M.A.I. S10 Basic Four

Owner: Peter H. Wendt
Location: Germany

Behold the:

M.A.I. S10 Basic Four
Model 4105, S/N CE 500353
European 220/240 VAC-Version

Owner Peter Wendt tells us all about it:

It features 2x Z80-CPU (MK-3880N) @ 2 MHz, 2x 64 KB RAM, 4x Z80-CTC (MK-3884N), 8251A, MB8877, a sort of multitasking OS, a large 12"-b/w monitor (about 270 mm diagonal measured), capable to display 80/132 characters in 25 lines + attribs + a status line, 2 Full Height 5.25" Disks (SS/DD) style like 1st gen. IBM-PC but no visible LED, 2 serial comms (1 AUX, 1 COMM named) in a housing similar to Kaypro with a Terminal-type keyboard, which can we flipped up to cover the unit front or taken off the unit for more flexibility.

I got this one as a present from a team-mate, who had no use of it anymore - because the machine is neither IBM-compatible nor a CP/M machine.

It runs on something they call 'Business Basic 4' and this is sort of a multi-tasking operating system with 'tasks' and 'ghost-tasks' and I must confess that I haven't actually looked through how it works. It's a real BASIC and you will have to set parameters for the tasks as well.

The machine has two full-height 5.25" disk drives - similar to those used on the IBM PC and they seem to be from Tandon, but have no activity-light.

The red book to the right of the machine is the 'Users Reference Manual' - a fine composed set of pages all written in Courier-10 typewriter font. The manual also contains a set of disks, one labeled 'Startdisk'.

The system comes up at power on with no system check, no boring memory count. Just a 'beep', some weird patterns on the screen, then the IPL from disk 0 (upper) begins. The unit 'knows' different operating modes: 'BB/4' - running on Basic programms, 'Line' - in Terminal-emulation mode, 'Local' - which appears to be non-functional and 'AUX' which is another Terminal mode again.

Pictures

(taken with a 1973 russian made mirror reflecting type with a broken photometer)

• The MAI Basic Four Unit on the rear trunk of Peter's car.
• View of back and underside
• Nice feature: a small mabuchi-motor with an open plastic fan (like on a toy-airplane) for the air circulation. :-) (it doesn't have a cover, so watch your fingers)
• Processor circuit card with a Z80 & 64K
• Controller circuit card also with a Z80 & 64K (I might have these reversed.)
• View of side
• Close-up of Nameplate
• View of keyboard
• Screen shot

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