the popular word processing package; SuperCalc, a spreadsheet; MBASIC, a programming language; Osboard, a graphics and drawing program; TurnKey, a system utility; MediaMaster, a data interchange program that allowed compatibility with over "200 other computers"; and Desolation, a game.
The Vixen was also known as the Osborne 4. It was developed and released after the bankruptcy of the Osborne corporation. An earlier system also called "Vixen" was never released.[2] Due to technical problems with prototypes and the corporate bankruptcy, by the time the CP/M Vixen was introduced, it had already been made obsolete by MS-DOS IBM PC compatibles.[3] A last ditch effort to design and market a fully IBM PC compatible produced three prototypes, but too late to save the company from bankruptcy.
Software[]
| Program Name | Version | Published by | Program Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desolation | Game | ||
| Osboard Software | Graphics | ||
| Wordstar | 3.3 | MicroPro International | Application |
| Supercalc | 2 | Sorcim | Application |
| MBASIC | Microsoft | Application | |
| MediaMaster | Utility | ||
| TurnKey | Utility |
References[]
- ^ Peggy Watt, Osborne shows new computer Info World magazine, November 12, 1984, retrieved from Google Books December 16, 2009
- ^ John Dvorak, Adam Osborne, Hypergrowth: the rise and fall of Osborne Computer Corporation ,Idthekkethan Pub. Co., 1984 ISBN 0-918347-00-9, page 70
- ^ Robert J. Thierauf, A problem-finding approach to effective corporate planning, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1987 ISBN 0-89930-262-9, pages 15–16
External links[]
- Portable computers
- Z80-based home computers