Grundy NewBrain
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The Grundy NewBrain was a microcomputer sold in the early-1980s by Grundy Business Systems Ltd of Teddington and Cambridge, England.
The NewBrain project was started in 1978 when Sinclair Radionics began design work with Mike Wakefield as the designer and Basil Smith as the software engineer. This project was intended to provide competition for Apple and hardly fitted in with Sinclair's focus on inexpensive consumer-oriented products. When it became obvious to Sinclair that the NewBrain could not be made for the sub-£100 price he envisaged his thoughts turned to the ZX80 that was to be developed by his other company, Science of Cambridge Ltd.
The NewBrain project was moved to Newbury Laboratories by the National Enterprise Board (NEB), the owner of both Sinclair Radionics and Newbury Labs.
In early 1980, the BBC Further Education department conceived the idea of a computer literacy programme, mostly as a follow-up to a BBC documentary, The Mighty Micro, in which Dr Christopher Evans from the UK National Physical Laboratory predicted the coming (micro)computer revolution. It was a very influential documentary — so much so that questions were asked in parliament. BBC Engineering was instructed to attempt to draw up an objective specification.
As a result of the questions in Parliament, the Department of Industry (DoI) became interested in the programme, as did BBC Enterprises, which saw an opportunity to sell a machine to go with the series.
Eventually, under some pressure from the DoI to choose a British system, the BBC chose the Newbrain. Although the NewBrain was under heavy development by Newbury, it soon became clear that Newbury was not going to be able to produce it. The BBC's programmes, initially scheduled for Autumn 1981, were moved back to Spring 1982. After Chris Curry and Clive Sinclair found out about the BBC's plans, the BBC allowed other manufacturers to submit their proposals. The BBC eventually chose a computer from Acorn Computers Ltd.
As a result of the BBC's decision, the British Technology Group, which had replaced the NEB, sold the final design and production to Grundy. Tradecom purchased Grundy Business Systems in 1983 in order to fulfill a contract to supply microcomputers to schools and training centres in Holland.
[edit] Specifications
| Pricing: | 229.00 GBP (United Kingdom, 1980), 48,000.00 GRD (Greece, 1985) |
|---|---|
| Emphasis: | Education, Portable computing, Programming, Small business |
| Timeline: | Released: 1983 |
| CPU type: | Z80 |
| CPU word length: | 8 bits |
| CPU clock rate: | 4 MHz |
| ROM Size: | 28 KB |
| RAM Size: | 16 KB, 32 KB |
| Maximum RAM Size: | 2 MB |
| Number of keys: | 62 |
| Graphics chip: | COP400 MCU |
| Graphics modes: | 256x256, 320x256, 512x256, 640x256x2 |
| Text modes: | 32x25, 32x30, 40x25, 40x30, 64x25, 64x30, 80x25x2, 80x30x2 |
| Total number of colours: | 2 |
| I/O Ports: | 2x Tape recorder, Composite video, Expansion, RS-232, TV output, User port |
