Dynabyte DB 8/1 Microcomputer
date: label: date made
content: 1979
name: label: maker
content: Dynabyte, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: The California firm of Dynabyte began manufacturing microcomputers under the name of the DB 8/1 and disk drives under the name of DB 8/4 in the late 1970s . The devices were intended for business use. On May 1, 1980, they would change the model number for the DB 8/1 to 5100 and of the DB 8/4 to 5010. The DB 8/4 holds two 8-inch disks and has faux wood paneling.There is a power cord.
label: Description
content: This example has serial number 1040 and date 10/79.
label: Description
content: In addition to the microcomputer and disk drive, this acquisition came with a Hazeltine 1420 video display terminal (1997.0294.03), a NEC spinwriter printer (1997.0294.04)) and a Topaz power conditioner (1997.0294.05).
label: Description
content: References
label: Description
content: For a manual for the DB 8/1, see https://bitsavers.org/pdf/dynabyte/400676B_5100_Computer_Maintenance_Jun81.pdf. This gives a mailing address of Milpitas, California.
label: Description
content: For a related article, see "Micro Handles Floppies," <I>Computerworld</I>, May 14, 1979, p. 66. According to this article. Dynabyte was in Palo Alto, California. In addition to the DB 8/1 and DB 8/4, the company offered software to run on the micro that included BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, general ledger, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. The DB 8/1 processor sold for $2,295 and the DB 8/4 disk drive for $3,130.
label: Description
content: A somewhat later advertisement, aimed specifically at business computer users, shows the microcomputer, the disk drive, and the terminal. It appeared in the British journal <I>Personal Computer World</I>, February, 1980.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, Milpitas
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Sid Paskowitz
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1997.0294.01
label: catalog number
content: 1997.0294.01
label: accession number
content: 1997.0294
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Microcomputer
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 7 1/2 in x 20 1/2 in x 19 in; 19.05 cm x 52.07 cm x 48.26 cm