The Nascom 2 was a deep evolution of the Nascom 1 that required 18 months of design and development but offered lots of enhancements: a faster processor (4 MHZ.), greater RAM and ROM capacity (10 KB + 10 KB), built-in Microsoft BASIC, extended keyboard, improved tape interface, etc.
User RAM could be expanded to 32 KB on board and the system didn't need the use of expansion board or system bus to run large applications. Even now, the Nascom 2 is regarded as the most versatile single board computer in 1980's.
Sadly, in 1980, Nascom Limited company met difficulties in components sourcing, specially RAM chips, and the company ceased Nascom 2 deliveries. Some Nascom dealers will then set up the Gemini company and produce a copy of the Nascom 2. Finally, Nascom Limited is sold to Lucas Logic (later Lucas Nascom) in 1982 and the Nascom 2 will come back in a cased version called Nascom 3.
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The Nascom 2 was my first computer - I wasn''t bravce enough to build it myself so got the shop (Evesham Micros) to build it for me for an extra £50.I had it for about 10 years, upgrading to colour graphics and a disk drive, and even wrote a Scrabble program which could beat the Spectrum version (only on low levels though!). I gave it to a friend who wanted to use the interface for some control experiments and it never came back :(
Tuesday 2nd August 2022
Malcolm Neave (England)
Previous post seems to have gone wrong. This URL should work. Nascom link on home page
I built a Nascom 2 and designed a sound card to go with it. I subsequently added discs and more storage. Full story $ picture at: http://jaharrison.me.uk/Misc/Nascom/
