 The twin-Z80 Intertec SuperBrain | |
| Manufacturer | Intertec Data Systems |
|---|---|
| Type | microcomputer |
| Released | 1979 |
| CP/M | |
| CPU | (2x) Z80 @ 4 MHz |
| Memory | 64 KB RAM 2 KB ROM |
| Display | 80 × 25 character text; 12-inch monochrome CRT |
| Connectivity | Two RS-232 serial ports |
| Dimensions | H: 14-5/8-inch W: 21-3/8-inch D: 23-1/8-inch |
| Weight | 45 lb (20 kg) |
The Intertec SuperBrain was an all-in-one commercial microcomputer that was first sold by Intertec Data Systems Corporation of Columbia, South Carolina, USA in 1979. The machine ran the operating system CP/M and was somewhat unusual in that it used dual Z80 CPUs, the second being used as a disk controller. In 1981, it sold with 64K of RAM for $2649 ($9368 in 2025 USD) and the QD model was $3195 (approximately $11,300 in 2025 USD). In 1983, the basic machine sold for about US$2,000 (equivalent to $6,470 in 2025).
There were several variants, including the SuperBrain II (released in 1982), SuperBrain II Jr., "QD" (quad-density disk drives) and "SD" (super density) models.
Intertec also released a similar looking dumb terminal, the Intertube, and smart terminal, the Emulator.
The SuperBrain is notable for being at the user end of the first Kermit connection in 1981.
The machine was practical and useful in the office environment, but somewhat limited until the arrival of the first 5 MB hard drive in one of the floppy drive bays. This was soon replaced by the 10 MB hard drive.
Up to 255 CompuStar workstations could be daisy-chained together via DC-37 "Chaining Adaptor" parallel ports to share the "central disk system" (one of the three hard drive peripheral options below). Each computer, or VPU (Video Processing Unit), was assigned a unique number from 1 to 255 by setting an eight-position DIP switch.[1]
The Brazilian company Prológica introduced the Sistema 700 in 1981, based on the SuperBrain and with similar characteristics.[2][3]
Specifications
edit| Model Number | Processor | Disk Drives | Clock Speed | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CompuStar 10 | Z80 | No drives (network device) | 4 MHz | 64 KB |
| Jr / CompuStar 20 | Z80 | 170 KB | 4 MHz | 64 KB |
| QD (Quad Density) / CompuStar 30 | Z80 | 340 KB | 4 MHz | 64 KB |
| SD (Super Density) / CompuStar 40 | Z80 | 780 KB | 4 MHz | 64 KB |
Peripherals
edit- CompuStar DSS-10 10 MB Hard Drive (CompuStar Disk Storage System)
- CDC 96 MB Hard Drive (80 MB fixed disk with 16 MB removable platter)
- Priam 14-inch 144 MB Hard Drive
Applications
edit- Microsoft BASIC
- 8080 assembler
- Microsoft COBOL 74
- APL
In pop culture
editThe Superbrain can be seen in two episodes of Knight Rider: one in Season 1, Episode 10, "The Final Verdict" (1982), and the second in Season 1, Episode 18, "White Bird" (1983).[4]
In John Carpenter’s The Thing, Dr. Blair uses a Superbrain to analyse samples from The Thing from which he estimates that it will take over the world in about three years.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Preliminary users manual for Intertec's Compustar video processing system" (PDF). Bitsavers. May 1981.
- ^ "Prológica Sistema 700 – Revista Microsistemas – Anúncios Antigos – MCC - Museu Capixaba do Computador". museucapixaba.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ "Intertec Superbrain Disks | Datassette". datassette.datacassete.com.br. Archived from the original on 2024-07-20. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ a b "Starring the Computer - Intertec Superbrain".
External links
edit- Intertec SuperBrain Archived 2008-04-17 at the Wayback Machine DAVES OLD COMPUTERS
- Superbrain at Old Computer Museum
- Marcus Bennett's Superbrain documentation
- Video walkthrough of restored unit on YouTube
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