A two parter ; 1) What was the original prototype Oric1 computer model made from ? ; 2) Where is it now ?

Answer 1

OMg i cant believe you remeber them, as to your questions i have no idea, but i got one as a christmas present about 15 years ago, it took ages to get anything done on it, as you had to type everything in by hand

Answer 2

z1ppyk1dd...

Ummm.. the Oric1 that takes me back... So lets see if my memory serves me right...

Ans 1) The company known as Tangerine Computer Systems ltd was responisble for developing the design of Oric. However Some of the designs were sold off to be made by other manufacturers. The most successful of these was the monochrome Microtan 65. Others included the ZX80 and ZX81.

Due to the success of the Microtan and the growing market for home computers back then, prompted Tangerine to design a colour home computer. So Oric Products International ltd was formed to produce a new computer. A system/machine was designed - called the Tangerine Tiger, but again this idea was sold to another company. Then came Microtan 2 with Prestel capability which would become the basis for Oric1.

According to some the original concept design was drawn out on the back of a napkin. Either way a breadboard version was built to test the circuitry, and shortly after the outer casing was made to show how the prototype would look and in Aug/ Sept 1982 Oric1 was born - The 1st colour computer under £100.

6K and 48K version were released but due to some teething problems some machines had to be returned and hence various versions of Oric-1 were released as a result.

Ans 2) As to where the orignal concept prototype is, is very hard to say and at the mo - it's got my fellow geeks scratching their heads and running around like headless chickens... - However Oric1 machines are like gold dust as it appears to can gone into the IT hall of cottectables (can't see why -i had problems with mine but learnt a lot though about electronics). I have seen 1 go at auction for around £500...

You could go the Oric Link below - it has it's own community believe it or not... So you might be able to find out more from these buddin enthuists...

Hope this has helped...

DM

MCP MCSA MCSE+S BIT

Answer 3

According to http://freespace.virgin.net/james.groom/oric/oricfaq.htm#whatis the Oric (circa 1983) is an 8-bit computer made by Oric International:

"The first one was the Oric-1 computer, powered by a 6502 processor and an extended 16K Basic, with sounds, colour graphics, printer port, and 16 or 48 K ram (plus an extra 16 K ram which you do not normally see).... Programs were stored on audio tapes."

This online book: http://oric.ifrance.com/oric/index_english.html shows photos of how the Oric looks, and discusses the development, history and the "story" of the Oric.

I can't find where the prototype/first working model is currently housed, but there is still a hobbiest following of several of these old "first generation" mass produced home computers.

Personally, I still remember listening to cassette tapes (attached to a home-built frankenstein computer in the late '70s) so much that I could tell where the program I wanted was, by the sound of the tape! Back then (when I was more easily amused) the coolest thing was all the LED lights that showed the computer's little binary brain was actually working -- and the concept of a home computer -- never mind that it couldn't DO much.

When I think of that now, it amuses me -- especially when I get all "pound the desk" upset when my DSL doesn't go at the speed of light!

Answer 4

I don't know, but it was named after the arsy computer in Blakes 7.

You can get an amulator for it (if, like me, you have a Mac)

http://www.bannister.org/software/oric.htm

Answer 5

I haven't the foggiest

Answer 6

Wasn't it also a vacuum cleaner?

Answer 7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oric_1

emulator for windows http://www.museo8bits.com/oric1.htm