Sorcerer home computer

Video games

Used by individuals

Structure

Central unit

• controller + calculator: Zilog Z80 microprocessor, clock speed 2.106 MHz
• main stores::
  • 4 KB – 48 KB DRAM
  • 2 KB VRAM
  • 4 KB -16 KB ROM (expansion card)

Periphery

• backup:
  • digital ("intelligent") magnetic tape (MECA), capacity 1 MB, transmission speed 8 kBaud (built into the monitor)
  • 1-2 double floppy disks (Micropolis), 330 kB / page
• external devices:
  • monochrome (green) monitor
  • alphanumeric keyboard (79 keys, separate "Graphics" key for accessing your own character set), transmission speed 300 chps
  • connection ports (6 -4 slots)S-100standard rail):
    • parallel port (for floppy disks)
    • standard serial port (shared with keyboard)
    • video output

Operation

Screen resolution:

• text mode: 32 lines 64 chpl, 8*8 pixel resolution, (256 characters, of which 128 fixedly loaded into main memory, 128 freely definable)
• graphics mode: 512*240 pixels

Program set

• operating system: did not have its own; but was compatible with CP/M systems
• compilers:
  • MS BASIC (burned into ROM or from expansion card)
  • assembler (burned into ROM)
• word processor: PAC Word Processor (from expansion card)

Mainly gaming programs

Historical curiosities

The screen resolution (512 pixels horizontally) and character display (64 chpl instead of the average 40 chpl) were outstanding for their time. It had the advantage of being able to (re)define graphical characters by the user; however, it lacked a sound generator and color display, which would have been important for games.

For this reason, it was never really popular in the USA, achieving its greatest success in Australia and later in Belgium.

Resources

General description: Exidy Sorcerer (English)

Technical data: Sorcerer II (English)