Potential for Communication:

The abc-26-155A may be used in exhibitions and research on the history of the personal computer, the development of micro-computers and changing office practices.

Significance in Material Culture:

The AI Electronics abc-26 demonstrates a degree of design styling only just emerging in personal computers in the early 1980s and more akin to the aesthetic developed by companies such as IBM and Olivetti for typewriters which still dominated business machine production.

The main concern of PC manufacturers in this period was keeping assembly and manufacturing costs down, getting the product to market cheaply and quickly, designing peripherals (graphics tablets, smaller and higher storage disk drives), and developing computing power for the management of compelling applications
(spreadsheet, word processing, data management). As a result the housings were extremely functional. Such functionalism may have its roots in the origins of the first personal computers which were often put together by hobbyists in sheds and garages out of parts placed in simple boxes to protect users from electrocution. These cases are also known as Faraday cages and shield the contents from RF and other electro magnetic interference.

The first mass produced PCs came in kits which the purchaser assembled (1975: Altair & Imsai 8080).

The AI Electronics abc-26 (abc) design considers the operator's comfort (ergonomics) in the shape of the keyboard and the accessibility of the disk drives.

The CPU, screen and drives are integrated into one unit. The housing is constructed from injection molded plastic and pressed steel with an orange enamel ripple finish. The separate keyboard is elaborately modeled to match the lines of the master unit. The moulded radius edges of the keyboard and master unit, the styling of the logo font and function button graphics are typical of late 1970s 'high tech' styling that came to prominence especially in the industrial design communities of Italy and North America at this time and reveal the beginnings of the move towards personal computers as statements of fashion and desirability beyond their function.


Innovation in Industry & Product Development:

The Z80 micro-processor: The Z-80 was intended to be an improved 8080 (designed by ex-Intel engineers). It used 8 bit data and 16 bit addressing, and could execute all of the 8080 (but not 8085) op codes.

A feature of the Z-80 memory interface - the CPU generated its own RAM refresh signals - resulting in lower system cost and ease of design. These features have been cited as deciding factors in its selection for the TRS-80 Model 1. That and its 8080 compatibility, and CP/M, the first standard microprocessor
operating system, made it the first choice of many systems.


Significance in a Chronological Continuum:

The Fairlight Qasars and EMIs (electronic music instrument) from 1978-1982 have monitors in the high tech style.

In 1980 Sir Clive Sinclair unveiled the ZX80 - a white plastic injection molded PC - the white body strongly identifies and aligned the product with domestic white goods and appliances, markets not usually identified as computer purchasing sectors.

The Apple Mac 128 (1984) was designed as a very different product to its competitors and certainly did present a new and "friendlier" face of computing to the public - simplicity, portability & friendly. Yet the styling of the cabinet and the GUI interface led to the rejection of it by sections of the "serious" computer using community, with accusations of it being a toy.

Prior to 1996 Apple invited an open competition to design the 20th anniversary model. This led to style for the sake of style designs from prominent 'cat walk' industrial product designers.

Within the abc's context of use at Multicore Solders between 1980 and 1988 the abc was preceded by 'kalamazoo' cards - a card index system and superseded by a NEC PC network in 1988.

Campbell Bickerstaff, 1998

The AI Electronics abc-26 demonstrates a degree of design styling only just emerging in personal computers in the early 1980s and more akin to the aesthetic developed by companies such as IBM and Olivetti for typewriters which still dominated business machine production.

The AI Electronics abc-26 (abc) design considers the operator's comfort (ergonomics) in the shape of the keyboard and the accessibility of the disk drives.

The CPU, screen and drives are integrated into one unit. The housing is constructed from injection moulded plastic and pressed steel with an orange enamel ripple finish. The separate keyboard is elaborately modeled to match the lines of the master unit. The moulded radius edges of the keyboard and master unit, the styling of the logo font and function button graphics are typical of late 1970s 'high tech' styling that came to prominence especially in the industrial design communities of Italy and North America at this time and reveal the beginnings of the move towards personal computers as statements of fashion and desirability beyond their function.

AI Electronics is known to have manufactured two PCs, this model and the ABC-24 manufactured in 1978. AI Electronics has been variously acknowledged as a Japanese or North American company. Although a majority of the components are manufactured in Japan it is most probable that the unit was designed in North America and assembled there or in South East Asia.

The machines work under AI Desket (the AI Electronics Operating System), CP/M - MP/M or P System UCSD. The 24 & 26 are programmable in the following languages: MBasic, CBasic, Basic, Pascal, Cobol80, FortranIV or assembler.

The ABC was used at Multicore Solders (Australia) Pty. Ltd. from 1980 until 1988. It was used by Melinda Donouhue, an administrative employee of Multicore Solders, for general ledger work including inventory control, account records, sales records and word processing. The ABC was connected to a Texas Instruments printer. The abc was preceded by 'kalamazoo' cards - a card index system, and superseded by a NEC PC network in 1988. The ABC was purchased by Multicore Solders in 1980 and used up until 1988. The ABC computer was offered to the museum in November 1997.

Computer and dust cover, ABC-26-155A, metal / pvc / electronic components / glass / rubber, made by AI Electronics, USA, 1980.

The CPU, screen and drives are integrated into one unit. The housing is constructed from injection moulded plastic and pressed steel with an orange enamel ripple finish. The separate keyboard is elaborately modeled to match the lines of the master unit. The moulded radius edges of the keyboard and master unit, the styling of the logo font and function button graphics are typical of late 1970s 'high tech' styling. There are two dymo tape labels stuck on the front of the master unit, one of which is the name the unit was affectionately known as, and the other is an instruction to avoid disk damage. There is a sticker of a man on the face of a disk drive. The keyboard is hard wired to the computer. The whole unit has a dust cover.

Made: North America; 1980

Made: AI Electronics; North America; 1980

: AI Electronics; South East Asia


Used: 1980 - 1988

Dymo tape label stuck on the front with the following text 'MILDRED THE MONSTER'

Dymo type label stuck on the front 'DO NOT REMOVE DISKS UNTIL A APPEARS'

Sticker on the face of a disk drive, in black 'SIMON SAYS... / Switch off and Save!'

Red sticker on side, in white 'Multicore / TM'

Red and silver label on back, in black 'MODEL ABC-26-155A / SERIAL 2509602 / DATE 80.9 / AC VOLT AC240V 50HZ'

Label on back, in black 'TOBISHI RL (back to front) / TOBISHI FAN / PATENTS PENDING / TYPE U9 201R / 115 VAC 50/60 Hz / IMPEDANCE PROTECTED / TOBISHIKOSAN CO., LTD. / 0JH2184T'

Badge on front of master unit, in silver 'abc-26'

Badge on front of master unit and keyboard, in silver 'Ai Electronics'

98/192/1

1980