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Osborne 1

One of several Osbornes here at the DigiBarn, this is a particularly special unit not only for its early production but because it has (the only known) external monitor built by Osborne for the Osborne 1. This monitor is designed to sit right on top of the suitcase case of the O1 and plug right into the front (which switches off the small built-in screen).

Bill Goldberg, the donor of this system, is shown here connecting the monitor. Listen to Bill Goldberg talking about the Osborne 1 (2.3MB MP3). Could it be that the engineers working on the O1 needed a decent sized screen to do their development? The O1 was noted for its very small screen. barely usable for applications such as Word Star. Know anything about this unique little O1? Contact us.

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Early Osborne1 Documentation

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User Guides
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Microsoft MBASIC

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MBASIC inside

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CBASIC

Early users resource guide (sorry, no larger version)

Early spec sheet (sorry, no larger version)


Original Osborne 1 User's Reference Guide

Know any more about Osborne computers? Contact us!

Comments from DigiBarn virtual visitors:

Seppo Ranta-aho writes in July 2005:

I started my IT career as a "punched card operator" at The Bank of Finland in 1953 and still working with computers! I operated electronic calculator IBM 604-4 (with 70 program steps) and the first IBM RAMAC in Finland. After 17 IBM years through Bull, GE, Honeywell and WANG to micros. I visited Soviet Union early 70's at Tallinn Cybernetic Institute and took some nice photos of their computers and periferals. Are you interested (never published in Finland)?

I was here looking after Osborne One. I bought 1982-83 the very first (as far as I know) Osborne One / 1st model in Finland. I used it for many years with it's original tiny monitor. All kind of applications! The Supercalc spreadsheet was marvelleous, MBASIC from Microsoft and CBASIC could help me in programming. When I teached ADP (for Automatic Data Processing) in Southern Finland, I had my OC1 on a bigger monitor with me. Fantastic!

I still have that OC1, but there is broken part in floppy disk unit. Does anybody have those Osborne Magazines from early 80's?

I have all my used micros and peripherals (30 years of micro computing) still left at home so it's hard to have place for people. My first "industry made" computer was ABC 80, a swedish origin. Time was late 70's. Later finnish NOKIA bought the company. Do you know that NOKIA - number one in cell phones - started 1865! But not with phones!

 

See Also:


Osborne Universe: our collection of artifacts
from Osborne Computer Corporation

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