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Portal (computer)

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Portal
DeveloperFrançois Gernelle
ManufacturerR2E Micral
TypePortable computer
Release dateSeptember 1980; 43 years ago (1980-09)
Discontinued1983; 41 years ago (1983)
Units soldHundreds
Operating systemPrologue, Basic Assembly Language (BAL)
CPUIntel 8085 @ 2 MHz
Memory64 kB RAM
Removable storageFloppy disk
Display32-character one-line screen
Power220-volt
Dimensions45 × 45 × 15 cm
Mass12 kg

Portal R2E CCMC was a portable microcomputer designed and marketed by the Réalisation et Études électroniques department of the French firm R2E Micral,[1] and officially appeared in September 1980 at the Sicob show in Paris.[2][3] Osborne 1, the first commercially successful portable computer, was only released eight months later, on 3 April 1981.[4][5]

The machine was designed with a focus on payroll and accounting. Several hundred Portal computers were sold between 1980 and 1983.

Extremely rare, no museum has a Portal, and only two are in private collections.[6][7]

The company R2E Micral is also known to have designed "the earliest commercial, non-kit computer based on a microprocessor", the Micral N.[8] One of these machines was sold for 62,000 euros to Paul G. Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft (with Bill Gates), by the auctioneer Rouillac on June 11, 2017, for Allen's Seattle museum, Living Computers: Museum + Labs.[9][10][7]

Specifications

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The Portal was based on an Intel 8085 processor, 8-bit, clocked at 2 MHz.[1][11]

It was equipped with 64 kB of main RAM, a keyboard with 58 alphanumeric keys and 11 numeric keys (in separate blocks), a LED 32-character one-line screen, a floppy disk (capacity - 140000 characters), a thermal printer (speed - 28 characters/second), an asynchronous channel, a synchronous channel, and a 220-volt power supply.[1][11]

It came with two operating systems: Prologue and Basic Assembly Language (BAL).[1]

Designed for an operating temperature of 15 °C to 35 °C, it weighed 12 kg and its dimensions were 45 × 45 × 15 cm.[1][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Base de données - R2E Portal". System.cfg. 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Portal au Sicob". blog.museeinformatique.fr. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. ^ Lilen, Henri. la saga du micro-ordinateur.
  4. ^ "Pièce comptable Portal". Archived from the original on 16 August 2017.
  5. ^ Spector, Lincoln (31 May 2010). "A History of Portable Computing". PC World. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  6. ^ Rouillac, Aymeric (21 August 2017). "Cet exemplaire en état de marche sera vendu aux enchères le 22 septembre 2017". Facebook.
  7. ^ a b "Vente aux enchères du Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré à Tours" (PDF). 21 August 2017.
  8. ^ "R2E Micral N". www.system-cfg.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  9. ^ "The Micral N, the First Microcomputer, to be Sold at Auction in June". Life in France. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  10. ^ "C'est maintenant officiel: Paul G.... - Aymeric Rouillac". Facebook.
  11. ^ a b c "Plaquette Portal". blog.museeinformatique.fr. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.

Bibliography

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François Gernelle, Portal designer

Sources

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This article is derived partly from the page of old-computers.com and feb-patrimoine.com.