NABU Network Collection

NABU Network Collection

The collection documents the development and installation of the NABU Network created by Nabu Manufacturing.

The NABU Network was designed and implemented by an Ottawa-based company NABU Manufacturing between 1981 and 1983. The underlying idea behind the network was to link home personal computers to cable television networks that would supply a continuous, high speed stream of computer programs and information to homes. NABU Manufacturing identified cable television as uniquely ideal technology to deliver digital information services to homes and educational institutions because of cable's high bandwidth and wide coverage in North America.

On October 15, 1983, NABU Network was launched on Ottawa Cablevision -- an 85,000-subscriber company where much of NABU's testing was performed. Soon thereafter, the network made its US debut in Alexandria, VA, on Tribune Cable -- a 5,000 subscriber service. A year later the network was available on Ottawa's Skyline Cablevision and in Sowa, Japan, via a collaboration between NABU and ASCII Corp.

NABU Network subscribers could rent or buy a NABU Personal Computer and dedicated network adaptor, and use an ordinary television set as a display monitor. Once connected to the network, a user could choose from various application programs and services in categories including entertainment, information and guides, education, and professional programs. Dedicated NABU magazines, newsletters, programming guides, and user groups provided subscribers with supplementary information and support. The NABU Network's public launch in 1983 marked the creation of the first commercial computer network to provide high-speed access to information and services directly to homes of personal computer users. Financial difficulties lead NABU Network Corp. (formerly NABU Manufacturing) to close down its operations in 1986.

Acquisition: The objects in the collection have been donated by D. Adkinson, J. Amanatides, R. Banks, J. De Carlo, M. Kenzie, B. McNally, D. Sawyer, T. Shepard, A.G.M. Smith, Zbigniew Stachniak, and R.J. Tremblay.

HARDWARE

• NABU Personal Computer, 4K ROM
• NABU Personal Computer, 8K ROM
• NABU Adaptor
• NABU 1100 workstation
• NABU 1600 desktop computer with external disk drives
• Various S-100 boards for the NABU 1100 computer made by Andicom Corp.
• Joysticks for the NABU Personal Computer
• External disk drive station for the NABU Personal Computer
• NABU 4404 terminal
• NABU 3100 terminal
• NABU 3116 terminal

SOFTWARE

• NABU CP/M Plus operating system and utility software for the NABU Personal Computer, NABU Network & Digital Research
• CP/M operating system for the NABU 1600 computer
• CP/M operating system for the NABU 1100 workstation
• Heli Tank computer game, NABU 1983 (ASCII Corp. version)
• NABU Network cycle for CABSERVE development system (1982--1986)
• Software development tools for CABSERVE development system (1982--1986)
• NABU Network DOS (historical software reconstruction), YUCoM 2008
• NABU Network main menu (1983 version, historical software reconstruction), YUCoM 2008
• XENIX 1.1 NABU 1600 Release Note, 1983.

MANUALS and GUIDES

• NABU Personal Computer User's Guide, first edition, November 1982, NABU Manufacturing
• NABU Personal Computer User's Guide, Second edition, September 1983, NABU Manufacturing
• NABU Basic User's Reference Manual, first edition, September 1984, NABU Network Corp.
• NABU Network Guide, first edition, November 1982, NABU Manufacturing Corp.
• CP/M Plus (Operating System) User's Guide, version 3, Digital Research, 1983
• CP/M Plus (Operating System) Programmer's Guide, version 3, Digital Research, 1983
• CP/M Plus (Operating System) System Guide, version 3, Digital Research, 1983
• Programmer's Utilities Guide For the CP/M Family of Operating Systems , Digital Research, 198?
• Symbolic Instruction Debugger Productivity Tool Reference Manual for the CP/M-80 Family of Operating Systems , Digital Research, 1981
• NABU Logo Learner's Guide, Interim Version, NABU Network, 1983
• NABU PC Disk Drive User's Guide, Interim Version, NABU Network, May 1984
• The NABU Network: Technical Specifications, NABU Manufacturing, 198?
• NABU Personal Computer Application Programmer's Manual, NABU Manufacturing report 50-90020490, June 8, 1984
• The NABU Network Product Training Kit, NABU Manufacturing, October 10, 1983
• NABU 3100 Users Manual, Nabu Manufacturing, 1982(?)
• < NABU 1600 User's Operating Guide, Nabu Manufacturing, 1982
• NABU 1600 MS-DOS User's Guide, Nabu Manufacturing, 1982
• NABU 1600 Word Processing Reference Guide, Preliminary Draft, NABU Manufacturing, 1983
• NABU 1600 XENIX Command Guide, Preliminary Draft, NABU Manufacturing, 1983
• NABU 1600 User's Operating Guide, Preliminary Draft, NABU Manufacturing, 1983
• NABU 1600 XENIX Pre-Release Technical Supplement, Preliminary Draft, NABU Manufacturing, 1983

