{"id":22689,"date":"2025-11-06T16:10:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T21:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=22689"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:42:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:42:45","slug":"vin135","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin135\/","title":{"rendered":"Seequa Chameleon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-5xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 100%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Seequa Chameleon\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"seequa-chameleon\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seequa Chameleon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>[Vin135]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Seequa Chameleon is notable as one of the first dual-processor luggable computers, released in 1983 with both a Zilog Z80 for CP\/M compatibility and an Intel 8088 for IBM PC-compatible MS-DOS operation, enabling it to run software from both ecosystems in one machine. Its claim to fame lies in this &#8220;twice the computer&#8221; capability, blending portability with dual OS support at a time when IBM dominated the market with expensive proprietary systems. Though innovative, it was not a commercial success and remained a niche product, recognized more as an early example of portability and versatility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Seequa Computer Corporation, based in Annapolis, Maryland.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Luggable (portable) computer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1983<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: ~$6,850 (adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.33-0.75 (330-750 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"hardware-specifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Dual CPUs:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Intel 8088 running at 4.77 MHz (IBM PC compatible)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zilog Z80 running at 4 MHz (CP\/M compatible)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Memory<\/strong>: Typically 128 KB RAM standard, expandable (exact max varies by model)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: Built-in 9-inch green phosphor CRT screen, capable of 80&#215;25 text display<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Optional internal 10 MB hard drive, external floppy drives supported<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keyboard<\/strong>: Full-sized detachable keyboard with numeric keypad<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expansion<\/strong>: External expansion chassis (reported, with 8 slots for peripherals)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Software<\/strong>: Included Perfect Writer word processor and Perfect Calc spreadsheet; compatible with MS-DOS and CP\/M software<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: Approximately 28 pounds (13 kg)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Input\/Output Ports<\/strong>: Serial, parallel ports, modem capability depending on configuration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"operating-system-programming-languages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: dual operating systems: it ran both MS-DOS on the Intel 8088 processor and CP\/M on the Zilog Z80 processor, leveraging its unique dual-processor design to support software from both ecosystems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>BASIC (including Microsoft BASIC or M-BASIC-86)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assembly language for both Intel 8088 and Z80 CPUs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>C and Pascal for MS-DOS-compatible software<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any CP\/M-compatible language like PL\/I, Fortran, and others available on CP\/M systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"notables\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Seequa Chameleon is one of the earliest and most notable examples of a dual-CPU luggable computer, uniquely combining an Intel 8088 and a Zilog Z80 to run both MS-DOS and CP\/M software.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Color Chameleon was marketed as the first IBM- and CP\/M 80-compatible portable color microcomputer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It bypassed IBM&#8217;s BIOS lawsuits by using a proprietary BIOS and dual architecture rather than cloning IBM directly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Dr. Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seequa Chameleon [Vin135] The Seequa Chameleon is notable as one of the first dual-processor luggable computers, released in 1983 with both a Zilog Z80 for CP\/M compatibility and an Intel 8088 for IBM PC-compatible MS-DOS operation, enabling it to run software from both ecosystems in one machine. Its claim to fame lies in this &#8220;twice [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[125,90,123],"class_list":["post-22689","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-luggable","cu_page_type-vintage-computing","cu_page_type-vintage-inventory"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22689"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22689\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25119,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22689\/revisions\/25119"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=22689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}