The IMSAI VDP-80 was the first commercially succesful business computer, accounting for almost 50% of the store sales where I worked at the time.
It was delived with 48 KB or 64 KB of RAM, and newer systems offered the Persci 299, double-sided, double density floppy drives. Both models of Persci (277 or 299) were a dual drive with a shared voice coil positioner in the center.
The primary CP/M applications were Electric Pencil or Wordstar which made them a hit in law offices. FMS-80 (database), Supercalc (spreadsheet) and Accounting Plus were also used.
Several languages were also available for this computer : BASIC (with compiler) and Fortran IV level 2 ANSI compiler.
These units were the first used by the Alexandria Police department to automate their booking and arrest database in 1978.
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Douro says :
This computer had a very simplified design; it was built around the Intel 8085. This processor contains the complete 8080 core and additional glue logic (i.e. the clock chip). The 8085 performed five times faster than the 8080 due to its smaller transistor size and the use of very large scale integration (VLSI). The CMOS version of this chip was the Oki 80C85, and the EPROM version was the 8075.
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system,
please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.
NAME
VDP 80
MANUFACTURER
IMSAI
TYPE
Professional Computer
ORIGIN
U.S.A.
YEAR
1977
BUILT IN LANGUAGE
None
KEYBOARD
Full stroke keyboard
CPU
Intel 8085
SPEED
3 MHz
RAM
48 or 64 KB
ROM
Bios'es were located on the VIO-C video card and the DIO-C floppy controller
TEXT MODES
80 x 24 (with inverse video and 256 programmable characters)
GRAPHIC MODES
None
COLORS
Monochrome
SIZE / WEIGHT
55 kg (121 lbs)
I/O PORTS
Parallel port - Serial port (asynch/synch, programmable from 0.05 to 56 Kbauds)
BUILT IN MEDIA
Two PERSCI 8" FDD
OS
CP/M 1.4 to 2.2
POWER SUPPLY
Built-in power supply unit
PRICE
between $9,995 and $12,995, depending on RAM and FDD configuration
