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AT&T UNIX PC
1980s Unix desktop computer

The AT&T UNIX PC is a Unix desktop computer originally developed by Convergent Technologies (later acquired by Unisys), and marketed by AT&T Information Systems in the mid- to late-1980s. The system was codenamed "Safari 4" and is also known as the PC 7300. An updated version with larger hard drive was dubbed the "3B1". Despite the latter name, the system had little in common with AT&T's line of 3B series computers. The system was tailored for use as a productivity tool in office environments and as an electronic communication center.

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Hardware configuration

  • 10 MHz Motorola 68010 (16-bit external bus, 32-bit internal) with custom, discrete MMU6
  • Internal MFM hard drive, originally 10 MB,7 later models with up to 67 MB8
  • Internal 5-1/4" floppy drive9
  • At least 512 KB RAM on main board (1 MB or 2 MB were also options), expandable up to an additional 2 MB via expansion cards (4 MB max total)10
  • 32 KB VRAM
  • 16 KB ROM (up to 32 KB ROM supported using 2x 27128 EPROMs)
  • 2 KB SRAM (for MMU page table)
  • Monochrome green phosphor 12-inch (300 mm) monitor11
  • Internal 300/1200 bit/s modem12
  • RS-232 serial port13
  • Centronics parallel port14
  • 3 S4BUS expansion slots15
  • 3 phone jacks16

PC 7300

The initial PC 7300 model offered a modest 512 KB17 of memory and a small, low performance 10 MB hard drive.18 This model, although progressive in offering a Unix system for desktop office operation, was underpowered and produced considerable fan and drive bearing noise even when idling. The modern-looking "wedge" design by Mike Nuttall was innovative, and the machine gained notoriety appearing in numerous movies and TV shows as the token "computer".19

AT&T 3B/1

An enhanced model, "3B/1", was introduced in October 1985 starting at US$8,495 (equivalent to $24,800 in 2024).2021 The cover was redesigned to accommodate a full-height 67 MB hard drive.22 This cover change added a 'hump' to the case, expanded onboard memory to 1 or 2 MB, as well as added a better power supply.23

S/50

Convergent Technologies offered an S/50 which was a re-badged PC 7300.24

Olivetti AT&T 3B1

Olivetti released the "Olivetti AT&T 3B1 Computer" in Europe.25

Operating system

The operating system is based on Unix System V Release 2,26 with extensions from 4.1 and 4.2 BSD, System V Release 3 and Convergent Technologies.27 The last release was 3.51.28

Windowing software (xt/layers) from SVR3 was provided to allow connection to a DMD 5620 graphics terminal.

Programming languages

Application software

  • Business Graphics (produces chart graphics from 20/20 spreadsheet data)
  • dBASE III (DBM)46
  • Informix (DBM)
  • Oracle (DBM)
  • Paint Power (drawing package)
  • Samna/AT&T Write Power 2 (word processor/spreadsheet)
  • Samna Plus (word processor/spreadsheet)47
  • SMART System (Office Suite)
  • Sound Presentations (presentation graphics)48

Spreadsheet software

Word processors

Games

Utility

Expansion cards

The UNIX PC has three proprietary S4BUS slots for expansion cards:

  • DOS-73 8086 co-processor card running at 8 MHz, Hercules graphics-compatible, with 512 KB RAM, an RS-232 COM2 port and optional 8087 math co-processor. Mouse, floppy, modem (on COM1), and printer are shared in a DOS session. MS-DOS 3.1 was included. This board was designed and built for AT&T by Alloy Computer Products of Framingham, MA.
  • RAM could be added using 512 KB RAM or 2 MB RAM cards, up to a maximum of 4 MB (2 MB on the motherboard and 2 MB on expansion cards).
  • EIA/RAM combo cards contained extra RAM (512 KB, 1 MB, or 1.5 MB) and two RS-232 serial ports.
  • Dual EIA port card (same card as the EIA/RAM but without the RAM sockets)
  • StarLAN 1 Mbit/s (1BASE5) network over twisted-pair wire local area network typically used in star format
  • Ethernet 10 Mbit/s LAN card (AMD Lance-based) using AUI connector and Wollongong TCP/IP stack/drivers
  • AUDIX Voice Power (“Speech Processor”) card allowed for the capture and digital recording of voice conversations. This was an option of the "Integrated Solution" package for the AT&T System 25 PBX where the UNIX PC served as the "Master Controller".65
  • PC/PBX Connection Package 4 for AT&T PBX System 75 or System 85
  • Floppy Tape card provided interface for 23 MB MFM Tape Cartridge Drive (e.g. Cipher FloppyTape 525)
  • QIC-02 card for tape backup
  • Expansion chassis card was hard-wired to the externally-powered Expansion Unit with five additional S4BUS slots (manufactured by Alloy Computer Products)
  • Piiceon Model SR-2048 (2 MB) RAM expansion card

Public domain software

The STORE! was a public domain software repository provided by AT&T and accessible via dialup UUCP.6667

Emulation

The FreeBee emulator is available at FreeBee on GitHub.

