1 10 106 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/9649e212fff9002eabe38e6025458b91.jpg 4478fcf69522100cc466d60d4c08be34 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gravis PC GamePad Subject The topic of the resource hardware: computer peripheral, game controller Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In the final two decades of the twentieth century, the personal computer industry experienced rapid technological advances that included, among other innovations, the development of high-performance input devices (such as game controllers) as well as sound and video cards. Array Technology Inc. (ATI, founded in 1985), Creative Technology (1981), Logitech International (1981), Matrox Graphics (1976), and NVIDIA (1993) are examples of leading manufacturers of such products. In Canada, several companies—besides ATI and Matrox—successfully designed and manufactured input devices and add-on cards for personal computers. One such company was Gravis Computer Peripherals Inc. (Gravis), founded in 1982 in Burnaby, British Columbia. In 1985, the company was renamed International Gravis Computer Technology Inc., and following its amalgamation with Abaton Resources Ltd. in 1987, it adopted the name Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. In 1997, Gravis was acquired by Kensington Computer Products Group, which incorporated the Gravis brand of entertainment gamepads and joysticks into its product line. The "Company Background" published on Gravis' ftp site in 1997, described the company's origins this way Gravis originated in 1979 from the passion for computer games shared by two childhood friends, Grant Russell and Dennis Scott-Jackson. They soon found that joysticks and paddles on the market did not provide a real arcade feel or precision, and they typically broke down within weeks of intensive game use. This started them on the quest to build a better joystick. Between 1985 and 1997, Gravis designed and manufactured several award-winning joysticks and gamepads for desktop computers produced by companies such as Amiga, Apple, Atari, Commodore, IBM, and Tandy. Its first product, the Gravis Analog Joystick, introduced in 1985, quickly became a popular choice among computer gamers. The Gravis PC GamePad, released in 1991, was equally successful and was adopted by numerous electronic entertainment companies, including Nintendo and Sega. Similar success followed with the Firebird programmable game controller, introduced in 1996. By 1996, the number of retail outlets carrying Gravis products exceeded 11,000 worldwide, making the company one of the world’s largest suppliers of computer joysticks and gamepads, according to reports such as those published by PC Data. Gravis PC GamePad  The Gravis PC GamePad was introduced in November 1991. It was the first gamepad for the IBM and IBM compatible computers and one of the most popular gamepads for these platforms. The device offered a fast digital direction pad, 4 quick response digital buttons, left- or right-hand play switch, and a switch selectining a single or two pleyer use. A variant of the PC GamePad for Macintosh personal computers was introduced by Gravis under the name Mac GamePad. Museum holdings <ul> <li>Gravis PC GamePad manufactured in 1991, its user's manual and Gravis Utilities floppy diskette,</li> <li>Gravis PC GamePad manufactured in 1998 and its Quick Install manual</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived donated by Zbigniew Stachniak Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant world, 1991-- https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/ffd79dc91228659a08d2c2a594678616.png 8a6fd287835ef203a578d1e4796655fd https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/93545064a87eaffbc2b805bccf99c522.png 974dc731efbfad74c96ea8fef8c13a5d https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/dea327ed73ff29bc5caa59fd2d2e22da.png 14740871c6c24ea683b4687aa811b426 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/f3954566458634820c6f68cf3ab00ae5.jpg b7f4df24898e2b5ccb5e09754c4dcc9e https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/e7e4de8627a515abf6243959f95b5446.png d125ec837ef46d03e3acdd4fd663520d https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/7b822a23f93686d4b2e1df0f82338f44.png 72d4db04718643bd1abbc6f085e15a37 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/35d0c4b7d99ff89380262ae634893e53.png 517a3d074dd332559047d9f4c7409c67 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/861354a4ace32f6f48e38f139c5e938f.png 553cbb49fa1019333fc4975310dbbdab https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/a27099ae3f08dea957c196f62c60fcdb.png c4fc3d4d4529429ed1af3a41d1779e39 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/6203c5486b14acb95382ef6c1443778d.jpg 60e63d39ef9d883ec2621534608995f8 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/fd861fe02ba8755a3078466916dcc49a.png 23643be9f711114750e80e85b9bb56c3 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/ef6bda73fcf947da71d22556133c4086.png 8e1978bf0b4e2a8c0f7caa12152505b7 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/189c7dcc1c2daadd7fc6e676137616e8.png f67e6f94f8619e30b34dfb3377c13597 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/3568b399cd007c6a5e6ac8e8e18fa8ec.png 84fef9e1a2f3686a60783f459d0ea5e5 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/207eb8d5b13981c77e41ae9408e8b14e.png baa7888d82a0b7d3d313431fb34cdad8 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/5cac355371a2e5069e61e0e3e8112b0a.png 4fabc9cf95f6ead1f654125791a9a079 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/8fce0a206eacd50f3e8cb5463bd85587.png d46a037b64833c86298a5d376d29545f https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/74c5cdff8b15f29b0ee318b21c85fabf.png 9a480c5370bc3ec282492b223091891e https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/6053859ba3384cec35b50055edde9cc9.png 07081c47af43622cc60d1b2c82240e8a https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/e9ee684168460f0c02dd4e12f8b47870.png 44c8de653211782b2bbf7b6c0a5be0d3 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/bc32b72c68e0fe1b143cb084c433b5c9.png d3e2e368001a29149c9429caa3a24503 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/30cabf58829e6774e263099815b336ea.png 187e69eae0a1fbb658d0e3bc95ac5abb https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/d0cbcc2b63c598696e2f77f6a66cffa4.GIF fcbde45f918c0af95666dc16aaa278d3 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/51afd02f90b677e9a26de0f7df2c9c2a.png 98753a5b24d8c119354fcf3bbe5096b1 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/5a204518ab62a17649f51298959a908c.png fa2c56ee68a9283c5fa6be6b5330d8de https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/bb29200d2dde838fc080807e43e0c77d.png d2538873c9a3233988dc4388134a605b https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/af63238e2f4ae296fd0fcb03fbb4c61c.png 386a3c67018eee95ac9880814d5ee764 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/8c8762208b8a87af3ebc7ebc0b967288.png f4c7d255a02248a8c95b979346c50353 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/5386294d3ab5baf598e223a99b97c39a.png 8f605a7ac0baf82b48a7a240e3c40474 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/23f7545d75d36c509502dcba4ad1d7ca.png 794544b0cd287b3ffbe7f1d22fd228ea https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/791d366ac45719c2fec46c454ea9ca6b.png 14740871c6c24ea683b4687aa811b426 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/e88b2a5648cc1279ba6fd8ceb0243997.mp3 7459387b3ae600f75f5a2ecf9ddcc696 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/eba046963e295f9cacde51293b99124b.mp3 f90349251be0e9e4f3c312e86765ac1b https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/72c8d6f4ce766c8dfe4416bfadae2ea6.png 5260a45c1462d87b8a761b2521256f1a Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Artwork by MiSTiGRiS artists Subject The topic of the resource computer art Description An account of the resource A selection of artwork created by MiSTiGRiS artgroup of Bristish Columbia. For more information about MiSTiGRiS and the artwork selection, visit <a href="https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/ansi">Cyberspace art scene of the area code 604</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Artwork selected by MiSTiGRiS artgroup founder Rowan Lipkovits. