Rapid Data Rapidman 800 calculator
hardware: electronic calculator
<strong>Historical context</strong><br />(by Z. Stachniak)<br /><br />In the early 1970s, the consumer electronics market was going through one of the hottest periods in its history. Advancements in microelectronics, especially in integrated circuit technologies, had made it possible to offer inexpensive desktop and, soon after, hand-held digital electronic calculators. In 1971, the promise of a calculator power at your finger tips (pledged by Bowmar Instrument, Cannon, and, soon after, by scores of other calculator manufacturers) was rapidly gaining social acceptance. It was the idea of a personal, inexpensive, powerful electronic calculating device for your own unrestricted use, always in your pocket, in your briefcase, or on your desk that made the pocket calculator one of the most desired electronic gadgets of the first half of the 1970s.<br /><br />Commodore Business Machines (founded in 1958 in Toronto) and Rapid Data Systems and Equipment Ltd. (incorporated in 1962 in Toronto) were the earliest Canadian companies that offered their own electronic desktop and pocket-sized calculators. <br /><br />Rapid Data's first calculator--the Rapidman 800--was introduced in February 1972 at the time when intense competition put immense pricing pressure to offer hand-held calculators for under $100 and the stores across North America were racing to be the first to sell them. In early 1972, to win the race, Alexander's--New York's iconic department store chain--ordered 20,000 Rapidman 800s to be sold at $99.99. In a short succession, the Rapidman 800 was followed by the 801 (introduced in 1973), 802, 804, 812, and 824 hand-helds.<br /><br />In his 2005 recollections written for York University Computer Museum, Henry Dasko--a former European Sales Manager at Rapid Data--describes the company's corporate history and his involvement with Rapid Data in the following way.<br /><br /><span style="color: green;">"The year was 1971, late Spring. I had been in Canada for just over a year and was looking for a job. Ideally it would be something in exports. But most of Canada's exports were raw materials and commodities and I had no experience and no feel for that.<br /><br />Finally, I found an ad that seemed to give me a chance. An electronics company was looking for someone with languages. I applied and soon got a phone call.<br /><br />"You say you speak Russian," the voice said. <br />"I do." <br />"How many years did you study Russian?" <br />"Fourteen."<br />"OK, come for an interview." <br /><br />I did, to a modern, low building near the Toronto airport. <br /><br />"We make calculators," a well groomed, silver haired man told me. <br /><br />I had no idea what a calculator was.<br /><br />"A Soviet trade delegation is coming to see us. They would like to buy our technology. We are not going to sell it to them, but we will talk to them. Let’s see how well you do."<br /><br />I did well enough. The Russians left and I was told to return the following day. I had a low level job in the International Marketing Department. My boss was to be one Rick Denda, whom I hadn't met - he was travelling in Europe, but his silver Ferrari 330 and his white Mercedes sedan were sitting in the company lot. I liked him already.<br /><br />He returned soon and we got along fine. I familiarized myself with the product line and was told to gather as much information about competitive products as possible.<br /><br />Our most popular model was a pocket calculator named Rapidman 800. It had 8-digit [display] capacity and could perform four basic functions. Hang tab keys were molded into the case. Decimal point was fixed at 2. Individual LEDs were hand inserted into the PCB. It was difficult to align them, and they were almost always crooked. The unit was made on an electronics assembly line in London, Ontario. It sold for $100.<br /><br />Our biggest export market was in the US, where we had our own branch in Detroit. I had nothing to do with it. My responsibility was the secondary markets, where we dealt with export agents and distributors. We communicated via telex, which I learned to use.<br /><br />Selling was not a problem. We just could not get enough product. Everyone wanted it. Sometimes the requests were outrageous. <br /><br />"I am calling you from the cabinet of the president of Chile," Leslie Sebastian, a Hungarian expatriate yelled at me. "I want 100,000 calculators and I want them now. Every schoolchild in Chile is going to have his own machine. Chile will be the first in the world."