CORPORATE DOCUMENTS

• D. Sawyer. Report on the Conference on the Electronic Mall (New York, December 9--10, 1981), December 15, 1981
• D. Sawyer. Report on the Western Cable Show (Anaheim, December 14, 1981), December 14, 1981
• D. Sawyer. HOME NABU: A Proposal for the Initial Product Line. August 1981
• D. Sawyer. NABU: Proposed Product Planning Process. August 1981
• D. Sawyer. HOME NABU: Four Perspectives on the Home NABU. 1st draft, August 1981
• NABU Manufacturing Corporation. Wood Gundy Ltd. prospectus for a public offering of securities, October 26, 1981
• NABU Manufacturing Corp. Financial Statements, 1982
• D. Sawyer. Report on the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas, January 7--10, 1982), January 15, 1982.
• Portfolio of early documents describing the NABU Network sent by P.A. Wilson and E.R. Goodwin to S. Paterson, June 9, 1982
• NABU Introduces Personal Computer, news release, Nabu Manufacturing, May 1982
• Acquisition of Volker-Craig by NABU Manufacturing Corp., a letter from A. Werenko, VP Sales, Volker-Craig, to distributors, OEM's, and House Accounts, January 29, 1982
• Volker-Craig Limited Announces Acquisition by NABU Manufacturing Corporation, news release, Volker Craig, January 7, 1982
• A.M. Chitnis. Broadcast data transmission methods (NABTS, DIDON, etc.). Memorandum, June 8, 1982
• D. Sawyer. Trip Report on the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (Las Vegas, 1983), January 14, 1983
• A.M. Chitnis and W.D.M. Sawyer. Cable Computing Comes of Age. Presentation notes for the BNR Old-Boys Club (date unknown, possibly 1983)
• Consumer/Education Division. Market and Business Analysis, Release 1.0. NABU Manufacturing, August 31, 1983
• Neil Telling. Products and Services for CATV Products, memorandum (date unknown)
• NABU and Rogers Launch the NABU Network in Vancouver, news release, NABU Manufacturing, August 18, 1983
• Rogers Cable TV-Vancouver launches the NABU Network broadcast software service this fall in Vancouver, news release, August 18, 1983
• NABU Network Corporation Common Shares certificate, February 15, 1984

PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

• MicroCable Plus: Right for the Times, promotional brochure, Nabu Manufacturing, 1982
• Introducing MicroCable Plus, promotional brochure, Nabu Manufacturing, 1982
• Order Entry/Billing, General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Sales Analysis, software promotional brochure, Nabu Manufacturing, 198?
• The NABU Network... a business so right for cable, promotional brochure, Nabu Manufacturing, 198?
• NABU Manufacturing Corporation, corporate brochure, 1982
• The NABU 1600: The Beginning of a New Era of Computers, promotional brochure, NABU Manufacturing, 198?
• The NABU 3116 Video Display Terminal, promotional brochure, NABU Manufacturing, 198?
• The NABU 3055 Letter Quality Printer, promotional brochure, NABU Manufacturing, 198?
• The NABU 3201 Correspondence Quality Printer, promotional brochure, NABU Manufacturing, 198?
• The NABU Network: A technological breakthrough. Our technology. Your breakthrough, promotional brochure, NABU Manufacturing, 198?
• Tune in to a continuing adventure in computer programming, promotional brochure, NABU Manufacturing, 198?
• The NABU Network, promotional brochure, NABU Manufacturing, 1982

NEWS LETTERS, NETWORK GUIDES, and OTHER PUBLICATIONS

• The Hard Copy, vol. 1, no. 1, 2, 4, 1986 (monthly newsletter)
• The Changing Times, March 1985 (bi-monthly newsletter)
• The Education Channel, Computers, Children & Education, the education channel guide, NABU Network, 198?
• The NABU Network Content Guide (monthly guide), August 15--September 15, 1984
• P. O'Connor, NABU: the brains network; in Canadian Bu$iness, March 1982
• C. Nesbitt, Nabu Manufacturing Corporation, McLeod Young Weir, January 31, 1984
• Nabu Network price list, August 18, 1983

OTHER DOCUMENTS

• NABU's Writer Tutorial, original screen print, 198?
• NABU CALC application program information pages, original screen print, 198?
• Fancy Font application program information pages, original screen print, 198?
• < Music Maker application program information pages, original screen print, 198?
• Kiddy Park game information pages, original screen print, 198?
• Fancy Font NABU Network subscription receipts, 1985-1986
• The NABU Network is changing for you, letter to customers, Richard Haas, NABU Network, August 9, 1985
• A letter to NABU subscribes, Ottawa CableVision Ltd., October, 1983
• A letter to NABU subscribes, Ottawa CableVision Ltd., March 16, 1984
• A letter to a customer regarding purchasing of the NABU CP/M Plus operating system, May 22, 1984.
• Share the NABU Experience, a note to customers, 198?
• The NABU Network CCTA Satellite Demonstration, one page handout prepared for the 26th Annual Convention and CABLEXPO, Calgary Alberta, May 16--19, 1983.
• Correspondence between Terry Shepard and the NABU Network, September-October, 1985
• Cable Options... We've only just begun. 26th Annual Convention and CABLEXPO, Calgary Alberta, May 16--19, 1983
• A.M. Chitnis and W.D.M. Sawyer. Cable Computing Comes of Age. In Cable Options... We've only just begun. 26th Annual Convention and CABLEXPO, Calgary Alberta, May 16--19, 1983, pp. 13--19
• A binder documenting the use of a NABU 1600 system by D.J. Adkinson.

PHOTOGRAPHS and VIDEOS

• NABU Personal Computer, a photograph, 1983, CJOK CTV video, 1984
• Leo Binkowski September 29/84, CJOK CTV video, 1984

Zbigniew Stachniak