The Thomson TO8 is a home computer introduced by French company Thomson SA in 1986, with a cost of 2,990 FF.[1][2][3] It replaces its predecessor, the Thomson TO7/70, while remaining essentially compatible.[4][3]
 Thomson TO8D | |
| Manufacturer | Thomson SA |
|---|---|
| Release date | 1986 |
| Introductory price | 2,990 FF |
| Discontinued | 1989 |
| Operating system | Basic 512, Basic 1.0 and Disk Basic |
| CPU | Motorola 6809E, 1 MHz |
| Memory | 256 KB (512 KB max.) RAM 80 KB ROM |
| Storage | Disk drive, tape (optional) |
| Display | 160 x 200 (16 or 5 colors) 320 x 200 (2, 3, 4 or 16 colors) 640 x 200 (2 colors) |
| Graphics | Thomson EF9369 |
| Sound | generator + 1 bit D/A converter 6 bits |
| Input | 81 keys AZERTY keyboard, light pen |
| Controller input | joystick, mouse |
| Backward compatibility | Thomson TO7/70 |
| Predecessor | Thomson TO7/70 |
| Successor | Thomson TO9+ |
The new features of the TO8, like larger memory (256KB) and better graphics modes (powered by the Thomson EF9369 graphics chip), are shared with the other third generation Thomson computers (MO6 and TO9+).[5][6][7][8]
The TO8 has a tape drive and Microsoft BASIC 1.0 (in standard and 512 KB versions)[9] on its internal ROM, and there is an optional external floppy drive. Graphics were provided by the Thomson EF9369 chip, allowing the display of 16 colors from a palette of 4096.[7][8]
More than 120 games exist for the system.[10][11]
An improved version, the Thomson TO8D, includes a built-in 3.5" floppy drive.
References
edit- ^ Garret, Yann (September 1986). "Thomson présente sá nouvelle gamme". Science & Vie Micro (in French). No. 31. pp. 106–107. ISSN 0760-6516.
- ^ "THOMSON TO 8 - TO 8D". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum.
- ^ a b "THOMSON JOUE LES LAPINS" (PDF). Hebdogiciel Magazine (in French) (150). August 29, 1986.
- ^ Miné, Antoine. "Thomson TO8 Emulation in MESS". Antoine Miné's Web Site.
- ^ "La nouvelle gamme Thomson" (PDF). Jeux & Stratégie (in French) (41): 42. October 1986.
- ^ "La gamme TO de Thomson" (PDF). Canard PC Hardware HS (in French) (HS 6): 80. 2016.
- ^ a b Coulom, Daniel. "TO8D Circuit Diagram". DCMOTO - Site de référence des ordinateurs 8 bits Thomson (in French).
- ^ a b EF9369 Single Chip Color Palette. Thomson Componentes.
- ^ Alexis AMAND, Alexis (2022). "Retrogaming et (re)découverte du Thomson TO8". Alexis AMAND - Développement Web et SEO (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ "Thomson TO8 video games". Universal Videogame List. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
- ^ "Listing of all Thomson TO8 games". The Video Games Museum. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
External links
edit- Thomson TO8/O8D at Old-Computers.com
- (in French) Émulation du Thomson TO8 sous MESS, site of Antoine Miné
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