<br /><br />Soon we had several competitors - American companies Texas Instruments and Bowmar, and the Japanese giant Sharp, which offered an elegant brushed aluminum box with large, glowing, diffused LEDs. There was also a Canadian competitor named Commodore. Its president was Jack Tramiel who, like me, was a Polish Jew. In Polish, his real name was Trzmiel, pronounced "Chmiel", which in Polish means "hornet". He was an Auschwitz survivor with a number tattooed on his forearm. A bear of a man. He started a typewriter service shop in the Polish area of Toronto. <br /><br />The president of our company, Clive Raymond, was very different. He was born in India, where his father was a British colonial officer.<br />In Canada he ran an office equipment company named Roneo Vickers, which specialized in spirit duplicator machines. He was a portly, elegant man with commanding presence.<br /><br />I met our design engineers, who were responsible for technology development. Their names were Joe Kelly and Joe Tari and they both came from an academic background. Raymond gave them a long term contract and shares in Rapid Data.<br /><br />Soon our product line expanded. We added model 801 with a floating decimal point and a model 812 with 12-digit capacity and full memory. Rapidman 824 was one of the first to perform complex scientific calculations.<br /><br />We also made desktop calculators, powered by the mains. A 12-digits Rapidman 1212 and even more sophisticated Rapidman 1220, both using orange coloured gas discharge Panaplex displays we bought from Burroughs Corporation in New Jersey. We also made printing calculators, which recorded calculations on a paper ribbon. The printing heads came from Seiko Corporation in Japan. <br /><br />Most of our chips except for the small Rapidman 800 came from an aerospace company in California, named Rockwell International. <br /><br />Financing for our company came from the Eaton's Pension Fund, where Raymond knew people. <br /><br />Even though there weren't enough calculators to fill the orders, prices were plummeting. I understood it to be the rule in electronics. The same phenomenon had happened previously with transistor radios.<br /><br />I was doing well. Soon I was promoted to European Sales Manager and transferred to Shannon, Southern Ireland, where we had a distribution facility in a tax-free economic zone.<br /><br />But the company was not doing well. In printers, which were the most profitable product, we have fallen behind technology curve. Printing heads had a spinning roller, which in the first generation model emitted annoying buzz. Seiko subsequently developed a silent printer, but would only sell it to Japanese calculator makers.<br /><br />I understood then that it wasn't how many products you sold, but how much profit you made - a principle which stayed with me throughout my professional life.<br /><br />Rapid Data was losing money. Soon Rockwell and Eaton's demanded payments which we couldn't make. Even though we all worked very hard and the spirit of the company was fantastic, Rapid Data had to close down in the largest Canadian bankruptcy in Canadian history. We all lost our jobs. For me personally it was a very sad moment, but I have learned a lot and was confident of the future. I wasn't wrong - I had gained experience in electronics, and electronics was the name of the game. Within three months I had another job."</span><br /><br /><strong>Rapidman 800 features</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>four functions (+, -, x, ÷), chain of mixed multiplication and division, constant calculations in all four functions,</li>
<li>decimal system: two places,</li>
<li>single key entry correction and cleaning,</li>
<li>negative sign and overflow indication,</li>
<li>power on indication,</li>
<li>low battery indication.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Hardware specification</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>display: 8-digit LED display with constant,</li>
<li>CPU: Mostek MK5010P,</li>
<li>keyboard: 17-key including on/off and clear keys,</li>
<li>indicators: negative sign, and overflow,</li>
<li>power supply: 9V battery or AC adapter.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Museum holdings</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Rapidman 800, serial number 385224</li>
<li><em>Operaing Instructions for your Rapidman 800 Calculator, </em>Rapid Data, 1972.<em><br /></em></li>
</ul>
Rapid Data Systems and Equipment Ltd.
world, 1970s
Images of Dynalogic hardware
hardware: photographs and digital images
Photographs of hardware manufactured by Dynalogic Coproration and scans of images from Dynalogic promotional brochures. The images are of (left to right, top to bottom):
Dynalogic Microcomputer System promotional brochure (c. 1976-77),
Dynalogic DMS-8 microcomputer (c. 1976-1980),
Dynalogic 4002B Dual Drive Unit (c. 1973-1980),
Dynalogic Hyperion promotional photograph, 1984,
Dynalogic Hyperion promotional brochure (front cover), 1984,
Dynalogic Hyperion EX chassis, 1984.
Dynalogic Info-Tech Corporation.
