The Schneider Euro PC was a

PC compatible IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

home computer, introduced in 1988 by the Schneider Computer Division. A follow-up to the success of the Schneider CPC series, the Euro PC offered an inexpensive entry into the emerging market for home PCs. The computer used a Siemens

8088 The Intel 8088 ("''eighty-eighty-eight''", also called iAPX 88) microprocessor is a variant of the Intel 8086. Introduced on June 1, 1979, the 8088 has an eight-bit external data bus instead of the 16-bit bus of the 8086. The 16-bit registers and ...

processor (clocked at 4.77, 7.15 or 9.54 MHz according to a

BIOS In computing, BIOS (, ; Basic Input/Output System, also known as the System BIOS, ROM BIOS, BIOS ROM or PC BIOS) is firmware used to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs and to perform hardware initialization during the ...

setting or key combination), had 512 KB of RAM (expandable to 640 KB), and was shipped with

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

3.3 and

Microsoft Works Microsoft Works was a productivity software suite developed by Microsoft and sold from 1987 to 2009. Its core functionality included a word processor, a spreadsheet and a database management system. Later versions had a calendar application and ...

1.0. As with many other home computers of its time, the computer circuit board was built into the keyboard housing. A 12" amber monochrome monitor (MM12) and a 14" color monitor (CM14) were available for the system. The Euro PC had a graphics chip that could be switched between monochrome

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

and color CGA modes. The power supply was external, an unusual feature for a PC. A 3-inch floppy disk drive (720 KB) was installed as a mass storage device. An external 3-inch floppy disk drive with 720 KB (FD720), a 5-inch floppy disk drive with 360 KB (FD360), and a 20 MB hard disk (XT Attachment, similar to IDE / ATA ) were available as accessories. This could not be replaced by any other model, as the drive parameters were permanently programmed into the BIOS. However, it was possible to operate other hard drives with a corresponding controller in the expansion slot. The computer was sold through large

mail-order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing a telephone call * Placing a ...

companies at a price of 1,800

DEM DEM was the ISO 4217 currency code for the Deutsche Mark, former currency of Germany Computing * Digital elevation model, a digital representation of ground-surface topography or terrain ** .dem, a common extension for USGS DEM files * Discrete ...

. The highly competitive PC market left little room for new machines, but the Euro PC was still sold in considerable numbers thanks to its very low price and slim, home computer-like appearance. An updated version, the Euro PC II introduced in 1989, had 768 KB RAM and a

8087 The Intel 8087, announced in 1980, was the first x87 floating-point coprocessor for the 8086 line of microprocessors. The purpose of the 8087 was to speed up computations for floating-point arithmetic, such as addition, subtraction, multiplicati ...

mathematical

coprocessor A coprocessor is a computer processor used to supplement the functions of the primary processor (the CPU). Operations performed by the coprocessor may be floating-point arithmetic, graphics, signal processing, string processing, cryptography o ...

. Another version with further expansions was called EURO XT. The Euro AT offered a

80286 The Intel 80286 (also marketed as the iAPX 286 and often called Intel 286) is a 16-bit microprocessor that was introduced on February 1, 1982. It was the first 8086-based CPU with separate, non-multiplexed address and data buses and also the fi ...

processor, 1MB of RAM, and a EGA graphics card. The Euro SX, introduced in 1992, came with a

80386SX The Intel 386, originally released as 80386 and later renamed i386, is a 32-bit microprocessor introduced in 1985. The first versions had 275,000 transistors PC compatible IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

PC AT The IBM Personal Computer/AT (model 5170, abbreviated as IBM AT or PC/AT) was released in 1984 as the fourth model in the IBM Personal Computer line, following the IBM PC/XT and its IBM Portable PC variant. It was designed around the Intel 8028 ...

Sinclair PC200 The Amstrad PPC512 and Amstrad PPC640 were the first portable IBM PC compatible computers made by Amstrad. Released in 1987, they were a development of the desktop PC-1512 and PC-1640 models. As portable computers, they contained all the elements ...

References

{{reflist Schneider Electric Home computers IBM PC compatibles