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Torch Computers
Torch Computers Ltd was a computer hardware company with origins in a 1982 joint venture between Acorn Computers and Climar Group that led to the development of the Communicator or C-series computer, a system based on the BBC Micro with a Z80 second processor and integral modem, intended as a viewdata terminal. Establishing itself in Great Shelford, near Cambridge, UK, the company became well known for its computer peripherals for the VIC-20 and BBC Micro. Torch produced an expansion unit originally developed by Arfon Microelectronics for the VIC-20, having acquired Arfon, and several second processor units for the BBC Micro, many with integrated floppy disk or hard disk drives. History Arfon acquisition and financing Arfon Microelectronics was a producer of a cartridge expansion system for the VIC-20 and a speech generator expansion for the VIC-20 and other microcomputers. Arfon had been founded by Kerr Borland, former North American Semi managing director, in Caernarfon, N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Computer
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as Computer program, programs. These programs enable computers to perform a wide range of tasks. A computer system is a nominally complete computer that includes the Computer hardware, hardware, operating system (main software), and peripheral equipment needed and used for full operation. This term may also refer to a group of computers that are linked and function together, such as a computer network or computer cluster. A broad range of Programmable logic controller, industrial and Consumer electronics, consumer products use computers as control systems. Simple special-purpose devices like microwave ovens and remote controls are included, as are factory devices like industrial robots and computer-aided design, as well as general-purpose devi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
68010
The Motorola MC68010 processor is a 16/32-bit microprocessor from Motorola, released in 1982 as the successor to the Motorola 68000. It fixes several small flaws in the 68000, and adds a few features. The 68010 is pin-compatible with the 68000, but is not 100% software compatible. Some of the differences were: * The MOVE from SR instruction is now privileged (it may only be executed in supervisor mode). This means that the 68010 meets Popek and Goldberg virtualization requirements. Because the 68000 offers an unprivileged MOVE from SR, it does not meet them. * The MOVE from CCR instruction was added to partially compensate for the removal of the user-mode MOVE from SR. * It can recover from bus faults, and re-run the last instruction, allowing it to implement virtual memory. * The exception stack frame is different. * It introduced a 22-bit Vector Base Register (VBR) that holds A 1:10of the 1 KiB-aligned base address for the exception vector table. The 68000 vector table was al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operating System
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, printing, and other resources. For hardware functions such as input and output and memory allocation, the operating system acts as an intermediary between programs and the computer hardware, although the application code is usually executed directly by the hardware and frequently makes system calls to an OS function or is interrupted by it. Operating systems are found on many devices that contain a computer from cellular phones and video game consoles to web servers and supercomputers. The dominant general-purpose personal computer operating system is Microsoft Windows with a market share of around 74.99%. macOS by Apple Inc. is in second place (14.84%), and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perfect Writer
Perfect Writer is a word processor computer program published by Perfect Software for CP/M, subsequently rewritten and released as Perfect II by Thorn EMI Computer Software for IBM PC compatible computers. It was written in C and famous for its stability. It was an enhanced version of MINCE, which itself was a version of Emacs for microcomputer platforms. Emacs itself was too heavyweight to fit within the 64kb RAM limit of most microcomputers. Like MINCE, it included a floppy disk based virtual memory system. Along with its companion spreadsheet (Perfect Calc), and database (Perfect Filer), Perfect Writer was bundled with early Kaypro II and Morrow computers, as well as with the Torch Computers Z80 Disk Pack add-on for the BBC Micro and had a list price of . In the UK, it was bundled with the short lived Advance 86B PC (a near IBM compatible). It supported up to 7 buffers, had a character transpose command, undo, footnotes, and indexing. Its capabilities were very close to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Digital Signage
Digital signage is a segment of electronic signage. Digital displays use technologies such as LCD, LED, projection and e-paper to display digital images, video, web pages, weather data, restaurant menus, or text. They can be found in public spaces, transportation systems, museums, stadiums, retail stores, hotels, restaurants and corporate buildings etc., to provide wayfinding, exhibitions, marketing and outdoor advertising. They are used as a network of electronic displays that are centrally managed and individually addressable for the display of text, animated or video messages for advertising, information, entertainment and merchandising to targeted audiences. Roles and function The many different uses of digital signage allow a business to accomplish a variety of goals. Some of the most common applications include: *Public information – news, weather, traffic and local (location specific) information, such as building directory with a map, fire exits and traveler i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small Form Factor (desktop And Motherboard)
Small form factor (SFF or SFX) is a term used for desktop computers, and their enclosures and motherboards, to indicate that they are designed in accordance with one of several standardized computer form factors intended to minimize the volume and footprint of a desktop computer compared to the standard ATX form factor. For comparison purposes, the size of an SFF case is usually measured in litres. SFFs are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including shoeboxes, cubes, and book-sized PCs. Their smaller and often lighter construction has made them popular as home theater PCs and as gaming computers for attending LAN parties. Manufacturers also emphasize the aesthetic and ergonomic design of SFFs since users are more likely to place them on top of a desk or carry them around. Advancements in component technology together with reductions in size means a powerful computer is no longer restricted to the huge towers of old. Small form factors do not include computing devices ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unipalm
