This transportable computer was originally produced by Access Matrix Corporation, San Jose, CA. The Company name then changed to Actrix Corporation. The machine was thus named Access, then Actrix.
It had a built-in printer (132 characters, 80 cps, using normal paper 20cm wide) and an acoustic modem (300 and 1200 baud). The rubber cups (to put the phone handset in) are located behind the printer paper.
It also had a monochrome built-in monitor and two 5''1/4 disk-drives (360kb each).
The Actrix DS used a Z80A processor but was also equipped with an optional Intel 8088 card for IBM-PC compatibility.
It shipped with several software:
CP/M 2.2 operating Sytem
Microsoft M Basic (w/8088 co-processor
Digital Research C Basic
Communications
Perfect Writer, Perfect Speller, Perfect Filer, Perfect Calc
Access Font, and Access Language
Personal Perle
Money Maestro
Hard case or soft, padded case were optional.
The Actrix DS was presented at the Las-Vegas Comdex in November 1983. There was another model called the Actrix SS with a 170k 5''1/4 disk-drive. Actrix seems to mean "ACcess maTRIX"•
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Phil adds:
Lousy marketing . . . they spend big bucks promoting this great machine to the sports watchers (superbowl, etc.) and most of these guys probably still can't spell computer.
Also wasted money on Defending, and then loosing ACTRIX name / trademark.
Hooked one up to a giant 10 Meg. Hard drive (IEEE 488 port) which had to be partitioned to two 5 meg. partitions.
Fancy Font enabled built in Epson FX / MX 80 printer to produce almost true type output (but the screen just showed a bunch of formatting code inserted between text.
PC compatible model, by Frank Barberis:
Actrix also produced a fully IBM compatible version. It had 9" amber screen, grey scale graphics, 24 pin dot matrix printer (Citizen), full size keyboard, 20/40 meg HDD, and 80286 processor. It weighed in about 38lbs, came with carring cloth carring case.
I believe about 100 were sold.
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