Cambridge Computer Club

Original Compaq Portable

Brought by Will, the machine that helped launch the phrase 'PC Compatible': https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/1322/compaq-portable-computer/

I saw it playing several different games in crisp monochrome and heard it banging out some tunes.

Exidy Sorcerer II

From the CCH collection, a Z80 based machine which featured in the recent exhibition to celebrate that processor's 50th birthday: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/5396/exidy-sorcerer-ii/

Toshiba Pasopia 7

Brought by Adrian, a pre-MSX standard computer which exceeded that standard in many ways. This one has clearly lived a life (possibly much of it in the house of a heavy smoker): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_Pasopia_7

National MSX2 FS-4700

MSX2 Word Processor running the modern SymbOS brought along by Daniel (the maintainer of the C compiler for this OS). The OS is capable of running 'virtual CP/M' machines side by side, by allocating them each their own 64K block of RAM. The system was fitted with a 512K expansion and looked a lot like 90s Windows: https://retrobug.org/system/msx_fs4700

Nascom 2

From the CCH collection and another to be featured in the Z80 50th birthday celebrations. The Nascoms were originally sold as a kit and so are often found in unique, home made cases: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/3653/Nascom-2/

Check out some of the story behind restoring this particular machine here: https://bsky.app/profile/computinghistory.org.uk/post/3mmqokr7enc2p

ZX Spectrum +3

In some ways the ultimate Spectrum, but much more expensive to buy games on disk back in the 80s: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/509/Sinclair-ZX-Spectrum-3/

KIM-1 (modern remake)

Brought by James. This was running a version of Asteroids on the single line LED display which was incredibly clever and also incredibly difficult to play: https://6502.org/trainers/buildkim/kim.htm

PC running BeOS 4.0

Also brought by James. BeOS nearly became the default OS on Macs, before Apple decided to go with Next and Jobs. How different the world could have been: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeOS

Raspberry Pi Laptop

Not sure who brought this, but I bet the battery life is good!

Re-creation of Compukit UK101 running off a Pi

Brought by Phil, who last time brought his own real Compukit UK101 (see last meeting's notes for details). When he gets this working it'll be a bit more portable. Currently it's running from a breadboard, using a very simple keyboard and most of the work is being done by a 'cobbled together' emulator running on a Pi Pico.

Enterprise 64

From the CCH collection. A computer that looks cool but was too late getting to market to make an impression in the UK: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/71181/Enterprise-64-Sixty-Four/

Pico-umac running connected to a tiny VGA screen

Brought by Matt. The goal here is a Mac emulator in a Gameboy style form factor, circuit board with keyboard is currently illustrative only: https://github.com/evansm7/pico-mac

StrongARM development board

Also brought by Matt. A DEC development board for the StrongARM CPU. It was possible to communicate with it using a terminal emulator. Plugged into a SUN expansion board because it happened to have the right number of pins.

Grundy NewBrain

Brought by Lee from his repair pile. Initially this was the project the BBC were backing for their Computer Literacy Project, but slow progress led to them opening it up to tenders and Acorn got to make the BBC Micro: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/5291/Grundy-NewBrain-AD/

CST Thor

Brought by Binary Dinosaurs, based on a Sinclair QL but with enough extra bits to be a proper workstation: https://binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/cst/index.php

Sinclair QL with Schön keyboard & Mancomp MO184 Spectrum replacement keyboard

Also brought by Binary Dinosaurs. The Mancomp was just a case, no Spectrum was present inside.

Apricot PC running CP/M-86

Brought by James. An Apricot PC with a lovely green display, running CP/M-86.

Atari Falcon

From the museum collection. The most rare of Atari wedge computers was not at all stretched by running Arkanoid.

HH Tiger

Brought by Binary Dinosaurs. HH was an electronics company that primarily made amplifiers in Bar Hill near Cambridge. The system was originally designed by Tangerine but sold to HH when they decided it was too expensive to produce. HH decided to go forward with it, but their parent company went bust three months later. The system has both a 6809 and a Z80 CPU as well as 96KB of video RAM.

