New find: Headstart Explorer

From: Mark Gregory <gregorym_at_cadvision.com>
Date: Mon Apr 9 17:08:02 2001

I came across a neat little PC/XT clone on the weekend, a Headstart
Explorer (made by Vendex according to some Web info I found). It's an 8088,
with an unusual level of integration: mono/CGA video card, modem (300
bps?), serial port, parallel port and external disk drive port all on the
motherboard. There's an internal 720K 3.5" drive, and a bay for an MFM
drive. Comes in an unusual pseudo-portable case, where the hinged keyboard
folds up and stores upside down on top of the case. There's a single ISA
slot under a cover on top. Apparently, there was a monitor available that
came with a custom stand that fit neatly over the desktop case.

It has several features I've not seen before: the folding keyboard, a
mono/colour switch on the video output, and the PS/2 style mouse and heavy
integration on a clone of this vintage. Also, as far as I could tell, there
was no trace of the manufacturers name anywhere. I had to take the system
to pieces to find the Headstart Explorer name on the PCB, and the name
Vendex wasn't on it anywhere.

Does anybody have the custom version of DOS that came with this thing, that
supposedly included a very annoying shell program, or any additional info
about this beast? I didn't get any manuals or docs with it (why oh why do
thrift stores never keep system components together?)
and the HD was missing.

Thanks,
Mark Gregory
Received on Mon Apr 09 2001 - 17:08:02 BST