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| Released in 1984, the Thomson TO7/70 was a significant upgrade over the original TO7, and became one of the key machines in France’s ambitious push for computer literacy through the “Informatique pour tous” (Computing for Everyone) initiative. It was designed by Thomson SA, a French electronics giant, and targeted primarily at schools and home users. The TO7/70 featured a more refined and responsive keyboard compared to the TO7’s membrane version, and came standard with 64 KB of RAM, which was a notable improvement at the time. It also included built-in Microsoft BASIC in ROM and supported cartridges, cassettes, and optional disk drives for software. One of the most distinctive features was its support for a light pen, allowing a more interactive experience—particularly in educational software. The machine produced colorful graphics and had decent sound capabilities for the era, making it a well-rounded system for both learning and entertainment. Although largely unknown outside of France, the TO7/70 was a key player in French schools during the mid-1980s and helped establish a generation of young computer users. It stands today as an iconic piece of French computing history, emblematic of a national approach to digital education. | |||||