This was my first IBM compatible PC! I had a fully loaded one, with the HDD, stand and matching monitor. I upgraded mine with and 8087 math coprocessor and used the expansion slot to hold an internal modem (9600 baud IIRC) to call up local BBS systems back in the day. The hard drive was 20 Megs(!) and was about the noisiest hard drive I have ever used - head seeks sounded like a disco!
That slot alonside the expansion slot is for a RAM expander. It added 128K more RAM, to get the system to the full 640K allowed by an XT-class system. Also, it's supposed to be gray, not black. I would've checked the screen contrast.
I love the all-in-one and wedge shaped PC clones that popped up around the late 80s and early 90s but I think they just came a bit too late in 1988 and 1989 to make a real impact. By then 286 clones were fairly cheap and 386s were becoming affordable so they really needed to release the Headstart at least a couple of years earlier when turbo XTs were first becoming cheap enough for the home market. I think a lot of consumers ended up preferring the cheap & easy upgradability of standard desktops and the space saving of the all-in-ones wasn’t that great considering they needed a special shelf for the monitor or else to place the monitor behind the computer. However I would have loved to have something like the Headstart when I was a kid in the 80s and its definitely an interesting part of 80s PC history.
Right away the main drawback of this system is the inclusion of the 3.5 drive. Virtually all software compatible with a 5150/XT class computer comes on 5.25 disks with the exception of some of the Tandy 1000 software. They should have put both drives in it or just the 5.25.
Picked up one of these wacky Tandy wannabe clones a few months ago. New in box with the stand. Crazy to think they were still trying to push XT clones in 1989 - FAIL!
You're missing some output signals; red and green are missing. That's why some buttons are "black".
This was my first IBM compatible PC! I had a fully loaded one, with the HDD, stand and matching monitor. I upgraded mine with and 8087 math coprocessor and used the expansion slot to hold an internal modem (9600 baud IIRC) to call up local BBS systems back in the day. The hard drive was 20 Megs(!) and was about the noisiest hard drive I have ever used - head seeks sounded like a disco!
Disco head seeks 😮😂😂
That slot alonside the expansion slot is for a RAM expander. It added 128K more RAM, to get the system to the full 640K allowed by an XT-class system.
Also, it's supposed to be gray, not black. I would've checked the screen contrast.
The whole thing gave me slight Amiga vibes - including the ventilation slits molded into the case
You might need to adjust the contrast knob on your monitor to be able to see the too dark text.
I love the all-in-one and wedge shaped PC clones that popped up around the late 80s and early 90s but I think they just came a bit too late in 1988 and 1989 to make a real impact. By then 286 clones were fairly cheap and 386s were becoming affordable so they really needed to release the Headstart at least a couple of years earlier when turbo XTs were first becoming cheap enough for the home market. I think a lot of consumers ended up preferring the cheap & easy upgradability of standard desktops and the space saving of the all-in-ones wasn’t that great considering they needed a special shelf for the monitor or else to place the monitor behind the computer. However I would have loved to have something like the Headstart when I was a kid in the 80s and its definitely an interesting part of 80s PC history.
That’s really cool! Thanks for making this video!
looks like your missing a signal the windows should be a grey background
Ive seen these before but ive never used one. The ROM bios / OS is a crazy feature for a machine like this.
"Arrakis" is a fictional planet better known as "Dune"
Definitely wanted to see if there was a DOS prompt.
And, if an adapter is needed to put in a HDD.
I just got one exaclt like this. Mine has the hard disk AND the original monitor. If you are interested I can donate to you. Where are you based?
You should try that monitor on a different system and see if it has all the colors there, it looks like you are missing red and green.
Right away the main drawback of this system is the inclusion of the 3.5 drive. Virtually all software compatible with a 5150/XT class computer comes on 5.25 disks with the exception of some of the Tandy 1000 software. They should have put both drives in it or just the 5.25.
neat computer!!
2:51 the CP stands for ... 🤐
I'd say it stands for Control Program in IBM mainframe terminology (CP/M derived its name from it too). That BIOS makes pretty solid CP :)
😂 wooooshed @@alexandermirdzveli3200
*slaps computer case
You can fit sooo much CP in this bad boy
Kinda looks like it really wanted to be an Amiga... no orange, though? :(
Picked up one of these wacky Tandy wannabe clones a few months ago. New in box with the stand. Crazy to think they were still trying to push XT clones in 1989 - FAIL!
arrakis ...desert planet dune....
I wonder if there’s a spreadsheet program for this computer?