# Athena 1 (computer)

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Athena_1_(computer)
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Athena_1_(computer).md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_1_(computer)
> Source revision: 1335970599
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|1983 laptop}}
{{Redirect|Athena 1|the rocket|Athena I}}
{{Infobox computing device
| name=Athena 1
| developer=Athena Computer & Electronic Systems
| manufacturer=Athena Computer & Electronic Systems
| type=[Laptop](/source/Laptop)
| cpu=[National Semiconductor](/source/National_Semiconductor) NCS-800 (×2)
| dimensions={{convert|14.5|by|11|by|3.375|in|cm}}
| release_date={{Start date and age|1983|02}}
| memory=16 KB [RAM](/source/Random-access_memory)
| media=[Solid-state](/source/Solid-state_storage) media
}}
The '''Athena 1''' was an early [laptop](/source/laptop) computer released in 1983 by '''Athena Computer & Electronic Systems''', an American computer company active from 1982 to 1987 and based in [San Juan Capistrano, California](/source/San_Juan_Capistrano%2C_California). The Athena 1 was one of the first laptops to make use of [solid-state technology](/source/solid-state_storage) as its primary storage medium.{{sfn|Nadeau|2002|p=26}}

==Specifications==
The Athena1 contains an internal [RAM drive](/source/RAM_drive) of between 128 KB and 1 MB, depending on the configuration ordered,{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|p=1}} made up of 16 KB dynamic [RAM](/source/Random-access_memory) chips.{{sfn|Feldman|1983|p=108}} The Athena 1 features dual NCS-800 microprocessors; the NCS-800 was a second-source [CMOS](/source/Complementary_metal%E2%80%93oxide%E2%80%93semiconductor) variant of the [Zilog Z80](/source/Zilog_Z80) processor manufactured by [National Semiconductor](/source/National_Semiconductor) designed for minimal power draw.{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|p=4}} As these chips were somewhat more expensive, Athena resorted to using RAM chips fabricated using the more power-hungry [NMOS process](/source/NMOS_logic).{{sfn|Feldman|1984|p=168}} One of the NCS-800s handles [input/output](/source/input%2Foutput), while the other serves as the laptop's [central processing unit](/source/central_processing_unit). Besides the RAM drive, the Athena 1 also contains 512 KB of RAM,{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|p=4}} originally 64 KB.{{sfn|Staff writer|1983a|p=134}} The unit contains spare room internally for expansion circuit boards that would have connected to the existing motherboard via an expansion bus socket. The designer, David Mitchell, had eyed a 16-bit processor upgrade as one such circuit board in the early days of the laptop's development.{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|p=4}}

Mitchell designed the Athena 1 with no internal floppy drive, as was common for portables at the time, to keep the laptop relatively lightweight at {{convert|15|lb|kg}}. His company offered an external 5.25-inch floppy drive as an optional peripheral. Some of the laptop's weight comes from the internal [lead–acid battery](/source/lead%E2%80%93acid_battery), which has a maximum rated capacity of two hours.{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|p=1}} The laptop measures {{convert|14.5|by|11|by|3.375|in|cm}} and sports an off-white plastic outer shell.{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|pp=1, 4}} Mitchell commissioned the [Key Tronic](/source/Key_Tronic) corporation of [Spokane, Washington](/source/Spokane%2C_Washington), to design and manufacture the laptop's grey and black keyboard.{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|p=4}} He meanwhile purchased the laptop's display panels from [Epson](/source/Epson), [LCD](/source/Liquid-crystal_display)s capable of displaying 80 columns and 4 fours.{{sfnm|1a1=Freiburger|1y=1983b|1p=16|2a1=Staff writer|2y=1983a|2p=134}} Athena was beaten to market by [NEC Home Electronics](/source/NEC_Corporation)' [NEC PC-8201](/source/NEC_PC-8201) which featured an 8-line LCD panel.{{sfn|Freiburger|1983b|p=14}} Mitchell expressed wanting to upgrade the Athena 1's LCD panel to that of the PC-8201 before it released to market.{{sfn|Freiburger|1983b|p=14}} The Athena 1 was ultimately released with the 4-line display in 1983, although Mitchell hinted at a retrofit upgrade kit featuring a 16-line LCD for release in November 1983.{{sfn|Feldman|1983|p=108}} This never came to pass, however, and instead Mitchell promised an upgraded version of the Athena 1 with a 16-line display, as well as the kit, for 1984.{{sfn|Hildebrand|1983|p=35}}

The [CP/M](/source/CP%2FM) 2.2 operating system, a [JRT Pascal](/source/JRT_Pascal) interpreter, Chang Labs' Profit Plan spreadsheet application, and the [MiniVEDIT](/source/VEDIT) text editor are all included on the laptop's internal 12 KB [ROM](/source/Read-only_memory) chip.{{sfnm|1a1=Freiburger|1y=1983a|1p=1|2a1=Hildebrand|2y=1983|2p=35}} Mitchell eschewed from shipping the Athena 1 with the [BASIC](/source/BASIC) programming language, instead opting for JRT Pascal, as he felt the latter was so ubiquitous that most purchasers of his laptop would already have it. The Athena 1's [BIOS](/source/Basic_Input%2FOutput_System) supports connecting up to 15 other machines together using the laptop's built-in dual-[RS-232](/source/RS-232) serial ports; the laptops also house one [parallel printer port](/source/parallel_printer_port).{{sfn|Freiburger|1983a|p=4}}