Cancelled successor

Three prototypes of a follow-on "P6" model were alleged to have been built6869 with the specifications claimed to be:

See also

References

  1. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  2. CBR Staff Writer (December 13, 1988). "UNISYS Corp Puts Ely in Charge of $2,000m UNIX Group". Tech Monitor. New Statesman Media Group Ltd. Retrieved November 29, 2021. https://techmonitor.ai/technology/unisys_corp_puts_ely_in_charge_of_2000m_unix_group ↩

  3. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  4. "NEW AT&T COMPUTER OFFICE GEAR". Chicago Tribune. March 27, 1985. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-03-27-8501170246-story.html ↩

  5. AT&T, Select Code 999-601-311IS, AT&T UNIX PC Owner's Manual (1986) ↩

  6. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  7. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  8. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  9. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  10. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  11. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  12. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  13. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  14. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  15. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  16. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  17. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  18. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  19. "AT&T PC 7300". Starring the Computer. http://www.starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=50 ↩

  20. Petrosky, Mary (October 14, 1985). "6300 Plus Launched By AT&T". InfoWorld. Vol. 7, no. 41. p. 8. https://books.google.com/books?id=ii8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8 ↩

  21. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  22. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  23. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  24. "Vendors of Multiuser Microcomputer Products". Infoworld. 1986-10-13. https://books.google.com/books?id=pDwEAAAAMBAJ&q=convergent+technologies+%22s/50%22&pg=PA42 ↩

  25. "Olivetti Technical Specifications". Olivetti. https://www.1000bit.it/js/web/viewer.html?file=%2Fad%2Fbro%2Folivetti%2Fatat3b1%2Epdf ↩

  26. Mayer, Alastair J. W. "System Review: The AT&T UNIX PC" (PDF). Byte. No. May 1986. pp. 254–262. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/acrobat/8605.pdf ↩

  27. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  28. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  29. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  30. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  31. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  32. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  33. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  34. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  35. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  36. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  37. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  38. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  39. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  40. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  41. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  42. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  43. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  44. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  45. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  46. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  47. "Samna Plans Unix-based Product Line". InfoWorld. June 16, 1986. p. 17. https://books.google.com/books?id=VC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  48. Satchell, Stephen (1985-09-23). "A Look at Software for AT&T's Unix PC". Infoworld. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 2019-07-30. https://books.google.com/books?id=hi8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Unix+PC ↩

  49. Satchell, Stephen (1985-09-23). "A Look at Software for AT&T's Unix PC". Infoworld. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 2019-07-30. https://books.google.com/books?id=hi8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Unix+PC ↩

  50. Satchell, Stephen (1985-09-23). "A Look at Software for AT&T's Unix PC". Infoworld. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 2019-07-30. https://books.google.com/books?id=hi8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Unix+PC ↩

  51. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  52. Satchell, Stephen (1985-09-23). "A Look at Software for AT&T's Unix PC". Infoworld. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 2019-07-30. https://books.google.com/books?id=hi8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Unix+PC ↩

  53. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  54. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  55. Satchell, Stephen (1985-09-23). "A Look at Software for AT&T's Unix PC". Infoworld. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 2019-07-30. https://books.google.com/books?id=hi8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Unix+PC ↩

  56. Howitt, Doran (1984-04-08). "At Last, AT&T's 7300/Unix PC". Infoworld. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-08-01. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 ↩

  57. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  58. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  59. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  60. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  61. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  62. "Games". http://unixpc.taronga.com/games/ ↩

  63. "Comp.sources.3b1 Archive Volume 1". http://unixpc.taronga.com/comp.sources.3b1/volume01/ ↩

  64. "Miscellaneous Software". http://unixpc.taronga.com/misc/ ↩

  65. AT&T System 25 Reference Manual. September 1989. https://downloads.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100012497 ↩

  66. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩

  67. "The STORE". http://unixpc.taronga.com/STORE/ ↩

  68. "SVR3.5 + source code". https://groups.google.com/g/comp.sys.3b1/c/t3JkGFmJttI/m/d6eoKFBgRGYJ ↩

  69. "3b1 FAQ". unixpc.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019. http://www.unixpc.org/FAQ ↩