What micro is this? (One of 8 running visicalc)

Hardware
1

Here’s a display of 8 micros running visicalc, and I reckon I can identify all but one of them. Any ideas? (No hi-res version available!)

From Marcin Wichary’s history of computers, scroll-lock key to the fore:

2 Likes
2

Here’s my best guess…

Top row is:

  • Apple III
  • Tandy TRS 80 Model 3
  • Apple II
  • IBM PC (? model)
  • Sony SMC 70 (??)

Bottom row is:

  • Atari 800
  • HP 125
  • Commodore PET (? model)

Dave

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Or maybe not a Sony SMC 70, as it has a numeric key pad.

So how about a TRS 80 Model 2?

4

Oh well done! This is the one I didn’t recognise:

563×678 97.5 KB

And yes, I’d say that’s a Model II at the end:

1 Like
5

Yeah, that’s a model II on the far right, top row.

The HP was the only one I didn’t know. The PET on the bottom right is likely an 80 column model. I remember seeing a brief moment when they had that type of branding but I can’t pin-point when that was.

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Actually, the PET is likely a CBM branded model.

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Found a larger version of the picture, though it’s still pretty blurry:

1_Bu8Gg2iU1zmj6XqONzVRyA
1_Bu8Gg2iU1zmj6XqONzVRyA2800×1860 606 KB

And quite possibly the original article:

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8

Nice find! I’m tempted to say it’s an 8000 series PET, but I can’t find any pictures of a model with that pattern of decals: a short thing on the left and another thing by the numeric keypad.

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This is the closest I’ve found:

823×630 80.4 KB

(https://www.commodore.ca/commodore-brochures/commodore-pet-flyers/)

Problem is Commodore wasn’t terribly consistent in their branding from year to year. I’ve seen machines that say “PET 4032” that look like the traditional 40 column PET machines, and ones that look like a CBM machine with a larger (but still 40 column) monitor.

I’ve also seen CBM machines that look like rebadged PET machines, and CBM machines that have a thinner ridge for the sticker.

So shrug. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
10

I didn’t know the Sony either. (Seems to be a B model for the black plastics?)
The IBM PC seems to be the original one (5150).
Wouldn’t have guessed the Sony SMC 70 (too less familiar with it to recognize it at that tiny size)
Finally, regarding the PET, I’d put my bet on it being an 80-columns model. (Compare what’s visible on the screen to the Apple II and to the PC above. It’s much more like the latter. So probably a an 8032 – would VisiCalc run on less memory?)