Dynalogic Info-Tech Corporation
North America, 1976-1984
Cybernex XL display video terminal
computer hardware: display video terminal
<strong>Historical Context</strong>:<br />In the 1950s, the operators of mainframe computers used dedicated consoles, hardcopy terminals (such as teletypes and modified electric typewriters), and a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to run and control data processing tasks. Computer consoles typically featured rows of switches and associated lights that allowed operators to run and control the execution of programs, analyze data stored in memory, and to control other hardware interfaced with computers. Hardcopy terminals were used to print on roles of paper information such as operator's commands, computer responses, and other console messages. Finally, CRTs were used to displaying information (e.g. memory contents) in a rudimentary graphical form.<br /><br />The "glass teletype" that appeared in the mid-1960s was the first attempt at providing a single device allowing computer operators to run their systems having all the essential control and data processing information displayed on a screen. However, it was not until the early 1970s, when the first "dumb" video display terminals, featuring limited editing capabilities, were introduced (one of the earliest such terminals was the 7700A Interactive Display Terminal introduced by Lear Siegler Inc. in 1973). All these terminals shared the same basic keyboard-display-interface design: each featured a keyboard, a CRT screen that could display full sets of alphanumeric characters, and each had the capability to send and receive data via communication lines to a remote host computer. By the mid-1970s, video terminals became the most effective human-computer interface devices and they remain so until the mid-1980s, when they were displaced by microcomputers that could be interfaced with mainframes and minicomputers to perform terminal jobs in addition to microcomputing tasks, when PC monitors had become a common occurrence worldwide.<br /><br />In Canada, the design and manufacturing of computer display terminals began in the early 1970s. Comterm Inc. (Montreal), Cybernex Ltd. (Ottawa), Electrohome (Kitchener), Lektromedia (Pointe Claire), NORPAK (Kanata), TIL Systems Ltd (Toronto), and Volker-Craig (Waterloo) were some of the pioneering companies.<br /><br />Cybernex Ltd. was an Ottawa-based manufacturer of video terminals, co-founded in 1974 by James Gadzala, Colin Turner, Bruce Douglas, and David Londry. The company's first product was the D1600 digitizing video terminal for the aero photogrammetry industry. In the following years, the company introduced a broad line of display terminals including the LTL Series (1975), LGR Series (1976), TH Series (1977), MDL-100 Series (1978), XL-80 Series (1980) as well as RB, RG, RH, SA, and XM Series. The terminals offered emulation of several popular terminal models from vendors such as Adds, Basic Four, Burroughs, Data General, Digital Equipment Corp., Hewlett-Packard, Hezeltine, Honeywell, IBM, and Lear Siegler. Initially, the company's main clients were large Canadian corporations (including Bell Canada) and government departments. In 1982, Cybernex entered the US market. <br /><br />In addition to its video display terminals, the company also manufactured the LC3 microcomputer for a range of applications including software development, industrial controllers, and systems for dedicated applications. The computer was built around the Motorola 6809 microprocessor and was offered with the Cymon operating system and Cybol programming language also developed by Cybernex.<br /><br />Cybernex introduced its second generation of microprocessor-based highly successful video display terminals--the XL Series--in 1980. In their basic configuration, the XL terminals offered 12 inch green screens which could display 24 lines of 80 characters, and 82-key QWERTY-style detachable keyboard featuring a numeric keypad. The displays' hardware was controlled by the Motorola 6800 8-bit microprocessor. Options included white or amber screen with the 25th status line as well as an advanced keyboard featuring 107 keys including two rows of function keys. <br /><br />The museum has an XL-8025 terminal, serial number 81024539, with an 82-key keyboard. <br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: the label attached to the bottom of the terminal has a handwritten model number XLGR-1 while the terminal's printed circuit board has XL-8025 etched on it.
Cybernex Ltd.
1982
North America, 1980s
Micro Computer Machines: photographs and promotional brochures
computer literature and photographs
Photographs of former employees of Micro Computer Machines (MCM) and images of MCM promotional brochures used in the MCM exhibit and in the descriptions of MCM artifacts.<br /><br /><strong>From top to bottom, left to right:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>The photograph taken during the announcement of the MCM/70 in Toronto on 25 September 1973 in Royal York Hotel (photographer unknown).</li>
<li>Mers Kutt and Gordon Ramer <span class="aCOpRe"><span>—</span></span> the co-founders of MCM, 1973 (photographer unknown).</li>
<li>Ted Edwards demonstrating the Executive at the Technical University of Denmark during the APL Congress in Denmark, August 1973 (<span class="ILfuVd NA6bn" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc"><b>© </b></span></span><em>Politiken</em>).</li>
<li>MCM's hardware engineer Jos<span lang="en">é Laraya in front of an MCM/70 and one of its prototypes at York University, 2011 (photograph by Zbigniew Stachniak).</span></li>
<li><span lang="en">Mers Kutt<span class="aCOpRe"><span>—a </span></span>co-founder of MCM<span class="aCOpRe"><span>—speaks at York University in 2001 (photograph by Zbigniew Stachniak).</span></span></span></li>
