| The Apricot PC was launched by ACT (Applied Computer Techniques) in late 1983 as its first independently developed microcomputer. It featured an Intel 8086 processor running at 4.77 MHz and came standard with 256 KB of RAM, which could be expanded to 768 KB. Storage was provided by two 3.5‑inch floppy disk drives in the 315 KB Sony format. The system included a 9‑inch green phosphor CRT capable of 80×25 text mode and 800×400 graphics. The keyboard featured an integrated LCD “microscreen” that displayed the current function key assignments, date, time, or calculator output. Although it shipped with MS‑DOS 2.11 and CP/M‑86 on floppy disks, the Apricot PC was not IBM PC compatible due to differences in its BIOS (using Intel 8089 I/O controller instead of IBM’s 8237 DMA chip), disk format, and hardware design. Attempting to run PC software like dBase III would often cause crashes. To enhance compatibility, Apricot offered a motherboard upgrade option later, replacing the 8086 with an 80286 processor. The system also came bundled with useful applications such as SuperCalc, SuperWriter, ACT Manager, and Microsoft BASIC‑86, plus system utilities and communications software. Despite its non‑standard compatibility, reviewers praised its high display resolution and unique keyboard, and it achieved notable success in the UK market, standing out as a well‑designed and forward‑looking business microcomputer. |
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