The North Star Advantage computer may be used for research and exhibitions on early personal computer products and applications and information technology product design.

North Star was an early manufacturer of microcomputers, however because their products were not PC compatible the company never sold commercially viable quantities of their product and went out of business. This redundancy makes the North Star Advantage a rare and unusual piece of early personal computer history and a fine addition to the Museum's collection.

The design of the North Star Advantage's is also of interest. Its components - display, CPU, keyboard and disc drives are integrated in one elegant case - very few personal computer manufacturers approached the design of their products in this manner preferring to keep components separate.

Campbell Bickerstaff, 2006

Manufactured by North Star Computers Inc. North America in 1982. North Star designed and manufactured floppy disk drives for S-100 bus systems in the late 1970s prior to their first computer the Horizon.

The Advantage was the second computer system designed and manufactured by North Star. Its components - display, CPU, keyboard and disc drives are integrated in one elegant case - very few personal computer manufacturers approached the design of their products in this manner preferring to keep components separate.

The North Star Computers Inc. Advantage personal computer was used by the donor in Sydney from 1983 - 1986. During this period the donor ran a bookkeeping bureau.

Personal computer with accessories and software, 'North Star Advantage 8/16', metal / plastic / electronic components, made by North Star Computers Inc, United States of America, 1982

Computer manufactured by North Star Computers Inc. Model "Advantage 8/16" cabinet integrating display, keyboard and dual disk drives.

Software on (31) 5.25" floppy disks in three plastic cases:
case 1
North Star Advantage Demo / Diagnostic System
North Star Graphics CP/M
North Star Data Management start up
North Star Data Management mailing system
North Star Data Management mailing data
North Star Data Management gen./ledger system
North Star Data Management gen./ledger data
North Star Data Management gen./ledger archive
North Star Data Management debtors system
North Star Data Management debtors data
North Star Data Management debtors archive

case 2
start up x 2
graphics CP/M
North Star CP/M x 2
WordStar
Microplan system
Microplan data
Microplan master
Microplan daily back up
CalcStar
DataStar & SuperStar
MS DOS Format & Boot

case 3
Debtors system x 2
Div. Gen. ledger data
Div. Gen. ledger system
newsagents system
newsagents data
electricians system
electricians data
wholesalers system
wholesalers data

Power cable

Soft plastic dust cover

Made: North Star Computers Inc; California, USA; 1982

2006/118/1

1982