<li><span lang="en"><span class="aCOpRe"></span>Andr<span class="aCOpRe">é</span> Arpin discussing the principles of his virtual memory at York University in 2008 (<span class="aCOpRe"><span>photograph by Zbigniew Stachniak).</span></span></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">The Key-Cassette concept. Drawing by Mers Kutt, 1972.</span></li>
<li><span lang="en">A prototype of the MCM/70 used during the announcement of the MCM/70 in Toronto on 25 September 1973 in Royal York Hotel (photographer unknown).<br /></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">The MCM/70 assembly line at the MCM manufacturing facility in Kingston, Ontario, 1975(?) (photographer José Laraya).<br /></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">MCM company logo, 1973.<br /></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">An MCM/70 promotional brochure, 1974.<br /></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">The TEXT/700 word processor ad in <em>MCM NEWS</em> newsletter, 1976.<br /></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">Pension Actuarial Valuations and Plan Administration (PVAS) software promotional brochure, 1976.<br /></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">An <em>MCM System 800</em> promotional brochure, 1976.<br /></span></li>
<li><span lang="en">An <em>MCM Power</em> promotional brochure, 1980.<br /></span></li>
</ul>
brochures published by Micro Computer Machines; photographers as indicated in the descriptions
English
Canada, 1972-2011
Research in Motion Itner@ctive 950 Pager
hardware: two-way pagers
<strong>Historical Context</strong><br /><br />The Inter@ctive Pager 950 announced by Waterloo, Ontario-based Research in Motion Limited (RIM) in August 26, 1998, was a successor to and a major refinement of the Inter@ctive 900 two-way pager introduced by the company in 1996. It was smaller, lighter, and cheaper than the 900. It featured more powerful processor, more memory, improved LCD display, easier-to-use keyboard, menu-driven interface, enhanced messaging applications, and extended battery life. The pager operated on BellSouth Interactive Paging Service in the US and Cantel AT&T in Canada.<br /><br />In May 1999, RIM introduced a variant of its Inter@ctive 950 pager--the Inter@ctive 850--designed for the eLink wireless email service from American Satellite Corp. operating on American Mobile's ARDIS network in the US. In addition to offering advanced two-way messaging services, the eLink wireless email service allowed users with standard POP3 complaint email systems to extend their desktop email to the Inter@ctive Pager 850.<br /><br />RIM advertised its 850 and 950 pagers as "first complete, secure, integrated wireless email solution", as devices that allowed mobile professionals to send and receive email and messages as well as synchronize their schedule, tasks and contacts with their PC. "Now you can communicate with millions of Internet e-mail users worldwide directly from your pager. Plus, you can send custom messages to other Inter@ctive Pagers, fax machines, alphanumeric pagers and telephones via text-to voice service. With custom programming, you can even retrieve data from the Internet and corporate intranets." (RIM, October 1999)<br /><br />The Inter@ctive Pager 950 received Mobility Award in Wireless Hardware category at the <em>Mobile Insights '99 Conference.</em><br /><br /><strong>Technical Specifications:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>processor: Intel 386EX</li>
<li>memory: 4MB flash memory, 512KB SRAM</li>
<li>display: LCD with backlighting, 132 x 65 resolution, selectable 6- or 8-lines</li>
<li>keyboard and controls: 31-key QWERTY-style, mouse-type scroll wheel</li>
<li>ports: RS-232C-compliant serial port</li>
<li>transmitter/receiver: 2W transmitter and high-efficiency receiver</li>
<li>networks: 800MHz DataTAC (Inter@ctive 850) and 900MHz Mobitex (Inter@ctive 950)</li>
<li>battery: single alkaline or rechargeable nickel-metal hydride AA battery (removable)</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>External Design:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>housing: palm-held, ruggedized, plastic</li>
<li>size: 8.9cm(L) x 6.4cm(W) x 2.4cm(H)</li>
<li>weight: 133g (with battery)</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>Main Features:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>icon and menu driven interface</li>
<li>sending and receiving emails</li>
<li>paging and faxing</li>
<li>calendar</li>
<li>address book</li>
<li>task list</li>
<li>memo pad</li>
<li>calculator</li>
<li>selectable alerts</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>Software:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>950 Operating System (with integrated email/organizer software)</li>
<li>950 Backup Restore Utility</li>
<li>Software Developer's Kit for custom application development (SDK)</li>
<li>third-party custom applications developed using SDK</li>
</ul>
Research In Motion Limited
1998
North America, 1998-
Orion V Computer
hardware: desktop computer
The DY-4 Orion V Computer, model (?), serial number ORV8023008.<br /><br />The computer was designed around the the STD-bus architecture and featured two built-in 8" diskette drives. It required an external display and a keyboard (such as the DY-4 VGT-100 or VGT-100H graphic terminals). The Orion V was offered as a stand alone desktop or as a rack-mountable hardware.<br /><br /><strong>Hardware:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>CPU: Zilog Z80A</li>
<li>RAM: 64 Kbytes expandable to 256 Kbytes</li>
<li>diskette drives: double sided, double density diskettes, 600 Kbytes per disk</li>
<li>expansion: up to 12 STD bus cards</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>Software:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>OS: CP/M 2.2</li>
<li>systems: System Debug Monitor</li>
</ul>
<br />Note: The Orion V in the museum's collection was used at the University of Ottawa and had the assigned name Pegasus.
