Russian computers in hand :)))

From: Andrew Davie <adavie_at_mad.scientist.com>
Date: Thu Jun 24 14:57:12 1999

I wrote a while ago about Russian microcomputers. A couple of days ago I received my first two, and throught I'd write a brief description to the list.

"Microsha"

Appears to be a (souped-up) Spectrum clone in functionality, but looks totally different. Quite cool, actually... Keyboard unit in dirty yellow (Atari 800-style colour and basic appearance) but much flatter (about 1.5" thick). Red and blue keys in a really weird cyrillic layout.

Each key has two labels, shown in pairs here. Many of the Cyrillic letters are unreproducible in ASCII, so I'll enclose a best guess in [...] The first of the pair is the TOP marking on a key, the second is the lower marking.

Top row:

(;+) (1!) (2") (3#) (4[circle with 4 prongs]) (5%) (6&) (7[triangle]) (8[left bracket]) (9[right bracket]) (0) (-=) (red: cyrillic [GT]) (red: cyrillic [AR2])

row 2
([backward n with accent][right square bracket]) ([CH]C) (yU) (KK) (EE) (HN) ([G]G) ([sch][left square bracket??]) ([sc??][right square bracket??]) ([zh]Z) (XH) (:*) (red: [PS]) (red: [VK])

row 3
(red: yC) ([ph]F) ([bI]Y) ([B]W) (AA) ([P]P) ([R]R) (OO) ([L]L) ([D]D) ([??V]V) ([3]\) (.>) (red: PyC LAT)

row 4
(red: [HP]) ([backward R]Q) ([sort of y]^) ([C]S) (MM) ([bacward N]I) (TT) ([b]X) ([b with bar]B) ([circle with half plus]_at_) (,<) (/?) ([b with bar overhang left]_)

row 5
two small space keys for left/right thumb.

Keyboard has a "keypad" section at right, with contents

left diagonal up arrow, F1, F2
left arrow, up arrow, right arrow
F3, f4, f5
down arrow, CTP

What a bizarre organization!!!
Keys are i correct positions - size differences confirm this.


anyway, the gist of it is that the keyboard isn't QWERTY, but more like CUKENG
It looks so very alien. Weight: abot 2lbs at a guess.


Unit has an expansion interface at back (RAM?) which plugs in at right angles (ie: a bit like a cart slot on an Atari 800, again). Several other interface ports on back, the most interesting is a square unit simply marked (interface 2) with a 3 x 10 female connector.

I have the manuals and power supply for this machine. I'll do a picture if there's any interest.
I also have about ten cassette tapes of original software for this one.



The other machine is a PDP-11 processor-clone machine called BK-0010
It's in original box, with all documentation. More about that later, if there's any interest.

Cheers
A




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