MCM System 900 (MCM/900)
Dublin Core
Title
MCM System 900 (MCM/900)
Subject
hardware: desktop computer
Description
Historical context (by Z, Stachniak)
In April, 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, California, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor — the 8008. In just a few months, the prototypes of the first general purpose computers powered by the 8008 chip were already working on site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris and at Micro Computer Machines (MCM) with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto. These firms fully recognized, articulated, and acted upon the immense potential of the budding microprocessor technology for the development of a new generation of cost effective computing systems. However, it was MCM which built the first microprocessor-based computer designed specifically for personal use — the MCM/70, the first PC.
The MCM/900 (or the MCM System 900) was MCM's third generation computer. As its MCM/70 and MCM/800 predecessors, the /900 was an APL computer with the MCM/APL interpreter stored in ROM. It also functioned under the same (but updated) AVS/EASY operating system. The computer's main architect was Andre Arpin.
The computer was announced in September 1978 as an affordable, complete, stand alone computer system for interactive applications in science, business,
and education: "If you spent more than $500 for a month for APL time-share [...] you should own an MCM System 900." In 1978, the computer was sold for between $9,300 and $25,000, depending on configuration. The MCM/900 was a popular and reliable computer provided with software libraries developed by third-part publishers.
The MCM/900 hardware specification:
Software:
Museum holdings:
Recommended readings:
In April, 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, California, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor — the 8008. In just a few months, the prototypes of the first general purpose computers powered by the 8008 chip were already working on site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris and at Micro Computer Machines (MCM) with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto. These firms fully recognized, articulated, and acted upon the immense potential of the budding microprocessor technology for the development of a new generation of cost effective computing systems. However, it was MCM which built the first microprocessor-based computer designed specifically for personal use — the MCM/70, the first PC.
The MCM/900 (or the MCM System 900) was MCM's third generation computer. As its MCM/70 and MCM/800 predecessors, the /900 was an APL computer with the MCM/APL interpreter stored in ROM. It also functioned under the same (but updated) AVS/EASY operating system. The computer's main architect was Andre Arpin.
The computer was announced in September 1978 as an affordable, complete, stand alone computer system for interactive applications in science, business,
and education: "If you spent more than $500 for a month for APL time-share [...] you should own an MCM System 900." In 1978, the computer was sold for between $9,300 and $25,000, depending on configuration. The MCM/900 was a popular and reliable computer provided with software libraries developed by third-part publishers.
The MCM/900 hardware specification:
- CPU - bitslice technology using AMD 2901 bitslice processors,
- RAM - 8KB expandable to 24KB,
- ROM - 168KB (containing the MCM/APL and OS)
- external storage - DDS-500 and DDS-1000 dual diskette systems (512KB per disk storage capacity),
- display - 12 inch monochrome, 21 lines of 96 characters, built-in, APL as well as alternate user-programmable character sets,
- keyboard - IBM 2741-style, 48 APL keys, 19-key numeric keypad,
- peripherals: DDS-500 and DDS-1000 dual diskette systems, HDS-10 hard drive (10MB storage capacity), HDS-55 cartridge storage (5MB storage capacity), printers/plotters (MCM MCP-132, MCP-300, MCP-709, MCP-712, MCP-713),
- ports - Omniport IO interface (8-bit parallel), RS-232C serial port,
- power supply - with power-fail protection.
Software:
- operating system - EASY (External Allocation System) and AVS (A Virtual System) in ROM,
- MCM/APL - APL interpreter in ROM,
- DCS/900 - data communications software for the MCM/900 ,
- LIB/900 - APL program development and management system,
- PVAS -- Pension Actuarial Valuations and Pension Plan Administration,
- DBMS - database management system,
- DMS/FAS - a complete business management package from order entry through financial statements,
- CMS-101 - data processing for travel agencies,
- CAS - Client Accounting System.
Museum holdings:
- MCM/900 model 924, serial number... (with a set of manuals),
- MCP-132 printer/plotter,
- DDS-1000 and MPD-1000 diskette systems.
Recommended readings:
- Z. Stachniak. Inventing the PC: the MCM/70 Story , McGill-Queen's University Press (2011).
Creator
Micro Computer Machines
Date
1978
Relation
MCM Collection
Coverage
North America, 1978-1981
Files
Collection
Citation
Micro Computer Machines , “MCM System 900 (MCM/900),” York University Computer Museum Canada, accessed April 19, 2024, https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/items/show/320.