DY-4 Systems Inc.
1982[?]
DY 4 Collection
H.20
1982-?
Corel NetWinder 275
Corel NetWinder 275 network computer
The NetWinder was a compact, high-performance, low power computing designed by Corel of Ottawa and released in 1988. It was a RISC-based machine equipped with networking and multimedia capabilities, operated under Linux. Sold with keyboard, mouse, and stand. <br /><br /><strong>Hardware:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>CPU: StrongARM 110 processor, 275MHz, together with the Intel 21285 FootBridge companion chip.</li>
<li>RAM: 32, 64, or 128 Mbytes</li>
<li>hard drive: 2, 4 or 6 GBytes ,WinBond 553 IDE controller</li>
<li>2 Ethernet connections: one 10BaseT (WinBond 940 Ethernet, NE2000 compatible) - 10/100BaseT (Digital 21143 ("Tulip") Ethernet)</li>
<li>EPP/ECP port driven by Winbond '977 SuperIO</li>
<li>serial port driven by Windbond '977 SuperIO</li>
<li>IrDA port</li>
<li>2 PS2 ports for keyboard and mouse (SuperIO '977)</li>
<li>power supply: 12V, 1.5A..</li>
</ul>
Software:<br />OS: Red Hat-based dialect of Linux<br /><br />The museum has a NetWinder model 275, serial number NW644DM11.<br /><br />NetWinder documentation and other resources are available from <a href="http://www.netwinder.org/docs.html">netwinder.org site.</a>
Corel
1998
H.21
1998-?
Rebel.com NetWinder Server
hardware: server
The original NetWinder Linux microcomputer was developed by Corel and offered in 1998. In January 1999, Hardware Computing Canada of Ottawa acquired the NetWinder division from Corel and change the name of the combined company to Rebel.com. The company continued revising and manufacturing the NetWinder line of computers until July 2001 when Rebel filed for bankruptcy.<br /><br />The hardware configuration of the Rebel.com rack-mounted NetWinder Server was similar to that of the original Corel NetWinder with some notable exceptions such as no multi-media support (audio and video) and a larger 3.5 inch hard disk that offered 10-26MBytes of storage.<br /><br />The museum has a Rebel.com NetWinder server model MWRM0735, serial number 800-00016. <br /><br />NetWinder documentation and other resources are available from <a href="http://www.netwinder.org/docs.html">netwinder.org site.</a>
Rebel.com
1999[?]
H.24
microWAT Microcomputer
computer hardware: microcomputer
<strong>Historical context:</strong><br /><br />Early microprocessor-based computers (microcomputers) presented a cost-effective and low-maintenance alternative to high-performance minicomputers that dominated the computer scene of the 1970s. Their utilization was confined largely to applications that did not require the full processing power of the minis. Microcomputers also presented a unique opportunity to expand and enrich academic computing programs and environments.<br /><br />A 1979 study conducted at the University of Waterloo (UW) on possible use of microcomputers for academic applications concluded that "many of the jobs run on computers at Waterloo could be done using the computational capacity possessed by microcomputers." [1] However, "none of the inexpensive, mass-manufactured microcomputers had the appropriate hardware to operate our planned software, mainly because the memory was not large enough, and because there was insufficient flexibility, particularly with respect to input/output." [1] The study set in motion two microcomputer development projects at the<br />Computer Systems Group (CSG) of UW -- the microWAT and the SuperPET.<br /><br />The microWAT was designed jointly by CSG and Jerry Krist of Northern Digital Ltd. of Waterloo. The computer was demonstrated in December 1980 and subsequently manufactured by Northern Digital. The microWAT was a small CPU unit that required a separate keyboard, display, and external storage to form a computer system. At UW, MicroWATs used Volker-Craig video display terminals and Commodore IEEE disk drives. Several microWATs were installed inside "dumb" display terminals converting them into versatile desktop computers that could operate with diskette drives, printers, plotters, and could be networked with other systems such as the IBM Series/1 minicomputers operating at UW. <br /><br />The computer was built around the Motorola 6809 microprocessor and all its hardware was deposited on several printed circuit boards including the CPU, I/O, ROM, and RAM boards. An additional small ROM card sealed from tampering (referred to as the "key" card or the "chocolate bar") was a software security device containing a key required to access software written at UW including micro BASIC, Pascal, FORTRAN, COBOL and APL. According to former Northern Digital employee Heinz Wolter <br /><br />"<em>The most interesting thing in that whole system was that Wes Graham (of Watfor fortran compiler fame) had written a copyrighted poem (Haiku) that was an unencrypted key required to run the software.</em>"<br /><br />The microWATs were used, among other places, at UW for academic teaching and research. The introduction of the IBM PC in August 1981 and the subsequent rapid growth of IBM PC-compatible computer market put an end to the microWAT and SuperPET programs.<br /><br /><strong>microWAT technical specifications:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>CPU -- Motorola 6809, 8-bit</li>
<li>RAM -- three memory cards, 32Kb each</li>
<li>ROM -- 60Kb</li>
<li>ports -- two RS-232 compatible serial ports (implemented using MOS Technology 6551 Asynchronous Communications Interface Adapter),</li>
<li>a single parallel port (implemented using the MOS Technology 6522 Versatile Interface Adapter)</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>microWAT software:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>monitor</li>
<li>micro BASIC, Pascal, FORTRAN, COBOL and APL languages</li>
</ul>
The museum has a microWAT computer with a CSG "key" card.<br /><br /><strong>References:</strong><br />
<p>[1] D.D. Cowan and J.W. Graham, Waterloo Microcomputer Systems for the 1980's, <em>Proceedings of the ACM '82,</em> pp. 13–17 (1982). <br /><br />[2] R.L. Hughson, Alternations in the oxygen deficit-oxygen debt relationship with beta-adrenergic receptor blockade in man", <em>J. Physiol</em>. 349, pp. 375-387 (1984).</p>
Developed by the University of Waterloo, Manufactured by Northern Digital Ltd.
1980--
H.25
Ontario, Canada, 1980-1983[?]
NABU Personal Computer
hardware: personal computer