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1994-98 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource digital artwork Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Inquisitor Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available MiSTiGRiS Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Admiral Skuttlebutt, AY, Carlton Chan (Questor), Deadpool, Diamond Traveler, Dan Farrimond (Illarterate ), Mike Fisher (Mavrik) , Inquisitor, Ben Jones (Polyducks), Jamu Kakar ( Tzeentch), Kurama, LDA, Lazarus, Rowan Lipkovits (Cthulu) , Raquel Meyers, Melkor, Minus, Muton, Nitnatsnoc, Mark Rutledge (Xeryrus), David Turgeon (Eerie ), The Lite, The Naughty Tycoon, Ken Yong (Jughead ), Elysha Zaide, Zoltar. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Canada computer art https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/13536de1554a8b1c81f43cf8eab05871.jpg 38c7ef9960dbd49f92daed0bc7e3cb58 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/5e22250cfc2bf100fd15efecf08aa6c9.png 4e3a20c994c1c00915cd434c91f4b443 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Research in Motion Inter@ctive Pager 900 Subject The topic of the resource hardware: mobile communications device Description An account of the resource Historical Context The Inter@ctive Pager (models 800 and 900) was the first hand-held communications device designed and built by Research In Motion Limited (RIM, now Blackberry), a Canadian company founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario. The Inter@ctive was announced in September 1996 during the Personal Communications Services conference (PCS'96) in San Francisco. The pager was the forerunner of RIM's successful line of BlackBerry smartphones. In the 1990s, pagers (small, portable, wireless communications devices) were used to display simple messages or alert users to messages and events. The first and, in 1995, the only two-way pager--the Motorola Tango--also allowed users to reply to messages with a limited number of canned responses. Taking advantage of rapidly expanding wireless telecommunications infrastructure, the Inter@ctive represented a new generation of "interactive" pagers by incorporating the benefits of email, paging, fax, and the Internet into one device. As a two-way pager, it was designed to receive and send messages. Furthermore, it offered a calendar, address book, task manager, real time clock, and an alarm function. Nicknamed "Bullfrog" (due to its rather bulky design), the Inter@ctive was a data-only device (no voice support) that run on the Ericsson's Mobitex and DataTAC networks in North America. The device featured a scroll wheel, a small QWERTY-style keyboard, and an LCD display for easier messaging as well as for entry and organization of data. It was provided with enough storage space for saving hundreds of names, e-mail addresses, fax numbers, incoming and outgoing messages in its calendar, address book, and task manager. At the time of its introduction, the Inter@ctive Pager was viewed as delivering the complete wireless communications solution, as an "e-mail on your belt", a device always on and always connected. It was named Top Product for 1997 in the category of "Innovative Devices: Voice and/or Data" by Wireless for Corporate User magazine. By early 1998, the company had signed a contract to supply IBM with Inter@ctive pagers for use by its field service representatives. Other notable customers included Panasonic Corp., Mobile Integrated Technologies, and Telxon Corp. The Inter@ctive Pager was followed by RIM's Inter@ctive 850 (or 950, depending on network) pager announced in July 1999, by the Wireless Handheld 857 (or 957, depending on network) introduced in April 2000, and finally by RIM's first smartphone--the Blackberry 5810--unveiled in March 2002. Technical Specifications: <ul> <li>processor: Intel 80186 EB</li> <li>memory: 650KB Flash ROM, 128KB Static RAM</li> <li>message storage: 100KB received messages, 5KB canned responses</li> <li>ports and connectors: RS-232C-compliant serial port, specialty mobile phone connector, interface adapter for cable</li> <li>display: LCD, monochrome, 4 line by 30 character text</li> <li>controls: keypad with cursor buttons, function buttons, and QWERTY-style keyboard with embedded numeric keypad</li> <li>networks: DataTAC and Mobitex</li> <li>Interface protocol: support for Native Control Language 1.2, MASC, and RIM's Radio Access Protocol</li> <li>power: 2 x AA removable batteries</li> </ul> External Design: <ul> <li>housing: clamshell, ruggedized, plastic housing</li> <li>dimensions: 76mm(L) x 99mm(W) x 35mm(H)</li> <li>weight: 277 grams (without batteries)</li> </ul> Main Features: <ul> <li>sending and receiving Internet e-mails,</li> <li>sending and receiving pager messages</li> <li>sending FAX transmissions from the pager to any FAX machine</li> <li>sending text to speech messages to a telephone</li> <li>data transfer to and from an external computer through data port</li> <li>configurable message notification: audible beeper and mechanical vibrator</li> <li>real time clock</li> </ul> Software: <ul> <li>communication software to enable device configuration and data transfer through serial port</li> <li>third-party custom applications developed using RIM's Software Developer's Kit (SDK)</li> </ul> The museum has Inter@ctive models 800 and 900 as well as Inter@ctive Pager User's Guide, Research in Motion, 1997. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Research in Motion Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996- Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant North America, 2nd half of the 1990s blackberry pager RIM https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/86104c657352c3ac7ce48d0ad1634001.jpg 5f266cb712210e79a6011b9490d56a31 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource RIM Blackberry 5790 Subject The topic of the resource hardware: mobile communication device Description An account of the resource Historical Context: Between 1996 and 2004, Research in Motion (RIM, Waterloo, Ontario) released several generations of wireless communications devices: the Inter@ctive 800, 900, 850, and 950 two-way pagers, the RIM Wireless Handsets 857 and 957 as well as the BlackBerry 5000-, 6000-, and 7000-series smartphones. By 2004, RIM was a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. By the end of that year, the Blackberry wireless platform (the Blackberry Enterprise Solution that featured integrated hardware, software, and service) was adopted by thousands of corporations and the company reported over two million subscribers worldwide.  