Below, you'll
find acute (I hope) technical information about some old computers of
mine.
The following tables will allow you to easily compare their:
If you're interested in Retro-computing, I would also recommend reading the following books. I find very interesting how these computer industry pioneers, with brillant ideas, begun to earn millions of dollars !
| Brand/Model | Country | Year | Units Sold | CPU | Coprocessors | RAM | ROM | VRAM |
| Commodore VIC20 | US | Sept. 1980 | 2.5 million |
MOS 6502 @ 1.02Mhz | - | 4 KB | 20 KB | 1 KB |
| Sinclair ZX81 | UK | March 1981 | +1 million |
Zilog Z80 @ 3.25Mhz | - | 1KB (up to 64KB) | 8 KB | |
| Commodore 64 | US | Sept 1982 | 22 million |
MoS 6510 @ 0.985 MHz | - | 64 KB | 16 KB (20KB for the 64C) | up to 20KB of RAM used |
| Apple IIe | US | Jan 1983 | MoS 65c02 @ 1Mhz | - | 64KB | 16KB | up to 16KB of RAM used | |
| Tandy/RS TRS 80 CoCo II | US | Sept 1983 | Motorola 6809E @ 0.895 MHz | |
16 KB | 16 KB | |
|
| Micronique Hector HRX | FR | Aug 1983 | Zilog Z80A @ 5Mhz | - | 64KB | 16KB | |
|
| Atari 800 XL | US | Dec 1983 | MoS 6502C @ 1.77 MHz | - | 64KB | 24KB | up to 8KB of RAM used | |
| ORIC Atmos | UK | 1984 | MoS 6502A @ 1 MHz | |
48 KB | 16 KB | 8 KB of RAM used | |
| Thomson MO5 |
FR |
1984 |
Motorola 6809e @ 1Mhz |
- |
32 KB |
16 KB |
||
| Philips VG8020 msx | NL | 1984 | Zilog Z80 @ 3.58MHz | - | 64 KB | 32 KB | 16 KB | |
| VTECH Laser 310 | HK | 1984 | Zilog Z80 @ 3.58MHz | - | 16 KB | 16 KB | 2 KB | |
| Exelvision EXL100 |
FR |
1984 |
TI tms 7041 + tms 7020 @ 4.91 MHz | - |
32 KB up to 290 |
4 KB |
||
| Commodore 128 | US | 1985 | 4 million |
MOS 8502 @ 1.97/0.985MHz + Zilog Z80A @ 4Mhz |
- | 128 KB | 64 KB | 16KB + up to 20KB of RAM used |
| Thomson MO6 | FR | 1986 | Motorola 6809e @ 1MHz | - | 128 KB | 64 KB | 16 KB of RAM used | |
| Sinclair ZX Spectrum 2+ | UK | 1987 | . | Zilog Z80A @ 3.54Mhz | - | 128 KB | 32 KB | 7 KB of RAM used |
| Amstrad 6128 plus | UK | 1987 | Zilog Z80A @ 4MHz | - | 128 KB | 128 KB (64 KB used by a demo game!) | 16 KB of RAM used | |
| Atari 520 STf | US | 1987 | Motorola 68000 @ 8MHz | - | 512 KB | 192 KB | 32 KB of RAM used | |
| Macintosh II |
US |
1987 |
|
Motorola 68020 @ 16Mhz |
68881 FPU |
1 MB |
256 KB |
external video card (300 KB typ.) |
| Commodore Amiga 600 | US | march 1992 a500+;August 1990 | 5 million (all Amigas) |
Motorola 68000 @ 7.14MHz | - | 1 MB | 512 KB | up to 1 MB of RAM used (2 MB with extension) |
| Apple Macintosh SE30 | US | 1991 | Motorola 68030 @ 15.77Mhz | 68882 FPU | 4 MB | 256 KB | |
| Brand/Model | Text Modes | Graphics Modes | BIT BLT/Sprites | Sound | |
|
I/O ports |
| Commodore VIC20 | - 22x23 8 colours | - 176x184 16 colours |
none | 3 voices (square wave), noise and volume | |
Video composite, 1 Joystick, Cardridge, Tape, Serial, User Port (RS232 compatible) | |
| Sinclair ZX81 | - 32x22 B/W | - 64x44 B/W - 256x182 B/W with 16KB RAM expansion |
none | none | |
RF video, Expansion slot, Tape | |
| Commodore 64 | - 40x25 16 colors | - 320x200 16 colors (1 color per 8x8 block) - 320x200 16 colors (1 color per 1x8 block) - 160x200 16 colors (4 colors per 4x8 block) - 160x200 16 colors |
yes | SID 6581: An advanced 3 voices synthetizer | |
|
Video composite, Joystick x2, Cardridge, Tape, Serial, User Port (RS232 compatible) |
| Apple IIe | - 40x24 - 80x24 (with 80 columns card) |