<strong>Historical Contex</strong>t<br /><br /> <em>The whole crew is instilled with the fervent enthusiasm of</em><br /> <em>Those Who Have Seen The Light. On everyone's lips is</em><br /> <em>the sacred name of the ancient Babylonian god of writing.</em><br /> <em>NABU. Bringer of wisdom and understanding.</em><br /> <em>NABU. Bringer of great pots of money.</em><br />[P. Kinsman, NABU, NABU! One More Time From the Top, <em>Enterprise</em>, July 1981]<br /><br />The growing popularity of home and personal computing in the late 1970s and early 1980s created a vibrant software industry supplying microcomputer users with a vast range of software products. During that period, the main form of the commercial microcomputer software distribution was packaged software sold in computer stores and outlets in the form of ROM cartridges, tape cassettes, and floppy diskettes. Even though the prices of personal and home computers were falling sharply in the early 1980s, the cost of good quality software remained the same reflecting, in part, high distribution costs. <br /><br />Electronic distribution of software directly into homes of computer owners originated in the second half of the 1970s. It was a novel, fast, and cost-effective alternative to packaged software's expensive, long, and multi-stage delivery process. A computer or a video game console owner could subscribe to an electronic distribution of software service (EDS service) that and gain an electronic access to software and data for a low monthly fee (of, approximately, the cost of a single commercial packaged software). By the early 1980s, several North American and European companies were already distributing software using common communication links (such radio waves, cable television (CATV), or telephone networks).<br /><br />While Europe was experimenting with EDS via teletext and videotex television services, several North American companies were looking into using CATV's superior high-speed digital information delivery capability for the purpose of mass-market distribution of home and recreational software. By the early 1980s, a large percentage of urban households in North America had a direct link to cable TV. Furthermore, a strong growth of the home computer and video game console markets was projected until at least mid-1980s. Such forecasts supported the prospects of vast new sources of revenues for cable providers derived from bundling EDS with other CATV-based nonprogramming services.<br /><br />The NABU Network was possibly the most advanced and foremost among the early CATV-based EDS services. It was a brainchild of a Canadian entrepreneur John Kelly. The NABU Manufacturing Corp., which would spawn the NABU Network Corp., was incorporated in June 1981. It was initially created through the amalgamation of three companies: Bruce Instruments Ltd. (manufacturer of cable TV converters based in Almonte), MFC Microsystems International Inc. (a distributor of computer hardware and software for small business systems), and Computer Innovations Ltd. (which operated computer retail stores across Canada). Soon after, NABU Manufacturing acquired Andicom Technical Products Ltd. (a manufacturer of small business computers based in Toronto), Consolidated Computer Inc. (a manufacturer and distributor of key-edit systems), Mobius Software Ltd. (an Ottawa-based software consulting company), and Volker-Craig (a Kitchener-based manufacturer of video-display terminals). <br /><br />NABU's business plan was to capture a sizable share of the microcomputer market by offering the world's first cable-ready computers and by implementing a new delivery method for software and information -- the NABU Network. The company announced its network during the 1982 National Cable & Telecommunications Association conference in Las Vegas. In May 1983, the company transmitted its programming via satellite from Ottawa to terminals installed at the 26th Annual Convention of the Canadian Cable Television Association in Calgary. The transmission used the ANIK-D1 satellite, and it was a live feed from Ottawa. The NABU Network was officially launched on 15 October 1983 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, Virginia, on Tribune Cable, a 5,000 subscriber service. The launch marked the creation of the first commercial computer network to provide high-speed access to information, software, and digital entertainment directly to homes of personal computer users. <br /><br />The network was based on the concept of computers linked to cable television networks which could supply a constant stream of computer programs and information to almost unlimited number of users at high speed. NABU considered cable television a uniquely ideal technology to deliver software and data to home computers because of its high bandwidth and networking capabilities.<br /><br />To access NABU Network, customers had to purchase or rent a NABU Personal Computer (NABU PC) and a network adaptor that provided an interface between the NABU PC and the CATV's dedicated channel. The network provided its subscribers with a multi tier service that offered software and information in a range of categories, including entertainment, education, family information, home management, and a network guide. The November-December 1984 issue of <em>The NABU Network</em> magazine lists over 140 titles available on Ottawa Cablevision's NABU Network. In Ottawa, NABU program listings were available online (on <em>NABU's Network Guide</em>) as well as in local newspapers and dedicated NABU magazines. The NABU PC could be operated as a stand-alone desktop computer. For this purpose, NABU supplied its customers with Digital Research CP/M 3 operating system and floppy disk drives.<br /><br />Because of the company's financial difficulties, unfavourable market conditions, and regulatory constraints, the NABU Network went off the air on 31 August 1986 in both Ottawa and Alexandria. Rights to exploit commercial applications of NABU Network technology--that is, to selling the technology to corporations that could provide their own content--were vested in International Datacasting Corp. created in 1984.<br /><br /><strong>References:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Stachniak, Z. Early Commercial Electronic Distribution of Software, <i> IEEE Annals of the History of Computing</i>, January-March (2014), pp. 39-51.</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>The NABU PC technical specifications:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>CPU - ZILOG Z80A, 8-bit, 3.58MHz clock speed,</li>
<li>RAM - 64Kb, NPC's main memory under the CPU's control,</li>
<li>RAM - 16Kb, video display memory under the video processor's control,</li>
<li>ROM - 4K or 8K (hosting software for bootstrap, self-test, and initialization),</li>