Although smartphones represented the main line of RIM's wireless handsets, wireless data-only devices, such as the 957 Wireless Handset, were still being sold to government and large  enterprise customers to support secure data-only communications (such as emails and messages). For those customers, RIM upgraded its 957 handset  and released it as the Blackberry 5790 in the mid 2004. According to RIM's October 26, 2004 press release, the Blackberry 5790 "integrates email and data access to allow users to manage all of their information and data communications with a single device. It is specifically designed for business and government customers that require a specialized data-only handheld with secure communications. The BlackBerry 5790 includes fully validated FIPS 140-2 embedded encryption technology to meet government security requirements." The 5790 was housed in the same enclosure as the 957 handset but was packed with updated hardware and Java-based software. The 5790 operated, for instance, on Velocita Wireless' Mobitex network and was offered in both the United States and Canada. Technical Specifications: <ul> <li>processor: 32-bit</li> <li>memory: 16 MB flash and 2 MB SRAM</li> <li>display: full-graphic LCD (grey/monochrome, backlit), 160x160 pixel viewing area, 16 or 20 line display (user-selectable)</li> <li>keyboard and controls: 34-key QWERTY-style (backlit), mouse-type scroll wheel</li> <li>ports: RS-232C-compliant serial port</li> <li>modem: embedded RIM modem</li> <li>networks: 900MHz Mobitex</li> <li>battery: internal lithium-ion rechargeable</li> </ul> External Design: <ul> <li>housing: palm-held, ruggedized, plastic</li> <li>size: 11.7cm(L) x 7.85cm(W) x 1.8cm(H)</li> <li>weight: 138g</li> </ul> Main Features: <ul> <li>email: integration with an existing enterprise email account or up to 10 personal/business email accounts (including Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes, MSN, Hotmail, AOL as well as POP3/Internet Service Provider email accounts)</li> <li>attachment service</li> <li>Web services: a variety of optional Web services that allowed mobile access to information including news, travel,  business, and entertainment updates</li> <li>designed to work with BlackBerry Enterprise Server supported by:</li> </ul>              v. 2.1 or higher for Microsoft Exchange              v. 2.0 with Service Pack 2 or higher from IBM Lotus  Domino              v. 4.0 or higher for Novell GroupWise <ul> <li>icon and menu driven interface</li> <li>wireless calendar</li> <li>address book</li> <li>task list</li> <li>memo pad</li> <li>calculator</li> <li>alarm</li> <li>notifications: tone, vibrate, on-screen, or LED indicator</li> <li>configurable options</li> <li>password protected device lock</li> </ul> Software: <ul> <li>BlackBerry OS, v. 3.x</li> <li>Blackberry Desktop Software v. 1.6 or higher</li> <li>The BlackBerry Java Development Environment (JDE)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Research in Motion (RIM) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004 blackberry RIM https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/baee17d12fe80fd9d834cf428e596d28.jpg 1aad8f0df4d472b7e58b33c489380675 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gravis UltraSound Subject The topic of the resource hardware: sound card Description An account of the resource Historical Context (by Z. Stachniak) In the final two decades of the twentieth century, the personal computer industry experienced rapid technological advances that included, among other innovations, the development of high-performance input devices (such as game controllers) as well as sound and video cards. Array Technology Inc. (ATI, founded in 1985), Creative Technology (1981), Logitech International (1981), Matrox Graphics (1976), and NVIDIA (1993) are examples of leading manufacturers of such products. In Canada, several companies—besides ATI and Matrox—successfully designed and manufactured input devices and add-on cards for personal computers. One such company was Gravis Computer Peripherals Inc. (Gravis), founded in 1982 in Burnaby, British Columbia. In 1985, the company was renamed International Gravis Computer Technology Inc., and following its amalgamation with Abaton Resources Ltd. in 1987, it adopted the name Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. In 1997, Gravis was acquired by Kensington Computer Products Group, which incorporated the Gravis brand of entertainment gamepads and joysticks into its product line. The "Company Background" published on Gravis' ftp site in 1997, described the company's origins this way Gravis originated in 1979 from the passion for computer games shared by two childhood friends, Grant Russell and Dennis Scott-Jackson. They soon found that joysticks and paddles on the market did not provide a real arcade feel or precision, and they typically broke down within weeks of intensive game use. This started them on the quest to build a better joystick. Between 1985 and 1997, Gravis designed and manufactured several award-winning joysticks and gamepads for desktop computers produced by companies such as Amiga, Apple, Atari, Commodore, IBM, and Tandy. Its first product, the Gravis Analog Joystick, introduced in 1985, quickly became a popular choice among computer gamers. The Gravis PC GamePad, released in 1991, was equally successful and was adopted by numerous electronic entertainment companies, including Nintendo and Sega. Similar success followed with the Firebird programmable game controller, introduced in 1996. By 1996, the number of retail outlets carrying Gravis products exceeded 11,000 worldwide, making the company one of the world’s largest suppliers of computer joysticks and gamepads, according to reports such as those published by PC Data. Gravis UltraSound In 1992, the company entered the computer sound card market with the introduction of the UltraSound, a 16-bit, 32-voice card that delivered CD-quality sound for IBM and IBM-compatible personal computers. The board was powered by the Gravis GF1 chip, with the underlying technology licensed and later acquired from Forte Technologies. Gravis also licensed Recording Session for Windows from Midisoft Corporation, a music authoring application, which was bundled with the UltraSound card. This bundle enabled users to conveniently compose, record, play, and edit MIDI music on personal computers. Introducing the Gravis UltraSound product, Grant Russell, Advanced Gravis president, commented that "A large percentage of our sound card customers are Windows users anxious to experiment with music composition and MIDI. These customers are going to find our CD-quality sound and Midisoft's revolutionary software hard to beat, especially at the price." The UltraSound was built around wavetable synthesis technology. Unlike FM synthesis, which generates approximate, chip-produced sounds, wavetable synthesis uses a library of original instrument samples to create audio, playing it back in real time. This technology was particularly well-suited for music-oriented games and applications that required a MIDI sound module. Gravis UltraSound cards became especially popular within the demoscene, BBS-based underground art, and tracker music communities of the 1990s, which the company actively supported through event sponsorships and product donations. However, despite this strong support and the successful collaboration with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) on the development of the next-generation sound chip—the AMD InterWave, announced in April 1995—sales of Gravis sound card products remained below expectations and were declining. Ultimately, fierce competition from companies such as Creative Technology (the manufacturer of the SoundBlaster family of sound cards), combined with technical and marketing challenges, forced the company to withdraw from the sound card market. Other Gravis sound products included: <ul> <li>the UltraSound Max, an advanced UltraSound product featuring 16-bit recording and  built-in CD-ROM interfaces (1994);</li> <li>the UltraSound ACE low cost wavetable upgrade sound card for owners of earlier FM-based sound cards (1995);</li> <li>the UltraSound Plug & Play card (1995);</li> <li>the UltraSound Plug & Play Pro card (1995).