RM Link 480Z

Brought by Binary Dinosaurs. A Z80-based system with up to 256K of RAM aimed primarily as a diskless workstation in the education market.

Apple IIGS

Brought by Will. The last in the Apple II line of computers. Demonstrated running Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego?

Thomson T07/70

Brought by Adrian. A French computer released in 1984 based around the 6809 CPU. Had considerably upgraded graphics compared to the base T07 model.

MOS KIM-1

Brought by James. The kit computer predecessor to the Commodore PET.

Sony Digital Mavica Camera

Brought by James. The main feature of this series of cameras was that they stored pictures and video directly to 3.5" floppy disk.

Camputers Lynx

From the museum collection. Designed and built in Cambridge, this unit was running Lynx Invaders — see the Centre for Computing History's interview with the creator.

Fischertechnik Elektronik-Box 1000

Brought by Oliver. Produced by Fischertechnik in the 1970s, this unit had been used to train new technicians at nuclear power plants until the previous owner retired.

Compukit UK101

A UK PAL adaptation of the Ohio Scientific Superboard II single-board computer, sold by Compukit Ltd of New Barnet. This model was built from a kit by Phil Claydon when he was a computer engineering apprentice at Ferranti Computer Systems in Oldham in the 1980s. The case is not supplied by Compukit and could be used with many of the SBCs available at that time.

Compaq LTE Elite 4/75CX

Brought by Henry. A laptop with an Intel 486 DX4 processor running at 75MHz, with a 640×480 TFT LCD display — running Wolfenstein 3D very nicely. This particular one is fitted with a custom-designed and 3D-printed floppy drive emulator in the battery bay, featuring a large OLED display.

Compaq Portable III

Brought by Henry. Third in the line of theoretically portable computers from Compaq. Seems to like travelling — it wasn't working until Henry gave it a ride in the car to the museum.

Free Stuff!

At each meetup there is a table of stuff the museum is trying to get rid of — grab what you want to take home.

Philips P2000C

Brought by Binary Dinosaurs. A luggable — but at 15kg, only if you had a cast iron shoulder. 64k RAM running CP/M 2.2 or UCSD p-System (Pascal). Unique in luggable terms because it's two machines in one: the Z80 compute side with a SASI HDD interface, and a Z80-powered serial terminal.

Acorn A3000

Brought by Will — the last "BBC Microcomputer" with a BBC logo on the keyboard. Recently restored after needing repair from internal battery leakage.

Panasonic FS-A1ST (MSX Turbo R)

Brought by Adrian. The last of the MSX family, featuring a huge memory upgrade to 256k and a notable dual-processor design: the usual Z80 plus the much faster R800. Older games often have hacks to run at more than double speed using the R800 — when active, a light appears on the dashboard. Also features two cartridge ports, a fast 2DD disk drive, PCM sound, and a full word processor suite built in.

Enterprise 128

From the museum collection. A powerful 8-bit machine notable for its flat profile, inbuilt joystick, and striking colourful design. Sadly released far too late — around the time of the Atari ST in 1985. More successful in Eastern Europe, where the 128k has enjoyed homebrew support with hundreds of titles ported from the Spectrum and Amstrad.

IBM PC XT 286 (IBM 5162)

Henry's IBM 5162 — an interesting transitional design bridging the gap between the original XT and later AT-class machines, upgraded with a 2MB RAMPack and a custom GOTEK complementing the standard 1.2MB floppy drive.

Nascom 2

One of the museum's current projects — trying to assemble a working Nascom.

Home-brew 65c02 Computer

A 65c02 homebrew built to the RCBus standard, mostly wire-wrapped on vero board. The backplane uses standard header sockets for cards, with GAL16v20s as glue logic simulating Z80 signals (MEMREQ, IOREQ) so Z80 IO-based RC2014 cards work too. Big plans ahead — the main one being multi-user access.

The Heart of Fire

To be raffled off to raise charity money for The Befriending Scheme — watch out for that on Discord!