Thomson TO16

The Thomson TO16 or Thomson TO16PC is a personal computer introduced by French company Thomson SA in 1987.[1]

ManufacturerThomson SA
Release date1987 (1987)
Introductory price9000 FF
Operating systemMS-DOS 3.2
CPUIntel 8088 at 4.77 and 9.54 MHz (turbo mode)
Memory512 KB expandable to 768 KB
GraphicsCGA and MDA compatible Plantronics Colorplus
Backward
compatibility		IBM PC

Prototype

The original concept was a machine similar to the Macintosh. Based on this the Thomson TO16 prototype (codename Théodore) was built around a Motorola 68000 processor with an Intel 82716 graphics chipset.[2] The operating system chosen was OS-9, a preemptive multitasking system similar to Unix. It also featured an integrated 20MB SCSI hard drive.

Work on the prototype was carried on between 1985 and 1988, with five machines built.[3] This concept was abandoned in favor of a PC compatible architecture, with the TO16 model designation being kept.[4]

Specifications [5]
  • Motorola 68000 @ 8Mhz CPU
  • 2 MB RAM
  • Two video modes: 320x200 with 256 colors; 640x270 with 16 colors
  • Mouse
  • 3"1/2 floppy drive
  • 20 MB SCSI hard drive

Thomson TO16

The Thomson TO16 is a IBM PC compatible machine, running MS-DOS 3.2 with MS-DOS Manager and GW-BASIC.[6][7] The CPU is an Intel 8088 capable of running at 9.54Mhz on turbo mode with 512KB of RAM and a CGA graphic card.

Specifications

Hardware versions

The original TO16 model was expanded into four variations by adding extra hardware, such as a modem or hard drive.[6]

  • Thomson TO16PC: original and most basic version
  • Thomson TO16PCM : 2400 bauds modem
  • Thomson TO16XPDD : two disc drives
  • Thomson TO16XPHD : 20 MB hard drive, color monitor and EGA graphics

References
  1. "Thomson - TO16 PC". www.system-cfg.com.
  2. "Spécification du chip graphique Intel i82716 utilisée dans le prototype TO16". logicielsmoto.com.
  3. "Thomson 16 bits - forum.system-cfg.com". forum.system-cfg.com.
  4. "Thomsom 16 bits - Hebdo Septembre 1986". www.obsolete-tears.com.
  5. "Thomson TO16". forum.system-cfg.com.
  6. "Thomson TO16". www.obsolete-tears.com.
  7. "TO16 Maintenance Manual". lauraetjean-damien.com.


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