</li> </ul> With the introduction of the Gravis UltraSound Plug & Play and Plug & Play Pro sound cards, the earlier models of the UltraSound and the MAX have been discontinued. Museun holdings <ul> <li>UltraSound card, rev. 2.2., serial number K5830,</li> <li>UltraSound software, v2.06a (6 3.5" floppy diskettes).</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1992-95, world wide Contribution Form The set of elements containing metadata from the Contribution form. Online Submission Indicates whether or not this Item has been contributed from a front-end contribution form. No sound card https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/c7e69656462c7347909fb57b4286579e.jpg 87500b34baef215765ef4efd8c42de56 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gravis Analog Joystick Subject The topic of the resource hardware: game controller Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In the final two decades of the twentieth century, the personal computer industry experienced rapid technological advances that included, among other innovations, the development of high-performance input devices (such as game controllers) as well as sound and video cards. Array Technology Inc. (ATI, founded in 1985), Creative Technology (1981), Logitech International (1981), Matrox Graphics (1976), and NVIDIA (1993) are examples of leading manufacturers of such products. In Canada, several companies—besides ATI and Matrox—successfully designed and manufactured input devices and add-on cards for personal computers. One such company was Gravis Computer Peripherals Inc. (Gravis), founded in 1982 in Burnaby, British Columbia. In 1985, the company was renamed International Gravis Computer Technology Inc., and following its amalgamation with Abaton Resources Ltd. in 1987, it adopted the name Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. In 1997, Gravis was acquired by Kensington Computer Products Group, which incorporated the Gravis brand of entertainment gamepads and joysticks into its product line. The "Company Background" published on Gravis' ftp site in 1997, described the company's origins this way Gravis originated in 1979 from the passion for computer games shared by two childhood friends, Grant Russell and Dennis Scott-Jackson. They soon found that joysticks and paddles on the market did not provide a real arcade feel or precision, and they typically broke down within weeks of intensive game use. This started them on the quest to build a better joystick. Between 1985 and 1997, Gravis designed and manufactured several award-winning joysticks and gamepads for desktop computers produced by companies such as Amiga, Apple, Atari, Commodore, IBM, and Tandy. Its first product, the Gravis Analog Joystick, introduced in 1985, quickly became a popular choice among computer gamers. The Gravis PC GamePad, released in 1991, was equally successful and was adopted by numerous electronic entertainment companies, including Nintendo and Sega. Similar success followed with the Firebird programmable game controller, introduced in 1996. By 1996, the number of retail outlets carrying Gravis products exceeded 11,000 worldwide, making the company one of the world’s largest suppliers of computer joysticks and gamepads, according to reports such as those published by PC Data. Gravis Analog Joystick The Gravis Analog Joystick was introduced in 1985 for a range of personal computers including the IBM and compatibles as well as the Tandy and the Apple II lines of computers. It was equipped with a handle tension adjustment wheel and three buttons, each with an individual "Button Function Selector" allowing each button to be configured as Button 1, Button 2, or turned off. In the 1990s, the joystick was sold with Game Utilities software that included a free copy of Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons, Episode One "Marooned on Mars," a highly successful game published by Apogee Software Productions. Museum holdings <ul> <li>Gravis Analog Joystick (manufactured in 1990),</li> <li>Gravis Utilities software, and documentation.</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1985s-1990s game pad joystick https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/10f80d7ef859d1ec11992d6746e4c6c8.jpg 7542e18188d1b2795c94eca65e2c28c8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gravis Firebird 2 joystick Subject The topic of the resource hardware: computer peripheral, game controller Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In the final two decades of the twentieth century, the personal computer industry experienced rapid technological advances that included, among other innovations, the development of high-performance input devices (such as game controllers) as well as sound and video cards. Array Technology Inc. (ATI, founded in 1985), Creative Technology (1981), Logitech International (1981), Matrox Graphics (1976), and NVIDIA (1993) are examples of leading manufacturers of such products. In Canada, several companies—besides ATI and Matrox—successfully designed and manufactured input devices and add-on cards for personal computers. One such company was Gravis Computer Peripherals Inc. (Gravis), founded in 1982 in Burnaby, British Columbia. In 1985, the company was renamed International Gravis Computer Technology Inc., and following its amalgamation with Abaton Resources Ltd. in 1987, it adopted the name Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. In 1997, Gravis was acquired by Kensington Computer Products Group, which incorporated the Gravis brand of entertainment gamepads and joysticks into its product line. The "Company Background" published on Gravis' ftp site in 1997, described the company's origins this way Gravis originated in 1979 from the passion for computer games shared by two childhood friends, Grant Russell and Dennis Scott-Jackson. They soon found that joysticks and paddles on the market did not provide a real arcade feel or precision, and they typically broke down within weeks of intensive game use. This started them on the quest to build a better joystick. Between 1985 and 1997, Gravis designed and manufactured several award-winning joysticks and gamepads for desktop computers produced by companies such as Amiga, Apple, Atari, Commodore, IBM, and Tandy. Its first product, the Gravis Analog Joystick, introduced in 1985, quickly became a popular choice among computer gamers. The Gravis PC GamePad, released in 1991, was equally successful and was adopted by numerous electronic entertainment companies, including Nintendo and Sega. Similar success followed with the Firebird programmable game controller, introduced in 1996. By 1996, the number of retail outlets carrying Gravis products exceeded 11,000 worldwide, making the company one of the world’s largest suppliers of computer joysticks and gamepads, according to reports such as those published by PC Data. Gravis Firebird 2 The Gravis Firebird programmable game controller was introducewd in 1995. The Firebird 2 followed in 1997. It offered 13 programmable buttons and 8-way hat switch giving a player direct access to the majority of functions required by games of the late 1990s. The Firebird 2 software allowed an assignment of a single or a series of commands to a single button bypassing keyboard commands. Museum holdings <ul> <li>Firebird 2 programmable joystick, rev. 2, 0398,</li> <li>Firebird 2 Quick Install manual, Gravis, 1997,</li> <li>The Gravis Game CD , Gravis, 1997 (includes a full manual).