【Mitsubishi Electric】 MELCOM80 Model 8

This small-size office computer was announced by Mitsubishi Electric in 1975. It employed two "8080" 8-bit microprocessors from Intel as its central processing unit (CPU), and only required a setup area of 0.66m²which is a little smaller than that of an office desk.

The CPU used the microprogramming system. The design placed high priority on availability and maintainability. For example, in the unlikely event of trouble, the system could operate with only one of its dual processors, and it displayed messages on the malfunction point using built-in diagnostic circuits. Main memory was a maximum of 24 kilobytes.

Ease-of-operation was dramatically improved by using a compact 9-inch CRT in the console, and also by adding a feature for providing guidance to the operator on each input item. This low-cost high-performance small-size office computer was realized by using a unique system employing 8-inch (250 kilobyte) flexible disk drives (FDD) as basic disk units. These systems were widely used for a variety of applications, including use as an online terminal.


MELCOM80 Model 8

Office Computers

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