This computer was built at Meaux (France, Paris area) by Logabax which was owned by Olivetti at 65%. It was in fact the international version of the Olivetti M24.
This was a highly PC compatible system. It means that it was truely hardware and sotfware compatible with the IBM PC of the time. Back then, all "PC compatible" systems were not exactly 100% compatible... so it was a real marketing argument for the Persona 1600.
There were two true tests to know if a system was really IBM PC compatible: Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the Persona 1600 was running both with no problem.
But in addition to its good compatibility, the Persona 1600 was offering more than the IBM PC itself: built-in RS232c and Centronics interface, more complete keyboard, better graphic possibilities (640 x 400) and 7 free expansion slots (instead of 3 for the IBM PC). Even the CPU (8086) was faster than the 8088 used by the IBM PC.
It was very well known in France because it was used as a server for Thomson TO7 and MO5 computer networks in schools (Nanoréseaux).
It ran under MS-DOS 2.11 or CP/M 86.
It was possible to connect an optional hard disk (from 10 to 50 Mb).
The Persona 1600 was sold with a 12" green monochrom, or a 14" color monitor.
Please consider donating your old computer / videogame system to Old-Computers.com or one of our partners from anywhere in the world (Europe, America, Asia, etc.).
In the mid 1970''s the accountancy firm which I worked for owned a logabax, and it was used to compile the annual accounts of small companies. Later on we switched to using proper solid state computers.
Sunday 24th March 2013
Timothy Salter (United Kingdom)
i have a Logabax Persona 1600, but not a setup disk please help me ?
Sunday 23rd February 2003
gondel jean-luc (france)
NAME
PERSONA 1600
MANUFACTURER
Logabax
TYPE
Professional Computer
ORIGIN
France
YEAR
1983
BUILT IN LANGUAGE
MS-DOS and GW-Basic delivered on disks
KEYBOARD
Separated full-stroke keyboard, 102 keys, numeric keypad, 18 function keys A standard IBM keyboard (83 keys) was also proposed
CPU
Intel 8086
SPEED
8 MHz
CO-PROCESSOR
8087 arithmetic co-processor optional
RAM
128 KB (up to 640 KB)
ROM
16 KB
TEXT MODES
40 / 80 columns x 25 lines
GRAPHIC MODES
320 x 200 (4 colors) / 640 x 200 (monochrome) / 640 x 400 (monochrome)
COLORS
16
SOUND
Tone Generator
SIZE / WEIGHT
38 (W) x 37 (D) x 16 (H) cm
I/O PORTS
Parallel Centronics, RS232C
BUILT IN MEDIA
One or Two 5.25'' disk-drives (360k or 720k)
OS
MS DOS 2.1, Concurrent CP/M 86, UCSD-P
POWER SUPPLY
Built-in PSU, 135w
PERIPHERALS
Hard-disk, IEEE 488, RS 422, RS 232, PC Net boards, IBM 3278 coaxial network board, mouse
PRICE
1 disk-drive system :3350 (France, 84) 2 disk-drives system : 3811 (France, 84) 128k, monochrome, 2 x drives 720k : 6015 (France, 85)
(France, 84)