<li>video processor - Texas Instruments TMS 9918A,</li>
<li>sound generator - General Instrument AY-3-8910 programmable sound generator,</li>
<li>external storage - floppy diskette drives; a floppy drive controller was required to be installed in one of the expansion,</li>
<li>expansion ports - four 30-pin,</li>
<li>keyboard - 66 key QWERTY-style (including 8 cursor and control as well as "YES" and "NO" keys), detachable, microprocessor-controlled, features two game controller connectors,</li>
<li>game controllers - up to two controllers connected to the keyboard via DB-9 connectors; 8 position and fire button control,</li>
<li>display - 24 lines of 40 characters, 16 colors (including transparent); requires a dedicated computer monitor or a television set connected via RF modulator,</li>
<li>ports/connectors - serial EIA RS422 Adaptor interface, 8-bit parallel printer port (15-pin), EIA RS422 keyboard connector (6-PIN DIN), video connector (RCA phono jack), audio connector (RCA phono jack), cable IN ad OUT connectors (type F),</li>
<li>data transmission rate - 6.312 Mbits.</li>
</ul>
<strong>The NABU PC systems software:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>NABU BDOS - NABU Basic Downloadable Operating System, NABU Network Corp., 1982-1986</li>
<li>XIOS1 - Extended Internal Operating Software, module 1, NABU Network Corp., 1982-1986</li>
<li>XIOS2 - Extended Internal Operating Software, module 2, NABU Network Corp., 1982-1986</li>
<li>Disk Utilities for NABU floppy disk drive, Digital Research, 1983 and NABU Network Corp., 1983</li>
<li>RAM test utility program, NABU Network Corp., 198?</li>
</ul>
<br /><strong>NABU Network applications and information programs in the museum's collection</strong><br /><br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>title</th>
<th>category</th>
<th>creator</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALPHABLAST II</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALPHA LAB LOGO</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ANGLE TANGLE LOGO</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ANTARCTIC VENTURE</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Konami, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ANTONYM ANTICS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AQUATTACK</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Interphase Technologies Inc., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ATMOSPHERE</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ATOMS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BACKGAMMON</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BIORHYTHMS</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BEEVADERS</td>
<td>LOGO game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>B.C. MATCH UP</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>B.C. TRIVIA</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CAPACITORS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CFONT</td>
<td>office program</td>
<td>SoftCraft, 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CHECKERS</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CHINESE HOROSCOPES</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CIRCUS CHARLIE</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CIRCUIT</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>COMPUTER GLOSSARY</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CORRECT-IT</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CYCLONS</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Syntax Software Inc., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DARTS AND BALLOONS LOGO</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DECIMALS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DEFINITION</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DEPOT</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EFONT Edit</td>
<td>office program</td>
<td>SoftCraft, 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EMBASSY CAPER</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FANCY FONT TUTOR</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FLIP AND FLOP</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>First Star Software, 1983; NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FRACTIONS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FRENCH VERBS I</td>
<td>eduactional program</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FROGGEE</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Commercial Data Systems Ltd., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GRAMMAR</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HEAVYWAIGHT BOXING</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Takara/Hal, 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HERBS & SPICE 1</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>605477 Ontario Inc., 1985</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HERBS & SPICE 2</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>605477 Ontario Inc., 1985</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HYPER SPORTS</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Konami, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTERVALS</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>KEYBOARD</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>KIDDY PARK</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>KNOW-IT-ALL</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LASER ATTACK</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LEARNING LETTERS</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LEARNING NUMBERS</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LOGO ACTIVITY HELP</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LOGO PREVIEW</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LOGO REFERENCE</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MACBETH</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MAKE UP</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MANIA</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp, 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MATH ATTACK LOGO</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MATH PUZZLE</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MATH QUIZ</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MAZE CRAZE</td>
<td>LOGO game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>METRIC CONVERTER</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>METRO BLITZ</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MINERAL HUNT</td>
