Rair Black Box
[Vin7]
The Rair Black Box was a modular, diskette-based microcomputer released around 1978, notable for its Intel 8085SA processor and flexible architecture that allowed easy system expansion. Its claim to fame was its advanced multi-user capability-supporting up to four workstations-and its use of the CP/M and MP/M operating systems, making it a versatile choice for business, research, and educational environments. While primarily a UK innovation, it saw use internationally, including in Canada, where its modular design and business focus made it a rare but respected system among early adopters and institutions.
The Rair Black Box can be described as one of the earliest, if not the first commercially realized, modular desktop computer case designed for a monitor‑on‑top business setup, predating the IBM PC’s beige “pizza box” design. While earlier systems used low‑profile metal boxes under CRTs, Rair was among the first to combine a flat, self‑contained expandable case with front‑accessible disk bays in the now‑familiar desktop form factor that later became standard.
- Manufacturer: RAIR (UK based company)
- Released: 1978
- Type: Desktop Computer
- Cost at release: £1,950 GBP (CAD ~$23,500 adjusted for inflation)
- Cost with peripherals: £7,250 (CAD ~$87,000 adjusted for inflation)
- MIPS: 0.3 (300 KIPS)
- Hardware Specifications
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Hardware Specifications
- Processor: Intel 8085SA microprocessor running at 3 MHz
- Memory: by the end of 1981, it offered a significant upgrade: a 256KB DRAM board, which was notable for the era
- Storage: Modular, diskette-based system with options for single or double 5.25-inch floppy drives, or combinations with 5-inch or 8-inch hard drives
- Display: Required connection to a VDU (video display unit) via RS-232C; compatible with most terminals, with the Rair VDU (Hazeltine 1410) as an official option
- Operating System & Programming Languages
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Operating System & Programming Languages
- O/S: CP/M operating system, with later models also supporting MP/M, the multi-user version of CP/M
- Programming Languages: BASIC, COBOL, FORTRAN, Pascal, and PL/1
- Notables
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- The Rair Black Box was one of the earliest British microcomputers to use the Intel 8085 CPU, making it a technical pioneer in the late 1970s.
- Its distinctive all-black enclosure earned it the nickname “Black Box,” and it was marketed as “The British Micro” in early advertisements. The desktop style case of the Rair Black Box was significant for its space-saving design, professional appearance, and influence on subsequent personal computer form factors. It helped set the standard for how early microcomputers were integrated into office environments, paving the way for widespread business adoption of personal computing. In terms of the etymology of computing it is the earliest desktop case we have found – maybe the first.
- It was notable for its modular, multi-user design, supporting up to four simultaneous users-unusual for microcomputers of its era.
- The system was rare and expensive, often leased or rented rather than purchased outright, and could be found under other brand names such as the ICL Personal Computer due to licensing agreements.
- The Black Box was introduced internationally, including at the US National Computer Conference in 1978, and saw some use in Canada, particularly among early business and institutional adopters.
- In 1981, it became one of the first systems to offer a 256KB DRAM upgrade, a significant memory capacity for its time
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