 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2017) |
.jpg) The Microtan 65 in the full System Rack enclosure and with the ASCII keyboard | |
| Manufacturer | Tangerine Computer Systems |
|---|---|
| Type | Personal Computer |
| Release date | 1979[1] |
| Introductory price | £90.85 (assembled) £79.35 (kit) |
| CPU | 6502 clocked at 0.75 MHz |
| Memory | 1–48 KB RAM, 1–14 KB ROM |
| Display | 32 × 16 monochrome text, 64 × 64 with graphic characters[2] |
| Input | ASCII Keyboard or 20-key Hex keypad |
| Successor | Oric-1 |
The Tangerine Microtan 65 (sometimes abbreviated M65) was a 6502-based single board microcomputer, first sold in 1979, that could be expanded into, what was for its day, a comprehensive and powerful system. The design became the basis for what later became the Oric Atmos and later computers. Those later machines have similar keyboard addressing and tape I/O as the Microtan 65. The Microtan 65 has a hardware single step function that can be used for debugging software in both ROM and RAM. The computer was available as ready-built boards or as kits consisting of board and components requiring soldering together.
The Microtan 65 was intended as a general purpose microcomputer which could be used by laboratories, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the computer enthusiast, and it was designed with expandability in mind.[3] In this way the customer could customise the system, be it as a specialised control system, as a learning tool, or as a general purpose computing device.[4]
Price of the Microtan 65 board in 1981 was £79.35 (inc. VAT) in kit form or £90.85 ready-assembled. The system was not generally available in the shops.
To accompany the hardware and to offer further support to users, a magazine was created, the Tansoft Gazette (name inspired by the Liverpool Software Gazette). This was edited by Tangerine employee Paul Kaufman who continued as editor when the magazine was renamed Oric Owner. Tansoft also became the name of Tangerine Computer's official software house which supplied a number of software products and books for the Microtan system and subsequently for the Oric range of computers.
- ^ "OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum". Old-computers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
- ^ "Character Sets". Geoff.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
- ^ "Tangerine Microtan 65". Microtan.ukpc.net. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
- ^ "Tangerine Microtan 65 - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-23.