Torch Model No. 301

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Torch Computers Ltd was a computer hardware company formed in 1982 in Great Shelford, near Cambridge, UK and became well known for its computer peripherals for the BBC Micro. Torch produced several second processor units for the BBC Micro with integrated floppy disk or hard disk drives, including the Z80 Disc Pack (ZDP), Graduate and Unicorn, with Z80, 8088 and 68000 processors respectively. The ZDP ran the CPN operating system, a clone of CP/M, the Graduate, MS-DOS 2.11 and the Unicorn UNIX.

The 300 series were workstations.  The 300 was originally launched in the "Independence of America Day" product launch which also premiered the 725 "server". The 300 was originally a standalone network only computer, still based around a BBC Micro motherboard and Z80 processor, intended for use as a TORCHnet station or as a terminal for a TORCH Unix system - you could call it a forerunner to thin client computing. Over time it also became expandable via a small tower containing a hard and/or floppy disk drive and, ultimately, a 68000 second processor in the tower running Unix System III. There is also an expansion tower and drive cables included with the 300 series.

Our Model No. 301 is complete with a Torch disc drive model No. 221, as well as an Olivetti keyboard as used by Torch with a reference number of 25-YY-7016.

Kindly donated by Mark Cook who was literally the last person out of the TORCH office in Great Shelford when it closed.

Manufacturer: Torch
Date: 1984



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Torch Model No. 301 Articles:

Item Manufacturer Date
Real-Time Software Design Tool. Applying Lessons from LEO Feb 2003
Alan Kay May 2022

Magazines RELATED to Torch Model No. 301 in our Library

Item Manufacturer Date
The Computer Journal January 1961 The British Computer Society Limited Jan 1961
The Computer Journal April 1962 The British Computer Society Limited Apr 1962
Practical Computing - November 1978 ECC Nov 1978
Archive - Vol 1, No 1 - October 1987 Norwich Computer Services Oct 1987
Archive - Vol 1, No 2 - November 1987 Norwich Computer Services Nov 1987
Archive - Vol 1, No 3 - December 1987 Norwich Computer Services Dec 1987
Archive - Vol 1, No 4 - January 1988 Norwich Computer Services Jan 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 5 - February 1988 Norwich Computer Services Jan 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 6 - March 1988 Norwich Computer Services Mar 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 7 - April 1988 Norwich Computer Services Apr 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 8 - May 1988 Norwich Computer Services May 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 9 - June 1988 Norwich Computer Services Jun 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 10 - July 1988 Norwich Computer Services Jul 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 11 - August 1988 Norwich Computer Services Aug 1988
Archive - Vol 1, No 12 - September 1988 Norwich Computer Services Sep 1988
Personal Computer World - October 1992 1 Oct 1992
Acorn User - December 1992 17 Jun 2009
Acorn User - July 1993 17 Jun 2009

Other Systems Related To Torch Model No. 301:

Item Manufacturer Date
Torch Hard Disc Computer Torch 1983
Torch Triple X Torch 1985
Torch TX Torch 1985
Torch Quad X Torch 1989
Torch Graduate Torch Computers PLC 1995

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH16709. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.

 

Torch Model No. 301

  Peripherals   [19]

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