The Thomson MO5 is a home computer introduced by Thomson SA in France in June 1984, designed to compete with systems like the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 [1]. It was also intended to support the French government's "Computing for All" plan to introduce computers into schools [1]. While not widely sold outside of France, the MO5 saw some success as an educational tool [1].
Overview#
The Thomson MO5 was released alongside the higher-end Thomson TO7/70 [1]. It retailed for 2390 FF at launch [1]. In 1986, it was largely discontinued in favor of the improved Thomson MO6 [1]. The computer boots directly into its built-in Microsoft BASIC interpreter, known as MO5 BASIC 1.0 [1]. The MO5 could also be used as a terminal for the "Nanoréseau" educational network [1].Specifications#
The Thomson MO5 uses a Motorola 6809E processor, with a clock speed of 1 MHz [1]. It has 32 KB of RAM available to the user, with an additional 16 KB of RAM dedicated to video memory [1]. The system also contains 16 KB of ROM which holds the monitor and BASIC interpreter [1].The MO5 features a display resolution of 320x200 pixels and is capable of displaying 16 colors; however, this capability is limited to two colors per 8x1 pixel area [1]. Graphics are generated using an EFGJ03L (or MA4Q-1200) gate array [1]. The computer is also capable of a 40 x 25 text display [1].
Sound is produced via a 1-bit square wave [1].
For input, there is a keyboard, with the option to connect a lightpen and joystick [1]. Cassette tapes and ROM cartridges can be used [2].