Pronto Series 16 Microcomputer, Central Processing Unit
date: label: Date made
content: 1983-1987
name: label: maker
content: PRONTO Computers, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: Pronto Systems, Inc. introduced its Pronto Series 16 microcomputer in 1983. It represented the high end of business computing of its era. The Pronto pioneered innovative design features, including a tilting and swiveling monitor, a small foot print, a streamlined and adjustable keyboard, and an expandable cord that allowed the processor to be stored as much as six feet away from the monitor. These features won a 1983 design award from Industrial Design Magazine. The computer offered the first tower system—a design that later became common in the industry. This index number covers the tower.
label: Description
content: Inside, the Pronto 16 was a powerful machine designed for the full range of business applications. It had a 16-bit Intel 80186 microprocessor. It was shipped with MS-DOS 2.0. It had 128 KB of RAM, which could be expanded to 1 MB. The standard hard drive was 5.6 MB, and it was removable. The computer had dual 800 KB floppy drives (5 ¼"), dual serial ports, one parallel port, and a high-resolution monochrome monitor. Users could buy a color monitor as an option. The base price was $3,000.
label: Description
content: Over 1,000 systems were sold from 1983 to 1987. The company had to file for bankruptcy when the stock market crashed while the company was in the process of going public through an Initial Public Offering.
label: Description
content: The donors of this example of the Pronto 16 were both associated with the firm that made it. Henry Gasbarro was founder, executive vice president, and chief technology officer of Pronto. He created the company in 1982. Skip Hansen, vice president of engineering, was responsible for the hardware design, software,and the high-resolution graphics capability that the system had.
label: Description
content: See the other parts of acquisition 2001.0255 as well as 2001.3082.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: California, Torrance
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
label: See more items in
content: Work
label: See more items in
content: Computers & Business Machines
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Henry Gasbarro and Skip Hansen
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2001.0255.01
label: catalog number
content: 2001.0255.01
label: accession number
content: 2001.0255
objectType: label: Object Name
content: microcomputer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 39.5 cm x 17.8 cm x 34.5 cm; 15 9/16 in x 7 in x 13 9/16 in