Exidy Sorcerer
An Exidy Sorcerer
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| Manufacturer | Exidy |
|---|---|
| Type | Home computer |
| Release date | 1978 |
| Retail availability | 1978–1980 |
| Introductory price | US$895 (equivalent to $3,286 in 2016) |
| CPU | Zilog Z80 @ 2.106 MHz (later 4 MHz) |
| Memory | 4 Kb RAM (expandable to 48 kB. larger sizes came standard in later runs) / 4 kB ROM (cartridges could include 4 to 16 kB) |
| Display | 64×30 character display, monochrome |
| Sound | none (external additions possible) |
| Connectivity | composite video, Centronics parallel, RS-232, sound in/out for cassette use, 50 pin ribbon connector including the S-100 bus. |
| Related articles | Tulip |
The Sorcerer is one of the early home computer systems, released in 1978 by the videogame company Exidy. It was comparatively advanced when released, especially when compared to the contemporary more commercially successful Commodore PET and TRS-80, but due to a number of problems, including a lack of marketing, the machine remained relatively unknown. Exidy eventually pulled it from the market in 1980, and today they are a coveted collector's item.
Having recently sold his share of the personal computer stores, the Byte Shop, Paul Terrell started looking for new ventures. He eventually convinced the founders of Exidy, H.R. "Pete" Kauffman and Howell Ivy, that there was a market opportunity for a truly simple computer with reasonable performance. At the time, the PET and TRS-80 offered the out-of-the-box experience he considered essential yet required a costly computer monitor notwithstanding their inadequate graphics. The Apple II, on the other hand, had superior graphics and color, but required some user assembly before being operational. Terrell's objective was a machine offering the best of both worlds.
The result was the Sorcerer. It was powered by a Zilog Z80 running at 2.106 MHz with 4 to 48 kilobytes of RAM, giving it performance parity with the TRS-80. In its basic form it consisted of a single chassis containing the computing hardware with the keyboard on top, a layout that became common with machines like the Atari 800 and Commodore VIC-20. In this form it could be attached to a 3rd party computer monitor and used with software loaded from the "ROM-PAC" cartridges and a cassette tape drive as a low-cost offering. For larger systems, the base unit could be attached to an external S-100 expansion chassis that sat behind the console, allowing cards to expand the system as well as offering floppy disk support.
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