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DAI Personal Computer

The DAI personal computer is an early home computer from the Belgian company Data Applications International. The DAI came to market in 1980. It provided many pioneering features such as high resolution color graphics, a maths co-processor, and a pre-compiling BASIC interpreter. It never became a commercial success.

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DAI Personal Computer
ManufacturerData Applications International
TypeHome computer
Released1980 (1980)
Introductory price
1300 € (France, november 1981)
Discontinued1984
DAI BASIC, Assembler
CPUIntel 8080A @ 2 MHz
Memory48 kB
Audio Cassette
DisplayRF out; 88 x 65, 176 x 130, 352 x 260, 528 x 240 pixels; 4 or 16 colors
GraphicsThomson EF9369
SoundAY-3-8910
ConnectivityParallel port, RGB video out, RS232c, DCE bus, cassette tape (600 bauds), stereo audio out

The DAI personal computer1234 is an early home computer from the Belgian company Data Applications International.567 The DAI came to market in 1980.8 It provided many pioneering features such as high resolution color graphics, a maths co-processor, and a pre-compiling BASIC interpreter. It never became a commercial success.9

Contemporary reviews noticed the lack of application packages, with the computer appealing more for programmers.10

History

A later version of the DAI Personal Computer produced by InData. source ↗

The computer was initially designed by DAI for the UK subsidiary of Texas Instruments for use with the PAL televisions used in Britain.10 Texas Instruments US did not want to build a PAL version of their TI-99/4A home computer, although they subsequently authorized one after they saw the DAI.118

The Dutch educational TV broadcast company Teleac wanted to use the DAI to teach computing,8 some years before the BBC's similar initiative using the BBC Micro.12 However, they chose the Exidy Sorcerer instead, because the DAI was not completely ready.13

In France the machine sold for €1300 by November 1981, €1365 by November 1982 and €1021 by September 1983.1

The machine was also used to create graphics for TV programs in the early 1980s.14

After DAI filed for bankruptcy in 1982, InData (a Prodata spin-off)3 continued producing and selling the machine up to 1984.581

DAI the company

Data Applications International (DAI) was a company from the end of the 1970s to the early 1980s based at Dreve de Renards 6, Brussels that was specialized in creating "Real World Cards", computer peripheral cards based on their own proprietary DCEbus, which in essence consists of three groups of eight I/O lines (coming from an Intel 8255) . These were Eurocard compatible cards in a 19-inch rack. Most cards were also based on a single Intel 8255 chip. Around 1977 they designed the DAI Personal Computer. On May 6, 1982 the company went bankrupt.3

Video games

There are six known commercially released games for DAI Personal Computer.15

Title Release year Publisher
Chasse Sous-marine 198? Data Applications International
Daylaxians 1983 Dialog Informatique
De Acrobaten 198? Data Applications International
Jeu de Morpion 198? Data Applications International
Le Chateau des Sortileges 198? Data Applications International
Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht 1982 Sigg, M.


References

References

  1. "DAI INDATA". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  2. "Indata DAI". HCM: The Home Computer Museum. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  3. Kraan, F.J. (2020). "DAI". Yet another computer museum. Archived from the original on 2022-01-29. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  4. "DAI Review" (PDF). Practical Computing: 63. February 1981.
  5. "DAI Personal Computer (1980)". Retromobe - retro mobile phones and other gadgets. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  6. "DAI". 1000 BiT. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  7. Electronics. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1979. p. 68.
  8. "DAI". HomeComputerMuseum. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  9. Hurel, Pierre-Yves. "DAI in the French magazine "Tilt": what a limited corpus tells". Hypotheses.
  10. Eisenbach, Sue (October 1980). "DAI PERSONAL COMPUTER". Personal Computer World. pp. 72–76.
  11. Kraan, F.J. (2012). "DAI origin". Webpagina van F.J. Kraan. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  12. Hacking Europe: From Computer Cultures to Demoscenes. Springer. 2014-09-30. p. 30. ISBN 9781447154938. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  13. "INDATA's DAI". Computer-museum - ode aan de 8 bitters (in Dutch). 2011-11-21. Archived from the original on 2011-11-21. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  14. Mikulic, Tomislav (2015). DAI Personal Computer 1981-1988 Low resolution graphics and animation (PDF).
  15. "DAI PC". Gaming-History - The coin-op and global gaming database. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
See also

See also