In the mid - 1980s, AT&T sold a small, UNIX - based system for desktop use. This system, designed primarily by Convergent (and quite similar to the Convergent Miniframe), is based on the Motorola 68010 processor. The standard operating system is a version of System V UNIX that bears some resemblance to Convergent's CTIX. Unlike the Miniframe, the UNIX PC includes a monochrome graphics monitor and a mouse that are used by its window system. To facilitate data transfer with other PC-type systems, the UNIX PC also has a 5.25 inch DSDD floppy drive, which can read and write MS-DOS diskettes as well as those written in its own (8 or 10 sector per track) format. A 1200 bps modem is also standard.
The original system, referred to as the PC7300, was equipped with 512 Kbytes of RAM and a 10 MB MFM (ST-506 Interface) hard disk. A different version of the system with a higher-current power supply and an enlargement of the case top under the monitor to accomodate a larger (40 or 67 MB) full-height hard disk was sold as the 3b1. The system pictured here is a PC7300 with the motherboard RAM upgraded to 2 MB (involving a lot of soldering - the RAM isn't socketed) and the original 20 MB hard disk replaced with a 40 MB Seagate ST255-1.Home | Information | Machines | Projects | Documentation | Links