New find: Headstart Explorer

From: John R. Keys Jr. <jrkeys_at_concentric.net>
Date: Mon Apr 9 22:06:28 2001

I got one at a local Goodwill also with the manuals and the monitor ( it
was $12 extra ) but the diskettes were missing. It works fine $20 for a
total $32 plus tax for everything. If need something from the manual
let me know and can send it to you.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Gregory" <gregorym_at_cadvision.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 5:08 PM
Subject: New find: Headstart Explorer


> 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 - 22:06:28 BST