</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived donated by Szabolcs Albertini Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant world, 1996-- https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/aa561bab9ceedca42797e3a6aa52974d.png 57db915d44d4c09d6390be6487d2db2a Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource AES 7304 Remote Terminal Subject The topic of the resource hardware: terminal Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In 1967, Stephen Dorsey founded Automatic Electronic Systems (AES) in Montreal to develop electronic devices for industrial remote-control applications. Over the six years, AES developed, among other products, its own minicomputers (the AES-80 and AES-80C) and the world’s first all-in-one programmable word processor — the AES-90. Until the mid-1980s, digital word processors remained the company's main line of business, sold around the world. In the 1960s, office document-writing equipment was still dominated by various types of typewriters, ranging from purely mechanical to electric models, including those with digital storage for recording typed text, such as the best-selling IBM MT/ST (Magnetic Tape/Selectric Typewriter), which recorded edited documents on magnetic tape. These devices lacked displays and offered only limited word-processing functionality. None of them could be upgraded to newer versions; they could only be replaced with more advanced models as they became available. It all changed in the early 1970s, when several companies introduced dedicated text-editing equipment with displays for on-screen document editing and external storage. In 1972, Linolex Systems introduced its Model A while Lexitron offered the Videotype 911. In the following year, AES released its AES-90 Word Processor, and Vydec began selling its Vydec Text Processor. Although all these systems provided on-screen editing and external storage, several unique features of the AES-90 set new trends in the design of cost-effective text editing equipment. The most important of these was the AES-90 architecture and its software upgradability. The AES-90 was a standalone system that featured a CRT display, a keyboard, and two 8-inch floppy disk drives connected to a central processor. However, unlike the “hard-wired” solutions used in other early on-screen text-editing systems, the AES-90 processor was built around a general-purpose minicomputer (the AES-90C) running dedicated text-editing software. This design allowed for software updates, bug fixes, and adaptation to changing requirements without the need to purchase a new processor and discard the outdated one. For this reason, the ACS-90 was promoted as a programmable word processor and “a giant step into a new era of cost-effective written communication.” Within a few years, the office equipment market was flooded with similar video-screen text-editing products from companies worldwide—the Toshiba JW-10 Japanese Language Word Processor, announced in 1978, is one notable example—revolutionizing office operations. Although orders for AES-90 processors were piling up, AES faced significant difficulties with cash flow and attracting investor interest. Ultimately, the company came under the control of Innocan Investments Ltd., a Canadian financial organization specializing in venture capital for new and expanding firms, particularly those in high-technology industries. The Canadian Development Corporation owned 40% of Innocan, while other shareholders included the Air Canada Pension Fund, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and several well-established investment groups. Difficult relationship with AES financial backers led Dorsey to leave the company in 1975. Walter F. Steel, previously hired by Innocan as CEO, became AES’s new president. The company also adopted a new name: AES Data Limited. In 1975, the AES manufacturing plant in Montreal employed 135 people. That year, the plant delivered over 300 AES-90 units, bringing the total number of installations in Canada to more than 400. The company also operated branches in Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, and St. Albans, Vermont. In 1976, AES signed an agreement with Lanier Business Products to sell and service AES word processors in the U.S., with Lanier becoming a minority shareholder in the company. AES also partnered with the Swedish office electronics distributor Scribona to distribute a multilingual variant of the ACS-90 designed for Western Europe. This European model featured character sets and keyboards supporting eight languages: English, French, German, Swedish, Swiss-French, Italian, Dutch, and Danish-Norwegian. That same year, the company reached a new financial milestone, achieving sales of over $1 million per month. By 1978, AES operated four plants in Montreal, a manufacturing and research facility in Mississauga, Ontario, and sales and service offices across Canada, employing more than a thousand people. AES also established similar sales, service, and software support groups in Europe. In August 1978, the Canadian Development Corporation (CDC) purchased AES as well as Wordplex Corporation of California, which was subsequently merged into AES (Wordplex continued to operate as a division of AES until 1981, when CDC established it as a separate operating company). Headquartered in Toronto, the CDC was created and partially owned by the Canadian federal government, with a mandate to expand investment opportunities for Canadian-controlled companies through both public and private funding. Despite intense market competition, AES maintained strong positions in the North American and European markets, with rapid sales growth and dominance of the Canadian word-processing equipment market continuing until the early 1980s. The new AES C-20 series, introduced in late 1979, offered a sophisticated line of word-processing equipment and software. The decline of AES began in 1982. With Lanier losing interest in AES, CDC secured a new U.S. distribution channel by acquiring a majority stake in the successful American photocopier manufacturer Savin. However, intense competition in the office automation market from major companies such as AT&T, DEC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Olivetti, Wang, and Xerox, combined with a shift toward using microcomputers for text editing, and Savin’s own financial difficulties, led to a decline in AES product sales. The percentage of AES units installed in Canada dropped from 33% in 1981 to 19% in 1983. AES was also falling increasingly behind in both technology and marketing. Despite the introduction of several new products in the mid-1980s, including the AES-7100 stand alone word processor, the AES-286 personal computer, as well as the AES 7200, 7300, 7400, and 7500 series of multiuser systems, AES was also falling increasingly behind in both technology and marketing. Poor operating results at AES Data and Savin continued in the following years. In early 1987, dissatisfied with AES's performance, CDC announced that it was selling both AES Data and Savin. In September of that year, AES was acquired by Kinburn Technology Corporation, which already owned another office