- 40x48 16 colors - 280x192 6 colors with constraints - 560x192 16 colors with constraints |
none | 1 channel | |
|
Composite video, Internal slots *7, Tape, Joystick *2 |
| Radio Shack TRS 80 CoCo II | - 32x16 8 colors | - 32x16x8 colors - 64x32x8 - 128x96x2 or 4 - 128x192x2 or 4 - 256x192x2 |
none | 1 voice | |
|
Tape, RGB, Joystick x2, Cardridge, Serial RS232 |
| Micronique Hector HRX | - 40 x 24 4 colors | - 243 x 231 4 colors. 15 colors palette | none | 1 voice | |
|
RGB, Centronics, Cardridge, Joystick * 2 |
| Atari 800 XL | up to 40 x 24 5 colors 256 colors palette |
- up to 320 x 192 1 color - up to 160 x 192 4 colors - up to 80 x 192 16 colors 256 colors palette, flexible video chip (ANTIC) |
4 sprites 8x256 1 color, 4 sprites 2x256 1 color, H/V scrolling | Atari POKEY, 4 voices | |
|
Composite Video, Bus, Cardridge (16KB), Joystick * 2, Tape+Serial Bus |
| Oric Atmos | 40 x 28 8 colors | 240 x 200 8 colors with constraints (hard to display more than two colors per line) | none | 3 voices: AY-3-8912 | |
|
RBG, RF video, Bus, Printer, Tape |
| Thomson MO5 | - 40 x 24 | - 320 x 200 16 colors (1 color
per 1x8 block) |
none |
1 voice (8 bits DAC) | RGB (Scart), Light Pen, Tape Cardridge, Bus | ||
| Philips VG8020 msx | 40 x 24 16 colors | 256 x 192 16 colors with constraints | yes | 3 voices: YM-2413 | |
|
RGB, Centronics, Cardridge *2, Tape, Joystick *2 |
| VTECH Laser 310 | - 32 x 16 9 colors | - 64 x 32 9 colors - 128 x 64 8 colors |
none | beeper, 1 voice | |
|
RGB, Tape, Centronics (opt), Expansion bus |
| Excelvision EXL100 |
- 80x25 |
- 320x250 8 colors |
? |
Vocal synthetizer |
IR joystick+keyboard,
centronics, bus, RAM ROM ext, tape |
||
| Commodore 128 | - 40x25 16 colors - 80x25 16 colors - 80x50 16 colors |
- 640x200 16 colors (1 color per 8x8 block) - 320x200 16 colors (1 color per 8x8 block) - 320x200 16 colors (1 color per 1x8 block) - 160x200 16 colors (4 colors per 4x8 block) - 160x200 16 colors |
yes | SID 6581: An advanced 3 voices synthetizer | |
|
RGB, Video composite, Joystick x2, Expansion port, Tape, Serial, User Port (RS232 compatible) |
| Thomson MO6 | - 80 x 24 - 40 x 24 |
- 160 x 200 16 colors - 320 x 200 16 colors (1 color per 1x8 block) - 640 x 200 2 colors 4096 colors palette |
none | 1 voice (8 bits DAC) | |
|
RGB (Scart), Light Pen, Joystick, Mouse, Centronics, Cardridge, Stereo, Bus |
| ZX Spectrum 2+ | - 32x22 8 colors | - 256x192 8 colors (1 background/foreground by 8x8 block) | no | 3 voices: AY-3-8912 + 1 bit audio |
|
|
Z80 Bus, Numeric Keyboard, RS232 or Midi Out, Audio, RGB, 2 x Joystick |
| Amstrad 6128 plus | - 40 x 25 - 80 x 25 - 20 x 25 |
- 160 x 200 16 colors (32 colors with sprites) - 320 x 200 4 colors (20 colors with sprites) - 640 x 200 2 colors 27 or 4096 colors palette |
16 sprites (16 x 16 15 colors each in any graphics mode, XY x1 x2 x4 magnification), hardware scrolling, horizontal split screen with independent scrolling | 3 voices: AY-3-8912 + possibility to stream data without CPU intervention | |
|
RGB, Centronics, Z80 Bus, Joystick x 2, 1 Analog Joystick (SUB-D 15), Light gun (RJ-11), Disk unit, Tape, ROM Cardridge (up to 512 KB) |
| Atari 520 STf | - 40 x 25 - 80 x 25 |
- 320 x 200 16 colors - 640 x 200 4 colors - 640 x 400 B/W 512 colors palette |
NO (Appeared on the MegaST and STe) | 3 voice: YM-2149 | |
|
