The Cromemco System Three aka CS-3A was a high-end PC in the day, sometimes referred to as the “3rd” design, but also has a fererence to “Micro Bee 2” – though not yet verified. It dates to around 1979.
The 3102 monitor is in fact a Terminal computer, and communicates with the CPU via RS232 interface using ASCII. It is capable of displaying 24 lines x 80 columns with 128 ASCII characters. A 25th line is shown on the VDU for the Terminal Status.
A 1983 price book puts the cost of a System 3 at £5,100. That is £17,000 in 2020 ($22,250). This makes the System 3 a very pricey system, not designed for the average home user. Reflected in this price was the computers huge memory expandability. Models CS-3AD5E and CS-3HD5E could accept 512kB RAM, at a time when 16k/32k was standard. These can use a Motorol 68000 CPU.
In April 1981 a Word Processor package could be bought with WordStar and CDOS ready to run for $595, which is $1,680 in 2020 (£1,270). The WordStar software alone is $195. This includes the software on 8″ floppy disc, keyboard overlay and user manuals.
Useful Links
Info Labs
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Old Computers
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