information systems subsidiary, XIOS Systems Corp. Shortly thereafter, Kinburn merged AES with XIOS to form XIOS Systems Corporation Europe. The merger, followed by the closure of XIOS in 1990, effectively brought an end to AES — the company that had helped pioneer cutting-edge text-editing technology. The entire industry of dedicated text-editing hardware collapsed soon after, under pressure from the rapidly growing office automation personal computer market, which offered multifunctional solutions for office operations, from advanced text-editing software, electronic spreadsheets and mail to financial and actuarial packages, databases, and administration software. The AES 7300  Distributed Office System In 1984, aiming to shift its business focus from being solely a supplier of word processing equipment to a broader office systems provider, AES introduced the AES 7300 Distributed Office System. This network-oriented, multiuser office solution offered seamless integration of data and word processing. The AES 7300 enabled its workstations and remore terminals (such as the AES 7304) to connect with other AES products, corporate mainframe computers, and peripherals, allowing users to access and process (e.g., edit) local and remote data. It was built on a star-configured LAN, named "AESNET." The AESOP software extended AES's full range of information processing capabilities to data stored on IBM systems, including the IBM PC. Technical specifications of the AES 7304 remote terminal <ul> <li>CPU: Intel 8048AH, 8-bit</li> <li>display:  tilt-and-swivel, mounted on top,  12.5 inch;</li> <li>keyboard: AES Data, Model LP; 57-key QWERTY style; 15-key editor function keypad; 11 optional function keys;</li> <li>ports: parallel I/O port controlled by Intel P8243, LANB connector;</li> <li>power supply: Delta Electronics DPS-40BP;</li> <li>SERIAL I/O CONTROLLER:  Intersil IM6402IPL.</li> </ul> Museum holdings <ul> <li>AES 7304, Model 108 B, serial numvber 042508;</li> <li>AES Data keyboard, Model LP, serial number 548989.</li> </ul> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980s Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource donated by Edward Layman Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AES Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant North America, Europe, 1980s Contribution Form The set of elements containing metadata from the Contribution form. Online Submission Indicates whether or not this Item has been contributed from a front-end contribution form. No memory National Semiconductor https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/98971876d6caff16c763b3abde21ec6b.jpg fe85052c5f861d7d2dc0f57a9f14cdf5 Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource AES Plus Text Editor Subject The topic of the resource hardware: text editor Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In 1967, Stephen Dorsey founded Automatic Electronic Systems (AES) in Montreal to develop electronic devices for industrial remote-control applications. Over the six years, AES developed, among other products, its own minicomputers (the AES-80 and AES-80C) and the world’s first all-in-one programmable word processor — the AES-90. Until the mid-1980s, digital word processors remained the company's main line of business, sold around the world. In the 1960s, office document-writing equipment was still dominated by various types of typewriters, ranging from purely mechanical to electric models, including those with digital storage for recording typed text, such as the best-selling IBM MT/ST (Magnetic Tape/Selectric Typewriter), which recorded edited documents on magnetic tape. These devices lacked displays and offered only limited word-processing functionality. None of them could be upgraded to newer versions; they could only be replaced with more advanced models as they became available. It all changed in the early 1970s, when several companies introduced dedicated text-editing equipment with displays for on-screen document editing and external storage. In 1972, Linolex Systems introduced its Model A while Lexitron offered the Videotype 911. In the following year, AES released its AES-90 Word Processor, and Vydec began selling its Vydec Text Processor. Although all these systems provided on-screen editing and external storage, several unique features of the AES-90 set new trends in the design of cost-effective text editing equipment. The most important of these was the AES-90 architecture and its software upgradability. The AES-90 was a standalone system that featured a CRT display, a keyboard, and two 8-inch floppy disk drives connected to a central processor. However, unlike the “hard-wired” solutions used in other early on-screen text-editing systems, the AES-90 processor was built around a general-purpose minicomputer (the AES-90C) running dedicated text-editing software. This design allowed for software updates, bug fixes, and adaptation to changing requirements without the need to purchase a new processor and discard the outdated one. For this reason, the AES-90 was promoted as a programmable word processor and “a giant step into a new era of cost-effective written communication.” Within a few years, the office equipment market was flooded with similar video-screen text-editing products from companies worldwide—the Toshiba JW-10 Japanese Language Word Processor, announced in 1978, is one notable example—revolutionizing office operations. Although orders for AES-90 processors were piling up, AES faced significant difficulties with cash flow and attracting investor interest. Ultimately, the company came under the control of Innocan Investments Ltd., a Canadian financial organization specializing in venture capital for new and expanding firms, particularly those in high-technology industries. The Canadian Development Corporation owned 40% of Innocan, while other shareholders included the Air Canada Pension Fund, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and several well-established investment groups. Difficult relationship with AES financial backers led Dorsey to leave the company in 1975. Walter F. Steel, previously hired by Innocan as CEO, became AES’s new president. The company also adopted a new name: AES Data Limited. In 1975, the AES manufacturing plant in Montreal employed 135 people. That year, the plant delivered over 300 AES-90 units, bringing the total number of installations in Canada to more than 400. The company also operated branches in Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, and St. Albans, Vermont. In 1976, AES signed an agreement with Lanier Business Products to sell and service AES word processors in the U.S., with Lanier becoming a minority shareholder in the company. AES also partnered with the Swedish office electronics distributor Scribona to distribute a multilingual variant of the ACS-90 designed for Western Europe. This European model featured character sets and keyboards supporting eight languages: English, French, German, Swedish, Swiss-French, Italian, Dutch, and Danish-Norwegian. That same year, the company reached a new financial milestone, achieving sales of over $1 million per month. By 1978, AES operated four plants in Montreal, a manufacturing and research facility in Mississauga, Ontario, and sales and service offices across Canada, employing more than a thousand people. AES also established similar sales, service, and software support groups in Europe. In August 1978, the Canadian Development Corporation (CDC) purchased AES as well as Wordplex Corporation of California, which was subsequently merged