The Athena used the NSC 800 microprocessor which was a low consumption version of the Zilog Z80.
The computer had a battery which allowed it to be used for two hours or six hours in "awake" state.
Apparently it was the first "clamshell" laptop computer to be exhibited, but never went into production. It was designed by David Mitchell.
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When first launched, the Athena I had an unusual but interesting dual-processor design using NSC-800 CPUs, a low-power version of the Zilog Z80. What’s more, it used solid-state storage in the form of fast dynamic RAM. It was a powerful system, but its small LCD and external floppy drive limited its usefulness. In 1983, the company switched to a single low-power Intel 80C86 CPU, the first computer to do so, and offered MS-DOS along with CP/M.
Athena I (1983, transportable) Original Retail Price: $3,250 to $4,950 Base Configuration: dual 2.5MHz NSC-800 CPUs, CP/M 2.2, 68K RAM, 6K ROM, external 5.25-inch floppy disk drive, 128K (1MB max) solid state storage, monochrome LCD, keyboard, two RS-232 and one parallel port, JRT Pascal, owner’s and software manuals, battery pack, AC adapter Video: 4-line x 80-column text Size/Weight: 3.37 x 11/87 x 14.5 inches, 15 lbs. Important Options: 12-inch monochrome monitor
Sunday 14th September 2014
Yuri
Photos can be found here: http://classictech.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/company-profile-athena-computer-electronic-systems-san-juan-capistrano-calif/
Friday 7th February 2014
leskovez (Russia)
Photo is of the prototype that was displayed at trade shows.
