The NABU Personal Computer was a home computer released in 1982 by Natural Access to Bi-directional Utilities (NABU), a company based in Ottawa, Canada. It was one of the first home computers to be linked to a precursor of the World Wide Web. It operated over cable TV.
Are you searching for NABU personal computer? No need to scroll more. All the information in this article is authentic and accurate. After reading this, all your confusion related to NABU PC will be cleared. The NABU PC was not a commercial success. However, it is considered to be a pioneering computer that was ahead of its time.
The NABU PC had no internal secondary storage. Therefore, all data and programs had to be downloaded over the cable network. This made it a very different computer from the other home computers of the time. Typically, those computers had floppy disks or hard drives for storage. Some of its features, such as the ability to download software and data over a network, are now commonplace. However, they were revolutionary in the early 1980s.
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Hardware Specification
The NABU Personal Computer was a very basic computer by today’s standards, but it was quite advanced for its time. The Z80A processor was a popular choice for home computers in the early 1980s. The TMS9918A video chip was capable of displaying 16 colors at a resolution of 320×200 pixels. The AY-3-8910 sound chip was also a common feature in home computers of the time. It could produce a variety of sounds. The NABU Personal Computer had the following hardware specifications:
- CPU: Z80A processor running at 3.58 MHz
- RAM: 64 KB
- Video chip: Texas Instruments TMS9918A
- Sound chip: General Instrument AY-3-8910
- Serial ports: 2 UARTs
- Network: Cable TV modem
- Operating systems: CP/M-86, Xenix, QUNIX
The NABU Personal Computer did not have any internal secondary storage. As a result, all data and programs had to be downloaded over the cable network. This was a major limitation, but it was also one of the things that made the NABU PC unique. The ability to download software and data over a network was revolutionary in the early 1980s. Now, it is a commonplace feature of modern computers.
Operating System
The default operating system for the NABU PC was CP/M-86. This was a popular choice for home computers in the early 1980s. It was well-supported by a wide range of software. Xenix was a popular choice. It offered some advantages over CP/M-86, such as a more powerful file system and support for networking. QUNIX was a less well-known operating system. It was developed specifically for the NABU PC and offered some unique features, such as support for the NABU Network.
The NABU Personal Computer could also run a variety of other operating systems, including MS-DOS, TRS-DOS, and Linux. However, these operating systems were not officially supported by NABU. They required some modification to run on the NABU PC.
Design
The NABU Personal Computer was a small, black box with a keyboard and a video display. It was designed to be connected to a cable TV network, and it did not have any internal storage. The NABU PC was about the size of a shoebox, and it had a simple, functional design. The front of the computer had a power button, a reset button, and a cartridge slot for loading software. The back of the computer had a cable TV connector, a serial port, and a power connector.
The keyboard for the NABU PC was a standard 83-key keyboard. It had a numeric keypad, cursor keys, and function keys. The video display was a monochrome display with a resolution of 320×200 pixels. The NABU Personal Computer was a very basic computer by today’s standards, but it was quite advanced for its time. The design was simple and functional, and it was well-suited for its intended purpose.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NABU Personal Computer is a cutting-edge device. It combines powerful hardware, advanced software features, and a user-friendly design at that time. With its impressive specifications and performance, the Nabu PC offers a seamless computing experience. It caters to both casual users and professionals alike.
FAQs
NABU stand for Natural Access to Bi-directional Utilities.
A hybrid computer is a computer that combines the features of both analog and digital computers.
The first digital computer was invented in the early 1940s.