into AES (Wordplex continued to operate as a division of AES until 1981, when CDC established it as a separate operating company). Headquartered in Toronto, the CDC was created and partially owned by the Canadian federal government, with a mandate to expand investment opportunities for Canadian-controlled companies through both public and private funding. Despite intense market competition, AES maintained strong positions in the North American and European markets, with rapid sales growth and dominance of the Canadian word-processing equipment market continuing until the early 1980s. The new AES C-20 series, introduced in late 1979, offered a sophisticated line of word-processing equipment and software. The decline of AES began in 1982. With Lanier losing interest in AES, CDC secured a new U.S. distribution channel by acquiring a majority stake in the successful American photocopier manufacturer Savin. However, intense competition in the office automation market from major companies such as AT&T, DEC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Olivetti, Wang, and Xerox, combined with a shift toward using microcomputers for text editing, and Savin’s own financial difficulties, led to a decline in AES product sales. The percentage of AES units installed in Canada dropped from 33% in 1981 to 19% in 1983. Despite the introduction of several new products in the mid-1980s, including the AES-7100 stand alone word processor, the AES-286 personal computer, as well as the AES 7200, 7300, 7400, and 7500 series of multiuser systems, AES was also falling increasingly behind in both technology and marketing. Poor operating results at AES Data and Savin continued in the following years. In early 1987, dissatisfied with AES's performance, CDC announced that it was selling both AES Data and Savin. In September of that year, AES was acquired by Kinburn Technology Corporation, which already owned another office information systems subsidiary, XIOS Systems Corp. Shortly thereafter, Kinburn merged AES with XIOS to form XIOS Systems Corporation Europe. The merger, followed by the closure of XIOS in 1990, effectively brought an end to AES — the company that had helped pioneer cutting-edge text-editing technology. The entire industry of dedicated text-editing hardware collapsed soon after, under pressure from the rapidly growing office automation personal computer market, which offered multifunctional solutions for office operations, from advanced text-editing software, electronic spreadsheets and mail to financial and actuarial packages, databases, and administration software. The AES Plus Text Editor The AES Plus was released in 1977. It was the word processor that established AES as the leader in stand-alone desktop word processing systems.   Distributed in the US under the name Lanier No Problem, it became a bestseller on the American market. One of these Lanier text editors is displayed in the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. While the AES-90’s CPU was based on bit-slice technology, using two SN74181N 4-bit chips and occupying three circuit boards, the AES Plus was built around the Intel 8080A microprocessor. In addition to its dedicated text editing software, it could be operated under CP/M and Xenix operationg systems. In the subsequent years, the AES Plus was followed by the AES Superplus, Multiplus, AlphaPlus, as well as the 7100-, 7200-, and 7300-series. Technical specifications <ul> <li>CPU: National Semiconductor INS8080AN, 8 bit, 2MHz;</li> <li>ROM: 512 x 8-bit;</li> <li>RAM: 32K x 8-bit; 16 NEC μPD416  (16,384 x 1-bit) chips;</li> <li>Video Memory: 16K x 9-bit; display: 28 lines of up to 80 characters per line; 2240 characters including control lines (2080 without control lines);</li> <li>keyboard: standard 51-key QWERTY layout; 15-key editor function keypad; 5 optional function keys;</li> <li>external storage: two build in 5.25 inch Shugart SA400 discette drives (storage for 109.4 kilobytes of data per drive — approximately 69 pages of text);</li> <li>ports: printer port for Qume Sprint Micro 3 series printers.</li> </ul> Software <ul> <li> AES Plus Word Proccessor (3 program diskettes),</li> <li> AES Plus Training Software,</li> <li>Building Blocks,</li> <li>Repaginate,</li> <li>Financial Proofreading,</li> <li>Record Organization,</li> <li>Search and Replace.</li> </ul> Museum holdings <ul> <li>AES Plus, model 103B, serial number 388892,</li> <li> AES-Plus Maintenance & Service Manual, AES Data Ltd., 1977,</li> <li>AES Plus Operator Training and Reference Manual, AES Data Ltd., 1978,</li> <li> PLUS: Operator's Training and Regfference Manual, AES Data Ltd., July 1978,</li> <li> PLUS1: Financial Proofreading, Operator's Training and Regference Guide, AES Data Ltd., January 1979,</li> <li> PLUS2: Records Oragnization, Operator's Training and Regference Guide, AES Data Ltd., January 1979,</li> <li>PLUS3: Building Blocks, Operator's Training and Regference Guide, AES Data Ltd., January 1979,</li> <li> PLUS4: Financial Proofreading Operator's Training and Regference Guide, AES Data Ltd., January 1979,</li> <li> XENIX System V, Operating System User's Guide, Santa Cruz Operation, Inc., 1988,</li> <li>XENIX System V, Installation Guide, Santa Cruz Operation, Inc., 1988,</li> <li>386 XENIX (5.25" floppy diskette),</li> <li>AES Software, North Star Corp. (5.25" floppy diskette).</li> </ul> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1977-198? Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource donated by Noel Thomas Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AES Data Ltd. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant world, 1977-198? Contribution Form The set of elements containing metadata from the Contribution form. Online Submission Indicates whether or not this Item has been contributed from a front-end contribution form. No text editor word processor https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/543b7b9789f585699cc7ac522d1ff34d.png c76fe73001d56b4af3e7a5d84c3155a1 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource AES-286 Personal Computer Description An account of the resource AES-286 Personal Computer (by Z. Stachniak) In 1967, Stephen Dorsey founded Automatic Electronic Systems (AES) in Montreal to develop electronic devices for industrial remote-control applications. Over the six years, AES developed, among other products, its own minicomputers (the AES-80 and AES-80C) and the world’s first all-in-one programmable word processor — the AES-90. Until the mid-1980s, digital word processors remained the company's main line of business, sold around the world. In the 1960s, office document-writing equipment was still dominated by various types of typewriters, ranging from purely mechanical to electric models, including those with digital storage for recording typed text, such as the best-selling IBM MT/ST (Magnetic Tape/Selectric Typewriter), which recorded edited documents on magnetic tape. These devices lacked displays and offered only limited word-processing functionality. None of them could be upgraded to newer versions; they could only be replaced with more advanced models as they became available. It all changed in the early 1970s, when several companies introduced dedicated text-editing equipment with displays for on-screen document editing and external storage. In 1972, Linolex Systems introduced its Model A while Lexitron offered the Videotype 911. In the following year, AES released its AES-90 Word Processor, and Vydec began selling its Vydec Text Processor. Although all these systems provided on-screen editing