Mattel Aquarius
Photo 1: Evan-Amos, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Mattel-Aquarius-Computer-FL.jpg) Photo 2: Die Schreibfabrik, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Haus der Computerspiele - Mattel Aquarius.jpg) Photo 3: Evan-Amos, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Mattel-Aquarius-Computer-BR.jpg)
Home computer, 1983, Mattel Electronics. The Aquarius was designed by Radofin in Hong Kong and sold by Mattel as a low-cost home computer to accompany the Intellivision. It has a Z80, a rubber chiclet keyboard, 4 KB of RAM and a subset of Microsoft BASIC, with graphics made of coloured characters and a single sound voice; the Mini Expander added two joystick ports and a second cartridge slot for RAM. It was too weak against its rivals and was withdrawn within months, so that Mattel's own engineers called it the "system for the seventies".
| Years | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Zilog Z80A at 3.5 MHz |
| RAM | 4 KB, expandable to 20 KB with cartridges |
| ROM | 8 KB with Microsoft BASIC |
| Graphics | 40 x 24 text with 16 colours, 80 x 72 semigraphics |
| Sound | 1 voice, 3 voices with the Mini Expander |
| Storage | cassette |
| Ports | cartridge, cassette, printer, expansion, RF video |
| Price (1983) | US$160 |
Documentation
No documents available yet for this model. Browse the documentation section.