In the first quarter of 1984, Athena released an upgrade kit for the laptop which housed a [Harris 80C86](/source/Harris_80C86), the CMOS version of [Intel](/source/Intel)'s [8086](/source/Intel_8086) microprocessor.{{sfn|Staff writer|1983b|p=91}} This kit gave the laptop the ability to run application software programmed for [MS-DOS](/source/MS-DOS).{{sfn|Staff writer|1983b|p=92}} As well, the kit came packaged with a copy of MS-DOS itself. The kit in practice made the computer a tri-processor machine based on two platforms, CP/M and MS-DOS.{{sfn|Staff writer|1983b|p=92}} According to computer journalist Michael Nadeau, this kit was the first use of a CMOS version of the 8086 in a laptop.{{sfn|Nadeau|2002|p=26}}

==Development and release==
David Mitchell of [San Juan Capistrano, California](/source/San_Juan_Capistrano%2C_California), founded Athena Computer & Electronic Systems in June 1982. Mitchell set out the company to design a high-end [portable computer](/source/portable_computer) "for the discriminating [user]", delivering a prototype of his computer to the press just eight months after incorporating his company, in February 1983.{{sfnm|1a1=Freiburger|1y=1983a|1p=1|2a1=Staff writer|2y=1983a|2p=134}} Named the Athena 1 (or Athena I), the laptop was one of the first to incorporate [solid-state storage](/source/solid-state_storage) as its primary means of operation and data storage.{{sfn|Stern|1983|p=76}}

Athena Computer & Electronic Systems dissolved in 1987, having only released the Athena 1.{{sfnm|1a1=OpenCorporates|1y=n.d.|2a1=R. R. Booker|2y=1984}}

==See also==
* [MicroOffice RoadRunner](/source/MicroOffice_RoadRunner)

==Citations==
{{reflist|colwidth=20em}}

==References==
{{refbegin|colwidth=30em|indent=yes}}
* {{cite web | date=n.d. | url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/1160079 | title=Athena Computer & Electronic Systems | publisher=OpenCorporates | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20230130231701/https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/1160079 | archivedate=January 30, 2023 | ref={{sfnRef|OpenCorporates|n.d.}} }}
* {{cite book | ref={{sfnRef|R. R. Booker|1984}} | date=1984 | edition=1985 | url=https://archive.org/details/bowkerscompletes0000unse/page/5/ | title=Bowker's Complete Sourcebook of Personal Computing | publisher=R. R. Booker Company | isbn=0835219313 | via=the Internet Archive}}
* {{cite journal | last=Feldman | first=Steve | date=March 1984 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_systems-software_1984-03_3_3/page/167/ | title=Portables get a lift with new upgrades, new entries | journal=Systems & Software | publisher=Hayden Publishing | volume=3 | issue=3 | pages=167–174 | via=the Internet Archive}}
* {{cite journal | last=Feldman | first=Steve | date=September 1983 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_systems-software_1983-09_2_9/page/n109/ | title=Portable PCs: The race for smallness | journal=Systems & Software | publisher=Hayden Publishing | volume=2 | issue=9 | pages=102–110 | via=the Internet Archive}}
* {{cite journal | last=Freiburger | first=Paul | date=March 21, 1983a | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_C8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 | title=Portable Athena I uses solid-state storage | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=5 | issue=12 | pages=1, 4 | via=Google Books}}
* {{cite journal | last=Freiburger | first=Paul | date=May 16, 1983b | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_C8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 | title=Start-up tries to keep up with technology | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=5 | issue=20 | pages=14, 16 | via=Google Books}}
* {{cite journal | last=Hildebrand | first=J. D. | date=November 1983 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_portable-computer_november-december-1983_1_5/page/32/ | title=Computers Fit for a Briefcase | journal=Portable Computers | publisher=McGraw-Hill | volume=1 | issue=5 | pages=32–40 | via=the Internet Archive}}
* {{cite book | last=Nadeau | first=Michael | date=2002 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WXZNAAAACAAJ | title=Collectible Microcomputers | edition=Illustrated | series=Schiffer Book for Collectors | publisher=Schiffer Publishing | isbn=9780764316005 | via=Google Books}}
* {{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=February 1983a | url=https://archive.org/details/Interface_Age_Vol_8_Issue_2_1983-02_Interface_Age_US/page/n134/ | title=Battery-powered portable | journal=Interface Age | publisher=McPheters, Wolfe & Jones | volume=8 | issue=2 | page=132 | via=the Internet Archive}}
* {{cite journal | last=Stern | first=Marc | date=October 1983 | url=https://archive.org/details/RadioElectronics_422/RadioElectronics1983-10/page/n68/ | title=Your Own Computer | journal=Radio Electronics | publisher=Gernsback Publications | volume=54 | issue=10 | pages=75–176 | via=the Internet Archive}}
* {{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=November 1983b | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_portable-computer_november-december-1983_1_5/page/n91/ | title=Otrona, Athena go for Big Blue | journal=Portable Computers | publisher=McGraw-Hill | volume=1 | issue=5 | pages=91–92 | via=the Internet Archive}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal | last=Grzanka | first=Leonard G. | date=April 1984 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_portable-computer_1984-04_2_4/page/47/ | title=From Ticker Tape to Bubbles | journal=Portable Computers | publisher=McGraw-Hill | volume=2 | issue=4 | pages=48–51 | via=the Internet Archive}}
* {{cite journal | last=Fleig | first=Clare P. | date=April 1984 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_portable-computer_1984-04_2_4/page/n32/ | title=Battery Packs Cut the Cord | journal=Portable Computers | publisher=McGraw-Hill | volume=2 | issue=4 | pages=32–35 | via=the Internet Archive}}

Category:Computer-related introductions in 1983
Category:Early laptops

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Athena 1 (computer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_1_(computer)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_1_(computer)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.