and external storage, several unique features of the AES-90 set new trends in the design of cost-effective text editing equipment. The most important of these was the AES-90 architecture and its software upgradability. The AES-90 was a standalone system that featured a CRT display, a keyboard, and two 8-inch floppy disk drives connected to a central processor. However, unlike the “hard-wired” solutions used in other early on-screen text-editing systems, the AES-90 processor was built around a general-purpose minicomputer (the AES-90C) running dedicated text-editing software. This design allowed for software updates, bug fixes, and adaptation to changing requirements without the need to purchase a new processor and discard the outdated one. For this reason, the ACS-90 was promoted as a programmable word processor and “a giant step into a new era of cost-effective written communication.” Within a few years, the office equipment market was flooded with similar video-screen text-editing products from companies worldwide—the Toshiba JW-10 Japanese Language Word Processor, announced in 1978, is one notable example—revolutionizing office operations. Although orders for AES-90 processors were piling up, AES faced significant difficulties with cash flow and attracting investor interest. Ultimately, the company came under the control of Innocan Investments Ltd., a Canadian financial organization specializing in venture capital for new and expanding firms, particularly those in high-technology industries. The Canadian Development Corporation owned 40% of Innocan, while other shareholders included the Air Canada Pension Fund, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and several well-established investment groups. Difficult relationship with AES financial backers led Dorsey to leave the company in 1975. Walter F. Steel, previously hired by Innocan as CEO, became AES’s new president. The company also adopted a new name: AES Data Limited. In 1975, the AES manufacturing plant in Montreal employed 135 people. That year, the plant delivered over 300 AES-90 units, bringing the total number of installations in Canada to more than 400. The company also operated branches in Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, and St. Albans, Vermont. In 1976, AES signed an agreement with Lanier Business Products to sell and service AES word processors in the U.S., with Lanier becoming a minority shareholder in the company. AES also partnered with the Swedish office electronics distributor Scribona to distribute a multilingual variant of the ACS-90 designed for Western Europe. This European model featured character sets and keyboards supporting eight languages: English, French, German, Swedish, Swiss-French, Italian, Dutch, and Danish-Norwegian. That same year, the company reached a new financial milestone, achieving sales of over $1 million per month. By 1978, AES operated four plants in Montreal, a manufacturing and research facility in Mississauga, Ontario, and sales and service offices across Canada, employing more than a thousand people. AES also established similar sales, service, and software support groups in Europe. In August 1978, the Canadian Development Corporation (CDC) purchased AES as well as Wordplex Corporation of California, which was subsequently merged into AES (Wordplex continued to operate as a division of AES until 1981, when CDC established it as a separate operating company). Headquartered in Toronto, the CDC was created and partially owned by the Canadian federal government, with a mandate to expand investment opportunities for Canadian-controlled companies through both public and private funding. Despite intense market competition, AES maintained strong positions in the North American and European markets, with rapid sales growth and dominance of the Canadian word-processing equipment market continuing until the early 1980s. The new AES C-20 series, introduced in late 1979, offered a sophisticated line of word-processing equipment and software. The decline of AES began in 1982. With Lanier losing interest in AES, CDC secured a new U.S. distribution channel by acquiring a majority stake in the successful American photocopier manufacturer Savin. However, intense competition in the office automation market from major companies such as AT&T, DEC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Olivetti, Wang, and Xerox, combined with a shift toward using microcomputers for text editing, and Savin’s own financial difficulties, led to a decline in AES product sales. The percentage of AES units installed in Canada dropped from 33% in 1981 to 19% in 1983. Despite the introduction of several new products in the mid-1980s, including the AES-7100 stand alone word processor, the AES-286 personal computer, as well as the AES 7200, 7300, 7400, and 7500 series of multiuser systems, AES was also falling increasingly behind in both technology and marketing. Poor operating results at AES Data and Savin continued in the following years. In early 1987, dissatisfied with AES's performance, CDC announced that it was selling both AES Data and Savin. In September of that year, AES was acquired by Kinburn Technology Corporation, which already owned another office information systems subsidiary, XIOS Systems Corp. Shortly thereafter, Kinburn merged AES with XIOS to form XIOS Systems Corporation Europe. The merger, followed by the closure of XIOS in 1990, effectively brought an end to AES — the company that had helped pioneer cutting-edge text-editing technology. The entire industry of dedicated text-editing hardware collapsed soon after, under pressure from the rapidly growing office automation personal computer market, which offered multifunctional solutions for office operations, from advanced text-editing software, electronic spreadsheets and mail to financial and actuarial packages, databases, and administration software. The AES-286 The AES-286 personal computer was introduced in 1985 to enhance the package of office solutions offered by AES to its customers. It was designed to complement the company’s word processing and office systems, and to integrate PC applications into the mainstream of office automation. The AESOP office software (AES Office Productivity) provided the AES-286 with basic AES word processing. Technical specifications <ul> <li>CPU: Intel 80286, 16-bit;</li> <li>RAM: 512KB; </li> <li>hard drive: NEC D3126, 20MB; Data Technology Corp.  DTC 5290C2 floppy disk drive and hard drive controller card;</li> <li>floppy diskette drive: 5.25 inch;  Data Technology Corp.  DTC 5290C2 floppy disk drive and hard drive controller card  (NEC NEC D765AC  floppy drive controller chip);</li> <li>display: SPEGA VGA/EGA video card with chipset consisting of 4 Chips and Technologies ICs: 82C431 graphics controller, 82C432 sequencer, 82C433 attributes controller, and 82C434 CRT controller;</li> <li>ports: com1, com2,  printer;</li> <li>expansion slots: 8;</li> <li>power supply: Tiger Power, Lead Year Enterprise Co., Ltd;</li> <li>BIOS: AWARD V2.07,  Award Software International Inc. ;</li> <li>operating system:  IBM PC DOS 3.30.</li> </ul> Museum holdings AES-286 Personal Computer, model number 286, serial number 100309; Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource AES Data, Montreal Type The nature or genre of the resource hardware: microcomputer Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context H.102 Subject The topic of the resource hardware: desktop computer Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant North America, late 1980s AES AES-286 microcomputer