Toshiba’s aim with the TOSBAC Q series was to create office computers — which p reviously had only processed data — that could function as core office automation computers by introducing to the office computer world various features, such as image processing functions and network functions. The series was named “total OA processors.”
The series’ software had the following features.
- （1）Single architecture:
- All systems in the series supported the same functions, and, from the user’s perspective, all systems in the series operated in the same way.
- （2）Image processing functions:
- The operating system allowed for the construction of a wide range of image processing systems, from simple shapes using the dedicated scanner to full-fledged image processing running on dedicated processors and optical disks.
- OAEDITOR: a composite document processing sub-system with a 17-inch display that could fit an entire A4 page on the screen
- OAFILING: an electronic filing sub-system that stored image data with search capabilities
- （3）Office automation functions:
- The operating system came with an office automation sub-system so that end users could run office tasks without requiring any programming. The sub-system provided OAJES, a Japanese language document processing function, OACALC, a tabulation and calculation function, OAGRAPH, a graphing function, and OADRAW, a drawing function.
- （4）Network functions:
- The operating system could easily connect the office computers to many kinds of VANs and computer networks because it came with support for JCA, BSC, Japan Banker’s Association, and CAFIS/DRESS protocols and with various emulators (SNA3270, etc.). Furthermore, flexible distributed network systems could be constructed because the operating system ported DPNET, which was perfected on the DP series, and provided it as TOPNET, a composite distributed network system.