9 Apr
2001
9 Apr
'01
3:06 p.m.
I got one at a local Goodwill also with the manuals and the monitor ( it
was $12 extra ) but the diskettes were missing. It works fine $20 for a
total $32 plus tax for everything. If need something from the manual
let me know and can send it to you.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Gregory" <gregorym(a)cadvision.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 5:08 PM
Subject: New find: Headstart Explorer
I came across a neat little PC/XT clone on the
weekend, a Headstart
Explorer (made by Vendex according to some Web info I found). It's an
8088,
with an unusual level of integration: mono/CGA video
card, modem (300
bps?), serial port, parallel port and external disk drive port all on
the
motherboard. There's an internal 720K 3.5"
drive, and a bay for an MFM
drive. Comes in an unusual pseudo-portable case, where the hinged
keyboard
folds up and stores upside down on top of the case.
There's a single
ISA
slot under a cover on top. Apparently, there was a
monitor available
that
came with a custom stand that fit neatly over the
desktop case.
It has several features I've not seen before: the folding keyboard, a
mono/colour switch on the video output, and the PS/2 style mouse and
heavy
integration on a clone of this vintage. Also, as far
as I could tell,
there
was no trace of the manufacturers name anywhere. I had
to take the
system
to pieces to find the Headstart Explorer name on the
PCB, and the name
Vendex wasn't on it anywhere.
Does anybody have the custom version of DOS that came with this thing,
that
supposedly included a very annoying shell program, or
any additional
info
about this beast? I didn't get any manuals or docs
with it (why oh why
do
thrift stores never keep system components together?)
and the HD was missing.
Thanks,
Mark Gregory