This rare portable computer had a short life. It was designed and manufactured by Athena Computer & Electronic Systems in San Juan Capistrano, California (USA).
At 15 pounds, the Athena 1 is significantly lighter than some of the other portable computers of its time. It includes a standard full-quality keyboard and a 4-line-by-80-character LCD display.
When first launched, the Athena I had an unusual but interesting dual-processor design using NSC-800 CPUs, a low-power version of the Zilog Z80 from National Semiconductor that uses a CMOS design for minimal energy consumption. One serves as a central processing unit and the other handles input and output.
A built-in lead acid battery operates the machine for up to two hours. Memory can be retained for up to six hours in a standby mode. A 12-volt power cable for operation from an automobile cigarette-lighter was also included with the system.
It was equiped with a 128KB to 1MB solid state mass storage (in the form of dynamic RAM) which emulates floppy disk drive (expandable to one megabyte). RAM memory acts as a drive A under CP/M 2.2 that is provided with the machine in ROM. An external 5.25" disk drive could also be connected. It had two RS232 ports to connect printers, screen terminals or communication devices.
Besides CP/M 2.2 operating system, the Athena comes with JRT Pascal from JRT Systems in San Francisco, the Profit Plan spreadsheet from Chang Labs in Sunnyvale, and the MiniVEDIT text editor from CompuView Products in Ann Arbor.
15 Athenas can be connected together to create a local network, allowing access to common data bases and mass-storage devices. Each system in the network can read the memory of any other system. A 30MB hard-disk was available allowing all networked units to share common data files.
Apparently it could be the first "clamshell" laptop computer to be exhibited, some time before the Grid Compass.
It was a powerful system, but its small LCD and external floppy drive limited its usefulness. In 1983, the company switched to a single low-power Intel 80C86 CPU, the first computer to do so, and offered MS-DOS along with CP/M.
The photo shown here is of the prototype that was displayed at trade shows.
David Mitchell who founded the firm in 1982, calls his product a "high-end" machine designed for the discriminating portable user."
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system,
please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.
Please consider donating your old computer / videogame system to Old-Computers.com or one of our partners from anywhere in the world (Europe, America, Asia, etc.).
When first launched, the Athena I had an unusual but interesting dual-processor design using NSC-800 CPUs, a low-power version of the Zilog Z80. What’s more, it used solid-state storage in the form of fast dynamic RAM. It was a powerful system, but its small LCD and external floppy drive limited its usefulness. In 1983, the company switched to a single low-power Intel 80C86 CPU, the first computer to do so, and offered MS-DOS along with CP/M.
Athena I (1983, transportable) Original Retail Price: $3,250 to $4,950 Base Configuration: dual 2.5MHz NSC-800 CPUs, CP/M 2.2, 68K RAM, 6K ROM, external 5.25-inch floppy disk drive, 128K (1MB max) solid state storage, monochrome LCD, keyboard, two RS-232 and one parallel port, JRT Pascal, owner’s and software manuals, battery pack, AC adapter Video: 4-line x 80-column text Size/Weight: 3.37 x 11/87 x 14.5 inches, 15 lbs. Important Options: 12-inch monochrome monitor
Sunday 14th September 2014
Yuri
Photos can be found here: http://classictech.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/company-profile-athena-computer-electronic-systems-san-juan-capistrano-calif/
Friday 7th February 2014
leskovez (Russia)
Photo is of the prototype that was displayed at trade shows.
Saturday 8th January 2011
Al Bentley
NAME
ATHENA 1
MANUFACTURER
Athena Computer & Electronic System
TYPE
Portable
ORIGIN
U.S.A.
YEAR
1982
BUILT IN LANGUAGE
Unknown
KEYBOARD
Full-stroke keyboard
CPU
2 x NSC 800 CPUs (low-power version of the Zilog Z80)
SPEED
2.5 MHz
RAM
68 KB (up to 1 MB)
ROM
6 KB
TEXT MODES
80 characters x 4 lines LCS display
GRAPHIC MODES
Unknown
COLORS
monochrome built-in LCD display
SOUND
Unknown
SIZE / WEIGHT
3.038
I/O PORTS
2 x RS232 ports, Centronics
BUILT IN MEDIA
512KB solid state mass storage (emulates floppy disk drive, expandable to one megabyte)
OS
CP/M 2.2
POWER SUPPLY
Battery powered or fed with 12v power cable.
PERIPHERALS
external 5.25
PRICE
$3950 (USA, december 1982) $2900 for the 128KB solid-state memory model (USA, march 1983) $4950 for the 1MB solid-state memory model (USA, march 1983)
