The Gradiente Expert 1 is a Brazilian MSX 1 computer. It is composed of two parts: the main unit and the keyboard. Gradiente is a Brazilian consumer electronic products company. It is not suprising as the unit's design looks like a HI-FI system... Along with the HotBit, the Experts were the only MSX systems available in Brazil.
The Expert XP-800 was in fact a clone of the National CF-3000. It is a quite complete MSX 1 computer with two cartridge slots placed on the front panel and a numeric keypad. The rear of the system is quite populated with a lot of connectors : BUS Expansion port, Keyboard connector, Tape interface (1200/2400 bauds), RGB video output, Composite video output (monochrome), Parallel port, Audio output, 2 x power out connector (Max 100W)... On later models (v1.1) a few connectors were added: 6v output for DataCorder, RCA Color Video Composite (PAL-M) and RF-Out with channel selector (PAL-M). A speaker level control and an AC Switch (120V-240V) can also be found.
Sadly, the cassette interface, RGB connector, keyboard connector, expansion connector and printer connector were not compatible with the MSX standard. Gradiente did this on purpose, trying to set their own proprietary standard in Brazil... Also, a little difference in the ASCII table between the Expert (corrected with the Expert GPC-1) and the Hotbit caused a lot of problems in Brazil...
The Expert XP-800 was later followed by the Expert GPC-1 (1986), the Expert Plus (1989) and finally the Expert DD Plus (1989).
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Djogo Patrao reports to us:
MSX2 machines were never launched in Brasil, despite of Gradiente's promisses. Some companies (like DDX and Ademir Carchano, among others) offered then MSX-2 and MSX2+ transformation service (Carchano even developed a MSX2 cartridge!), which were very popular although expansive.
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