<td>LOGO educational game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MINER 2049ER</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MIX-IT</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MOONSWEEPER</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MORTGAGE CALC</td>
<td>home management</td>
<td>NABU Manufacturing Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MOTION AND FORCE</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MOTORCYCLE</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MR. CHIN</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Hal, 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MUMMY'S TOMB</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MURDER MANSION</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU BASIC V2.0</td>
<td>programming language</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU BASIC TUTOR</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984; code follows directory</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU CALC</td>
<td>spreadsheet</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU CALC TUTOR</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU FILER</td>
<td>database program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU FILER TUTOR</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU LOGO, rev. 01</td>
<td>programming language</td>
<td>LOGO Computer Systems Inc., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU SPELLER</td>
<td>office program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU SPELLER TUTOR</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU WRITER</td>
<td>office program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 198</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NABU WRITER TUTOR</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 198</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NEOCLYPS</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NIMBLE</td>
<td>LOGO game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NOTES AND STAFF</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NOUNS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>O CANADA LOGO</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PAINTPOT</td>
<td>educational program</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PARLOR POWER</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PERCENTAGES</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PINBALL</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>John Allen, 1981</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PING</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Manufacturing Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PLANETS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PRINTER TUTORIAL</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PROVINCES LOGO</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QA DIG DUG</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Namco Ltd., NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QA GALAXIAN</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Namco Ltd., NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QA PAC-MAN</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983, 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QUEST FOR TIRES</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Sierra On-Line Inc., Sydney Development Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Q*BERT</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RENEGADE</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RESISTORS</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ROULETTE</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RUNES</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SARGON II CHESS</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Dan and Kathleen, Hayden Book Comp. Inc., 1981</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SCHMOZZLE</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SHAPES</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SHAKESPEARE</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SKETCH</td>
<td>art program</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SKI SARAJEVO</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SKI WHISTLER</td>
<td>game</td>
</tr>
<tr></tr>
<tr>
<td>SLEUTH</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SPORTS STUMPER</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>STEP UP</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SUPER BILLIARDS</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>Bubble Bus Software, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SUPER BLOOPER</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>THE INFORMER</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1986</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TIME PILOT</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TONES & SEMITONES</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TOURNAMENT POKER</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TRACK & FIELD 1</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TRACK & FIELD 2</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TV IQ</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UFO'S</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Manufacturing Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WHIZ MIND LOGO</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>unknown</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WINE WATCH</td>
<td>information program</td>
<td>Wine Consultants of Canada, 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WING WAR</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WIZTYPE</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WIZTYPE TUTOR</td>
<td>office program</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1982</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WORD MASTERMIND</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WORD ROTATE</td>
<td>educational game</td>
<td>Cymbal Software Inc, 1984, NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ZIPPER</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1983</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ZORK I</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ZOT!</td>
<td>game</td>
<td>NABU Network Corp., 1984</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />The museum has several NABU PC and Adaptor units including the NABU PC 4K and 8K ROM models.
NABU Network Manufacturing Corp., NABU Network Corp.
1982--1986
1983-1986, Ottawa (Canada), Alexandria (US), and Sowa (Japan)