Unipalm was a U.K.-based company that operated between 1986 and 2003 that specialised in networking different computers together using TCP/IP technology and was an early promoter of internet technology. History Unipalm Ltd was founded as a software reseller in Cambridge in 1986 by Peter Dawe, later forming PIPEX in 1990, as the first commercial ISP in the UK. In its very early days, their office was in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire (UK) In March 1994 ''Unipalm Group Plc'' floated on the London Stock Exchange, the purpose of the flotation was to expand the growth of ''The Public I.P. Exchange Ltd'' (Pipex). In July 1995 the company changed its trading name to Unipalm-Pipex. ''Unipalm PIPEX'' was sold to UUNet in November 1995 for GBP150 million, where it became UUNET/PIPEX. Dawe became Head of European Operations for UUNet Inc., with over 400 staff. Dawe left UUNet in July 1996. In 1996 it was reported that Unipalm-Pipex was the largest internet service provider in Europe. In Dece ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
IXI Limited
IXI Limited was a British software company that developed and marketed windowing products for Unix, supporting all the popular Unix platforms of the time. Founded in 1987, it was based in Cambridge. The product it was most known for was X.desktop, a desktop environment graphical user interface built on the X Window System. IXI was acquired by the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) in February 1993. Origins in the Cambridge hi-tech cluster In the beginning of the 1970s, the so-called Cambridge hi-tech cluster became the site of a network of new firms in the rapidly growing computer field, many of which featured founders and employees who had studied at the University of Cambridge. See pages 6, 10 of pdf. And in particular, as an article in the journal ''Regional Studies'' has noted, IXI was one of many companies started by founders or employees or those in the nexus of Cambridge-based Acorn Computers, the most noted of which is Arm Holdings. At pages 17, 39 of pdf. IXI founder Ray Ander ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NeXT
Next may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare * ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage * '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film Literature * ''Next'' (Crichton novel), a novel by Michael Crichton * ''Next'' (Hynes novel), a 2010 novel by James Hynes * ''Next'' (play), a play by Terrence McNally * '' Next: The Future Just Happened'', a 2001 non-fiction book by Michael Lewis Music Performers * Next (American band), an R&B trio * NEXT (Korean band), a South Korean rock band * Next (Chinese group), a boy group Albums * ''Next'' (ATB album), 2017 * ''Next'' (Journey album) or the title song, 1977 * ''Next'' (The Necks album) or the title instrumental, 1990 * ''Next'' (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band album) or the title song (see below), 1973 * ''Next'' (Sevendust album), 2005 * ''Next'' (Soulive album), 2002 * ''Next'' (Vanessa Williams album), 1997 * ''Next!' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RISC IX
RISC iX is a discontinued Unix operating system designed to run on a series of workstations based on the Acorn Archimedes microcomputer. Heavily based on 4.3BSD, it was initially completed in 1988, a year after Arthur but before RISC OS. It was introduced in the ARM2-based R140 workstation in 1989, followed up by the ARM3-based R200-series workstations in 1990. Features Acorn chose BSD 4.3 as the basis for RISC iX due to its academic origins, these being considered as making the software more appropriate for Acorn's principal target market of tertiary education. SunOS and NeXTSTEP systems were given as examples of other "modern high-performance workstations that use BSD". Other reasons for choosing BSD included better integration of networking and connectivity tools in comparison to System V. * X11 (initially Release 2) with Ardent Window Manager, Tab Window Manager and Ultrix Window Manager available by default, plus X.desktop from IXI Limited * System V virtual memory exte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
68030
The Motorola 68030 ("''sixty-eight-oh-thirty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 family. It was released in 1987. The 68030 was the successor to the Motorola 68020, and was followed by the Motorola 68040. In keeping with general Motorola naming, this CPU is often referred to as the 030 (pronounced ''oh-three-oh'' or ''oh-thirty''). The 68030 is essentially a 68020 with a memory management unit (MMU) and instruction and data caches of 256 bytes each. It added a burst mode (computing), burst mode for the caches, where four longwords can be loaded into the cache in a single operation. The MMU was mostly compatible with the external Motorola 68851, 68851 that would be used with the 68020, but being internal allowed it to access memory one cycle faster than a 68020/68851 combo. The 68030 did not include a built-in floating-point unit (FPU), and was generally used with the Motorola 68881, 68881 and the faster Motorola 68882, 68882. The addition of the FPU was a major d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
68020
The Motorola 68020 ("''sixty-eight-oh-twenty''", "''sixty-eight-oh-two-oh''" or "''six-eight-oh-two-oh''") is a 32-bit microprocessor from Motorola, released in 1984. A lower-cost version was also made available, known as the 68EC020. In keeping with naming practices common to Motorola designs, the 68020 is usually referred to as the "020", pronounced "oh-two-oh" or "oh-twenty". The 020 was in the market for a relatively short time. The Motorola 68030 was announced in September 1986 and began deliveries in the summer of 1987. Priced about the same as the 020 of the time, the 030 was significantly faster and quickly replaced in 020 in almost every use. History 68000 and 68010 At the time the Motorola 68000 was designed, Motorola's design and fabrication services were outdated. Although even small companies like MOS Technologies and Zilog had moved on to silicon gate depletion mode NMOS logic on ever-larger wafers, Motorola was still using metal gates and enhancement mode and thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