RGB, Cardridge, Midi in and out, Centronics, RS232c, Hard Disk, Floppy disk, Joystick, Mouse |
| Macintosh II |
- 640x480 256 colors (external
video card) |
Depends on video card |
Stereo 8 bits |
ADB x2, Serial x2, 6 Nubus
slots, 2 integrated FD |
|||
| Amiga 600 | - VERY flexible PAL/NTSC chip - up to 320 x 512 from 2 to 64 or 4096 colors - up to 640 x 512 from 2 to 16 colors - up to 1280 x 512 2 or 4 colors - 4096 colors palette. - overscan, dual video output | Yes | 4 stereo channels 8 bit (28 or 56 Khz sampling rate) | |
|
Analog RGB, Composite Video, 2 Stereo Audio RCA, 1 parallel port, PCMCIA T1, 1 internal slot, Mouse/Game port x2, RS-232 (DB-25), External Floppy, | |
| Apple Macintosh SE/30 | - | 512 x 342 B/W | none | 1 voice (22Khz / 8 bits DAC) | |
|
RS232/422 *2; ADB *2 (keyboard, mouse), Stereo, Floppy disk, SCSI, 68030 Processor Direct Slot |
AY-3-8912: 3 voices 9 octaves 16 volume levels, 1
noise generator, 10 fixed enveloppe paterns (but with programmable
period).
YM-2149: 3 voices 8 octaves 32 volume levels, only 1 waveform (square
wave), 1 noise generator, 10 fixed enveloppe
paterns. similar to AY-3-8912.
SID 6581: 3 oscillators (0-4Khz), 4 waveforms per oscillator (Triangle,
Sawtooth, Variable Pulse, Noise), 3 amplitude modulators (8 bits), 3
envelope generators (Full ADSR), ring modulation, programmable filter
(low pass, Bandpass,High pass, Notch with variable resonance), one
channel can be used as a 12 bits PWM (12 bits digital sound in 1983
!!!).
YM-2413: FM synthetizer, 9 poly channel or 6 channels and 5 rythm
sounds. Built-in instruments: 15 melody tones, 5 rhythme tones. 1
programmable instrument (ADSR).
Atari POKEY: 4 voices of 8-bit pitch-resolution, 4-bit
volume-resolution,
8-distortion sound can be produced. 2 voices (1 and 2, and/or 3 and 4)
can be combined to make 16-bit pitch-resolution. Also 4-bit volume-only
modes can be enabled for digitally sampled sound replay.
I also tried to estimate to power in MIPS of these old processors using the theorical cycles needed for basic machine language instructions.
| Brand/Model | Year | Type | Typ. Freq. | Registers | Imm. Load | Mem. Load | And | Imm. And | Incre- ment | Imm. Sub- stract | Compa- rison | Condi- tionnal Jump | Stack Push | Estimated Power |
| Zilog Z80 | July 1976 | 8 bits | 4-8 Mhz | 1 x 8bits 3 x 16bits (or 6 x 8 bits) 2 x 16bits index (double all these numbers if you count shadow registers) |
7 (10*) | 7 (16*) | 4 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 12-7 | 11* | 0.58 MIPS @4Mhz |
| MoS 6502 | 1975 | 8 bits | 1-2 Mhz | 1 x 8bits** 2 x 8bits index |
2 | 3-4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2-3 | 4 | 0.43 MIPS @1Mhz |
| Motorola 6809 | 1977 | 8 bits | 1 Mhz | 2 x 8bits (or 1 x 16bits) 2 x 16bits index |
2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.42 MIPS @1Mhz |
| Intel 8086 | 1978 | 16 bits | 8 Mhz | 4 x 16bits (or 8 x 8bits) 4 x 16bits index 4 x segment |
4 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 8 | 1.2 MIPS @8Mhz |
| Motorola 68000 | Sept 1979 | 16/32 bits | 8 Mhz | 16 x 32bits | 4/8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4/8 | 4 | 10/8 | 8 | 1.4 MIPS @8Mhz |
Planet
Sinclair by Chris Owen
Atari Historical Society's
virtual Atari museum
Atari Archives
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arecopyrighted. copyright © 2001 Ludovic Drolez.
