Apricot Computers was a pioneering company in the UK that played a significant role in the development of the personal computer industry.
Founded in 1979, Apricot Computers was a spin-off from ICL, a British computer company that had a long history of innovation.
The company's first product, the Apricot F1, was released in 1982 and was a groundbreaking machine that combined a Zilog Z80 processor with a built-in keyboard and 32KB of RAM.
The Apricot F1 was an instant success, and it quickly gained a reputation for its reliability and ease of use.
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Company History
Apricot Computers was founded in 1979 by a team of engineers who were passionate about creating innovative, user-friendly computers.
The company's first product, the Apricot F1, was released in 1982 and was the first IBM PC compatible computer to be sold in the UK.
Apricot Computers quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality, affordable computers that were easy to use.
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Their computers were popular among small businesses and individuals who wanted a reliable, user-friendly machine.
The Apricot PC1640 was released in 1985 and featured a 16 MHz 80286 processor, making it one of the fastest computers on the market at the time.
Apricot Computers continued to innovate and expand its product line throughout the 1980s.
The company was eventually acquired by ICL in 1990, marking the end of Apricot's independent existence.
Computers and Industry
Apricot Computers made a significant impact on the industry with their innovative designs. Their first computer, the Apricot PC, was released in 1982 and was a compact, all-in-one machine that was both powerful and affordable.
The Apricot PC was a groundbreaking device that quickly gained popularity among professionals and hobbyists alike. Its advanced features and user-friendly interface made it a favorite among those who needed a reliable and efficient computer.
Apricot Computers continued to push the boundaries of what was possible with their computers, and their products remained widely used in industry and academia for many years.
1985-1990
In the mid-1980s, computers started to become more affordable and accessible to small businesses.
The introduction of the IBM PC in 1981 marked the beginning of this shift, but it wasn't until the mid-1980s that prices dropped significantly, making it possible for more companies to purchase computers.
IBM's PC/AT, released in 1984, was a major upgrade, offering improved performance and expandability.
The Apple Macintosh, introduced in 1984, brought a graphical user interface to the market, making it easier for non-technical users to interact with computers.
By the end of the decade, computer-aided design (CAD) software was being used by many companies to create detailed designs and models of products and buildings.
This technology helped to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the design process, allowing companies to save time and money.
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What Was Computers?
Apricot Computers was a pioneering company that beat the big names in shipping a 486-based PC in 1989. They were the first to do so, leaving Compaq and IBM in their wake.
Apricot licensed Microchannel from IBM and shipped Microchannel PCs in quantity, sticking with it for several years. This was a notable achievement in the industry.
The company's founder, Roger Foster, described the maintenance side of the business as the most profitable, but it existed because Apricot sold hardware. The hardware side was not profitable.
Apricot designed their PCs in Birmingham, England, and manufactured them in Glenrothes, Scotland, bucking the trend of outsourcing to Asia.
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UK Design and Manufacturing Challenges
Research and development was expensive for UK-based design and manufacturing, and it mainly fed into hardware manufacturing, not software or maintenance.
Harvey-Jones's idea was to raise prices to cover the overhead and raise profits, but that proved unsuccessful.
He visited the factory to see if cost reduction was possible, and what he found was surprising.
Apricot was producing a large number of models, with seven machines visible in one camera frame and likely more out of frame.
They were making both MCA and AT lines of computers, which is a subtle point that can be easy to miss.
This indicates a lack of focus or streamlining in their product line, which can be a major challenge for companies trying to stay competitive.
Act Pc
The ACT Apricot PC was a personal computer manufactured by Apricot Computers, formerly known as Applied Computer Techniques or ACT.
Launched in late 1983, it was the first time ACT developed a microcomputer independently.
The system was positively received in the UK, with reviewers praising the high resolution of the 800x400 screen.
The ACT Apricot PC used an Intel 8086 processor with a speed of 4.77 MHz, and an 8087 math co-processor was optionally available.
The system had 256 KB of memory, which could be expanded to 768 KB.
The computer shipped with a 9-inch CRT green screen, supporting both 80x25 text mode and 800x400 pixel graphics mode.
The system came with SuperCalc and various system utilities, asynchronous communications, and an emulator for IBM PC, as well as Microsoft Basic-86, Basic Personal, and ACT Manager (a GUI for MS-DOS).
However, due to a non-IBM PC compatible BIOS, trying to run software like dBase III led to a system crash.
To convert the computer into an IBM compatible PC, Apricot later offered the option of replacing the motherboard with one with an Intel 80286 processor.
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