Mattel Aquarius Home Computer, TESTED GOOD

Appearance: UsedFunctionality: WorkingDescription:============Similar to pictured,a Mattel Electronics Aquarius Home Computer System. Tested good. Includes mainunit and power supply. TV output is through a RCA-style jack, an adapter to anF-Type (Not Included) may be required depending on the TV. The distortion inthe screen shot is caused by taking a picture of a TV, actual image is clearand stable.Warranty andReturns:=====================We understand thatthere may be compatibility issues, space constraints, or it just doesn’t lookperfect. This item can be returned within 14-days for ANY reason. However,shipping to and from is not refundable. Shipping:=========- Local pickup isalso available at no cost.- Most orders placedbefore 9am will ship the same day.Stock#:8400Aquarius is a homecomputer designed by Radofin and released by Mattel in 1983. It features aZilog Z80 microprocessor, a rubber chiclet keyboard, 4K of RAM, and a subset ofMicrosoft BASIC in ROM. It connects to a television set for audio and visualoutput, and uses a cassette tape recorder for secondary data storage. A limitednumber of peripherals, such as a 40-column thermal printer, a 4-colorprinter/plotter, and a 300 baud modem, were released for the unit.The Aquarius withattached expansion block including 4KB RAM expansion and game cartridgeinserted, controllers, and tape Data RecorderLooking to competein the standalone computer market, Mattel Electronics turned to Radofin, theHong Kong based manufacturer of their Intellivision consoles. Radofin haddesigned two computer systems. Internally they were known as"Checkers", and the more sophisticated "Chess". Mattelcontracted for these to become the Aquarius and Aquarius II, respectively.Aquarius was announced in 1982 and finally released in June 1983, at a price of$160. Production ceased four months later because of poor sales. Mattel paidRadofin to take back the marketing rights, and four other companies—CEZARIndustries, CRIMAC Inc., New Era Incentives, Inc., and Bentley Industries—alsomarketed the unit and accessories for it. Bentley Industries (of Los Angeles)and New Era Incentives, Inc. (of St. Paul) are still in business, though theyno longer have any affiliation with the Aquarius product line.The Aquarius oftencame bundled with the Mini-Expander peripheral, which added game pads, anadditional cartridge port for memory expansion, and the GI AY-3-8914 soundchip, which was the same one used on the Intellivision console. Other commonperipherals were the Data recorder, 40 column thermal printer, 4K and 16K ramcarts. Less common first party peripherals include a 300 baud cartridge modem,32k RAM cart, 4 color plotter, and Quick Disk drive.Although lessexpensive than the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A and Commodore VIC-20, theAquarius had comparatively weak graphics and limited memory. Internally, Mattelprogrammers dubbed it "the system for the seventies". Of the 32software titles Mattel announced for the unit, only 21 were released, most ofwhich were ports from Mattel's Intellivision game console. Because of thehardware limitations of the Aquarius (such as a lack of programmable graphics),the quality of many games suffered. This is in contrast to other home videogame companies of the era such as Atari and Coleco, who were branching out intothe home computer market with computers that matched or exceeded thecapabilities of their dedicated gaming consoles.Shortly after therelease of the Aquarius, Mattel announced plans for another home computer, theAquarius II. There is evidence that the Aquarius II reached the market in smallnumbers,[1][2] but it was never a commercial success.Technicalspecifications:The back of theAquarius, showing connectors for TV out, an external cassette drive andprinter.CPU: Zilog Z-80, 3.5 MHzMemory: 4K RAM,expandable to 20K RAM; 8K ROMKeyboard: 48-keyrubber chicletDisplay: 40x24 text,80x72 graphics, 16 colorsSound: One voice,expandable to four voicesPorts: Television,cartridge/expansion, tape recorder, printerHardware Sprites:NonePSU: Non-removableexternal power supply hard-wired into case providing 8.8 / 16 / 19 VDC