Dulmont Magnum

Dulmont Magnum
Dulmont Magnum
Dulmont Magnum
Manufacturer Dulmont
Type Home computer
Release date 1984
Operating system MS-DOS
CPU Intel 80186 clocked at 8MHz[1]
Memory 96KB-384KB RAM, 128KB-384KB ROM
Input 76 key Keyboard
Dimensions 32 x 27.5 x 5.5cm
Weight 4.8kg

The Dulmont Magnum [2] was an early laptop computer designed and marketed by Dulmison Pty Ltd[2] in Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Magnum was also known internationally as the Kookaburra, and was on the market from 1982 to 1986. The company found itself undercapitalized as it sought to enter the international market and faced increased competition as other laptops hit the market. It was taken over twice, with the international marketing as "Kookaburra" being undertaken by Time Office Computers.

The Magnum was one of the first computers to use the 16-bit Intel 80186 processor, and was sold in versions with 96K to 256K of RAM, and inbuilt LCD screens from 8x80 to 25x80 characters. It had a word processor, spreadsheet, telecommunications, file manager, and appointment programs burned into ROM. It also featured dual 128K ROM cartridge slots, which could be used for optional software including BASIC or assembler programming support, as well as serial and parallel modem and printer ports. The initial 1982 release included an 8x80 character LCD screen, whilst the 1984 to 1985 international release[3] had a 16x80 display, and the final 1985-6 version had a 25x80 display and for international marketing purposes was given the new name "Kookaburra". Earlier versions were able to be upgraded to the larger displays, and dual 8" disk drive and memory expansion box provided access to 256,256 byte floppy disks and up to 32KB of dynamic RAM. It was also possible to attach a 10MB hard disk.

The Magnum was arguably the world's first laptop computer, being enabled by a custom power management integrated circuit (ASIC) developed at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in the late 1970s by John Blair, who led the Dulmont Magnum design team at Dulmison in 1979-80. The Magnum was marketed in Australia from 1981 to early 1986, thus being developed and launched in parallel with the development of the Grid Compass.

The Magnum laptop computer is similar to the Hewlett Packard HP 110 and the Sharp PC-5000. It is the only Australian produced laptop personal computer, but did not survive long on the international market once industry players like HP, Sharp and Sanyo entered the market. One key disadvantage of both the Dulmont Magnum [Kookaburra] and the Grid Compass is that they were developed prior to the IBM PC and were never upgraded to full IBM compatibility, using an early version of MS-DOS (latest version used was 2.1). A second disadvantage of the Magnum was the lack of integral permanent storage other than the ROM/EPROM that was available through the module cartridge slots, or the separate expansion box. In particular, it's soon-to-arrive competitors including the Grid Compass, made use of the new Bubble Memory technology to provide non-volatile memory.

In 1985, the Magnum retailed for A$2995 for a 96K model, or $4100 for a 256K model, according to the June 1985 issue of "Just Computer".

References

  1. ^ http://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?st=1&c=764
  2. ^ a b Australian Securities & Investments Commission search
  3. ^ http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=365015

External links


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