North Star Computers facts for kids
North Star Computers was a company that made some of the very first personal computers, often called microcomputers. They were important in the early days of computing.
Before North Star Computers started making their own full computers, they focused on creating important parts. They made special devices called floppy disk drives. These drives were used with computers that had a specific internal connection system known as an S-100 bus.
They also developed their own computer program called North Star DOS (which stood for Disk Operating System). This program helped the computer manage its files and run other software. It was also known as N*DOS.
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The North Star Horizon Computer
The North Star Horizon was the first complete computer made by North Star. It used the disk controller and operating system that North Star had already developed. This computer was special because it was one of the first microcomputers that could be used by more than one person at the same time. This feature is called "multi-user."
The North Star Advantage Computer
North Star's second computer was named the North Star Advantage. This computer was different because it had the keyboard and the monitor built right into one unit. The Advantage ran a popular operating system called CP/M.
The graphics on the North Star Advantage were very advanced for its time. When the IBM PC became popular, North Star created a special card that could be added to the Advantage. This card allowed the Advantage to run programs designed for MS-DOS, which was the operating system used by the IBM PC.
The North Star Dimension Computer
The third computer from North Star was the North Star Dimension. Like the Horizon, this computer was designed to be used by multiple people at once. However, the Dimension was based on the MS-DOS operating system, making it more similar to the newer IBM PCs.
Why North Star Computers Closed
In the early 1980s, North Star's computers could run some MS-DOS programs, but they were not fully "PC compatible." This meant they couldn't run all the same software as the popular IBM PC. Because of this, North Star did not sell many of their computers. The company eventually went out of business.
Images for kids
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The North Star Horizon computer, pictured with a terminal and floppy disks.
