Enterprise computer?

[Stonemonkey]

No, not talking about the star trek.

http://www.heimcomputer.de/english/comp/enterprise64.html

I've never heard of this before, looks like pretty good specs for 1984 but I can't seem to find anything else about it.

[va!n]

uiiii... never heared nor seen something of this machine.... sure, that its not a fake? Its amazing that the machine has the number 64 (like the C64 *g*) due fact of its 64k memory in its name, hehe...

Technical datas are extreme awesome for that time... But there are things i dont really may understand. The RAM is 64 and 50 K are still useable, ok....

The graphic may be 672x256 in 256 colors? Uhaa.. How should this possible with 64k total mem? Lets calulate the needed size of an 672x256 image with 8 bpls (256 colors)...     

((672*256)/8) * bpls == 172032 bytes !!!

AS you see, one image with this size is uncompressed ~172 KB... Does the graphic card had own memory? If so, i dont think that the graphic card had more memory is the main memory of the machine. So i am a bit confused about this tech datas.

[Edit]
Something i found: http://www.zock.com/8-Bit/D_Enterprise64.HTML  (sadly in pure german)

Mainboard of the Enterprise 128 (with 128 KB Ram) and an extension on the left side.

[Stonemonkey]

translated from that page:

For a computer of 1985 the Enterprise is very progressive. It e.g. offers a dissolution of diagram of 640 x to 256 points with 8-bit depth of shade (256 colors), which lets in the same year the 16-Bitter Amiga appeared look old even 1000 (creates maximally 16 colors without HAM or EHB when this dissolution). As is the case for the Amiga the vertical dissolution also leaves itself in the Interlace mode to 512 points to increase, that is however to everything else as eye friendly and a little in the long term recommendable.

The storage capacity of the Enterprise 64 is rather average for a computer of its time - 64 KByte offer the others also. This computer has however 22 address lines; thus it is in a the position to address up to 4 MByte memory! This makes a special store management logic possible, because the used Z80A-CPU has even only 16 address lines. Under basic the 4 MByte can be not completely used, it can however up to 128 of different programs placings or buffer memories for peripheral devices be put on there.

A further highlight of the Enterprise is the inserted network ability: in series 32 computers in local AREA a network (LAN) can co-operate. The operating system performs the clerical work for it in the background; it plays thus no role, which lets program of the users on its computer straight run. The network routines stress by the way straight once 8 KByte!

With offered 3.5 " - floppy disk drive are to the user also CP/M programs at the disposal, which can be started under EXDOS (Z80A is thanks). For those, which would like to rather even program, an extensive basic is available, which permits among other things programming also structured. This basic is not integrated however into the computer, it is attached as plug-in module.

Despite all its advantages the Enterprise became a flop. This may have been because of the high price, but above all also at missing marketing. At least in Germany the Enterprise hardly was well-known and in the technical literature usually also only briefly as Exot was introduced.

I don't understand the thing about the colours either, I thought at first that maybe not all 256 colours would be available in the hi res mode but from that it appears to be.

[Shockwave]

I seem to remember seeing thes for sale in Currys when I was still in school Amongst other strange computers, these seemed to be a great variety at the time, Sinclairs, Sharp, Commodore etc etc and there were at least 7 different types of home computer (most Z80 based) for sale in that shop window.

My first machine was a Vic 20

[Jim]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_64
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:NAepIE3YevQJ:www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp%3Fc%3D153+enterprise+computer+joystick&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=au

The www.old-computers.com is a great site, but it seems to be down at the moment.

As va!n points out 672x512@256 colours is way too high for that era (it's better than MCGA which didn't come until the early 90s!), old-computers shows:

GRAPHIC MODES   Eight graphic modes, max : 672 x 512 (2 col), most used : 256 x 160 (16 col)

which sounds much more likely!

Jim