Thomson TO16
Early 1989 French microcomputer model
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Thomson TO16 or Thomson TO16PC is a PC compatible[1] personal computer introduced by French company Thomson SA in 1987,[2][3] with prices ranging from 9000 to 16000 FF[4] depending on the version.
| Also known as | Thomson TO16PC |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Thomson SA |
| Released | 1987 |
| Introductory price | 9000 to 16000 FF |
| Operating system | MS-DOS 3.2 |
| CPU | Intel 8088 @ 4.77 or 9.54 MHz (turbo mode) |
| Memory | 512 KB expandable to 768 KB |
| Storage | 5"1/4 floppy discs |
| Graphics | MDA, Hercules, CGA and Plantronics Colorplus compatible graphic card |
| Sound | PC Speaker |
| Connectivity | RS-232, printer port |
| Backward compatibility | IBM PC |
| Related | Thomson TO16PCM, Thomson TO16XPDD, Thomson TO16XPHD |
Prototype
The original concept was a machine similar to the Macintosh. Based on this the Thomson TO16 prototype (codename Théodore) was built around a Motorola 68000 processor with an Intel 82716 graphics chipset.[5] The operating system chosen was OS-9,[1] a preemptive multitasking system similar to Unix. It also featured an integrated 20MB SCSI hard drive.
Work on the prototype was carried on between 1985 and 1988, with five machines built.[6] This concept was abandoned in favor of a PC compatible architecture, with the TO16 model designation being kept.
Specifications
Source:[7]
- Motorola 68000 @ 8 MHz CPU
- 2 MB RAM
- Two video modes: 320×200 with 256 colors; 640×270 with 16 colors
- Mouse
- 3½" floppy drive
- 20 MB SCSI hard drive
Thomson TO16
The Thomson TO16 is a IBM PC compatible machine,[1] running MS-DOS 3.2 with MS-DOS Manager and GW-BASIC.[4][8] The CPU is an Intel 8088 capable of running at 9.54Mhz on turbo mode with 512KB of RAM and a CGA graphic card with expanded abilities.[1]
Specifications
- CPU Intel 8088 running at 4.77 or 9.54 MHz
- support for Intel 8087 co-processor
- 512 KB of RAM, expandable to 768 KB on the motherboard.
- 32 KB of ROM
- IBM Monochrome Display Adapter, Hercules Graphics Card, CGA and Plantronics Colorplus compatible graphic card[1]
- Internal 5"1/4 360 KB disc drive
- Two ISA expansion slots
- Connections for an external disk drive
- RS-232C Serie and Centronics Parallel (Micro ribbon connector) interfaces
- Optional Modem
