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.
I bought an Actrix computer in 1984 and used it until 1990 when I gave it to a friend in consideration for helping me move. It was a great piece of machinery! Wish I still had it.
Monday 11th March 2013
kay katz (USA)
Even though I drove an old Dodge Dart that used a quart of oil every 100 miles, I chose to spend $3,000 on this machine. The interface was a little geeky: when you used the save command, it would ask "abandon modified buffer?" It also froze after about 10 pages of text. I bought it for "portability." Wow. Those were the days!
Friday 8th April 2011
Starla
my dad used to have one of these... i am looking for a particular game that was native to the OS on this computer. the game was called nemesis. there was an emulator (q-something) that allows a pc computer to emulate this OS and run its software. can anyone help with that?
Wednesday 10th September 2003
nijineko (usa)
NAME
Actrix DS
MANUFACTURER
Actrix
TYPE
Transportable
ORIGIN
U.S.A.
YEAR
1983
KEYBOARD
Full-stroke keyboard with numeric keypad and 15 function keys
CPU
Z80A - Optional Intel 8088
CO-PROCESSOR
Second Z-80A for CRT, real time clock, keyboard interface; 8741 and 8749 printer controllers, 8749 keyboard scanner
RAM
64 KB or 256 KB with the 8088 processor
ROM
Unknown
TEXT MODES
Full 96 ASCII upper and lower case, high resolution text characters. 7x9 character matrix in a 9x11 block with descenders
GRAPHIC MODES
64 graphic characters
COLOrsc
Monochrome amber
SOUND
Unknown
SIZE / WEIGHT
33 pounds
I/O PORTS
Two RS-232C with software selectable baud rate (61-9600) Parallel with Centronics compatible and bi-directional modes One IEEE-488 Composite video out jack 8'' external disk drive interface (optional)
95 to 135 VAC or 190 to 270 VAC, 47 to 63 Hz (110 or 240 selectable).
PERIPHERALS
80 CPS bi-directional impact dot matrix: 40-80 characters per line; full graphics capability. Came with optional tractor feed. MODEMS: 300-baud acoustic coupler and Direct-Connect
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