Vive le France! French 8-bit computers of the 1980s

I have no word and -so far- too much spare time, so the time has come to speak of France's peculiar 8-bit market. Because the 1980s were pretty interesting in this country. Apart from the usual suspects -the ZX Spectrum, the C64- some British 8-bit computers were especially popular in France. Computers like the different Oric models and the Amstrad CPC.

And then there are, of course, the French computers that saw little or none distribution outside this country. Computers that made themselves a niche thanks to educational programs -those would be the Thomson TO and MO machines- or because their compatibility with Minitel, a French precursor to the Internet that attracted millions of users.

 

The first computer in this thread will be the Matra & Hachette Alice, released in 1983.



It wasn't exactly a new computer. It was based on the American Tandy MC-10 machines, which in turn were a cut-down version of the Tandy Color Computer. Matra & Hachette were already building European versions of the MC-10 in their Wintzenheim plant, so they decided to take a step forward, manufacturing them under their own brand and advertising them as entry level computers. The investment to do this was likely minimal: a red case and replacing the TV modulator with a SCART connector. And that assuming they weren't doing these changes already with their MC-10s.

To make the product more attractive, some of the Alice computers were distributed in red suitcases like these ones:



And even better, French artist Moebius himself designed some of the artwork:



But despite all this, the Alice was far from a success. The original Tandy MC-10 were designed as a cheap competitor to the Commodore VIC-20 and the Sinclair ZX80/ZX81, but since they weren't very powerful and difficult to expand they were sold only for a year. These French variants stayed in the market for a few more years. In 1985 they tried to apply to the Plan Informatique pour Tous, a government program to introduce computers in classrooms, but lost against the Thomson computers.

The Alice didn't do well against other contemporary computers either. More than the entry level computer its manufacturers advertised, users thought of it as an expensive toy.

Technical specs.

CPU: MC6803 at 0.89 MHz
RAM: 4 Kb, that could be expanded up to 16 Kb.
SO: Microsoft Basic.
Gráficos: Motorola 6847 chip, capable of 32x16 o 64x32 resolutions and 8 colors, or 160x125 and 4 colors with expanded RAM.
Sonido: 1 channel, 5 octaves.
Storage: Cassette external unit.

The Alice 32 model also appeared in 1983. It had a few cosmetic changes and better hardware: 8 Kb. RAM, another 8 Kb. VRAM, a ROM with assembly language and a new video chip, the SGS-Thomson Microelectronics EF9345. This allowed for 320x192 resolutions with 16 colors from a 256 palette.

The 1984 Alice 90 has 32 Kb. RAM and can superimpose graphics on top of TV images. It was developed for a TV show that never materialized.



And finally there's the Alice 2000 from 1985. This was MH's candidate for the Informatique pour Tous program and has little to do with previous models. It had two different CPUs, a 6803 running at 4,9152 Mhz. and a Intel 8088 and shipped with 64 Kb. RAM. Only 250 units were build and they were considered destroyed, but with time pictures and videos of surviving machines have surfaced.



Emulation.

There are two main options if we want to emulate these machines. The first one would be MAME, in which case we'll need the files mc10.zip, alice.zip, alice32.zip and alice90.zip.

A simpler option would be the DCAlice emulator by Daniel Coulom. Coulom is a name that will appear again in this thread, because he's also authored emulators for the Thomson TO / MO computers among other French specialties.

When using DCAlice , our first step should be to switch to an English interface. We do that through the Options --> Paràmetres --> Language option. The rest of the emulation options are in the same menu.



Programs are loaded through tape images. We enter them from the File --> Tape menu and the BASIC commands are the same as in the Tandy Color Computer: CLOAD (or CLOADM) followed by RUN.



Whenever you enter any commands, though, remember that the emulator expects a keyboard with a French distribution, AZERTY.

Being a failed computer, the game library is rather small. We have some educational software (in French, mostly) and a few action games. But these action games were made by French developers such as Loriciels or Infogrames, so they're worth a look. For the purpose of this guide, I've loaded the game Galixian, with no relation whatsoever to that Galaxian you're thinking about.





And it's pretty decent.

Another standout is Crocky, a fun Pac-Man clone:

 

Today we'll tackle one of the most successful French computers of the period, the Thomson TO / MO saga.



These computers were sold during the 1982-1987 period and many French used them in schools, thanks to the Plan Informatique pour Tous inspired by the French government. By the end of their run, it's estimated that Thomson had sold around 450,000 computers.

Unlike Matra & Hachette and others, Thomson were not just trying to make a quick buck with computers, they were much more ambitious. Inspired by the Apple and Acorn success stories, they planned to have a similar influence in France and set the standard for microcomputers in Europe. Thomson started working on their computers as early as 1979, although their first model, the Thomson TO7 , wouldn't be released until 1982. TO stands for "telé-ordinateur".

During the following years Thomson TO computers would become a staple in French schools, they were used to teach Logo and BASIC, as well as to form mini-networks using educational software. Thomson also sold several MO (micro-ordenateur) models for home use, but they were swept by the Amstrad CPC , which was the best selling computer in France at the time.

Things for Thomson became more complicated as time passed. New TO and MO models featured better graphics and sound, but they still used the same Motorola 6809 CPU running at 1 Mhz. Attempts to export the machine to other countries also met with failure. In 1987 Thomson switched to manufaturing IBM PC compatibles, but as sales failed to meet their expectations they retired from the computer entirely in 1989. The company still exits today, but has been rebranded to Technicolor SA .


Hardware overview.

The most peculiar characteristics of the Thomson computers are their Motorola 6809 CPUs and their use of lightpens. The 6809 CPU was more expensive than other CPUs used in microcomputers of the same era, such as the Zilog Z80 and MOS 6502 . On the other hand, they are more powerful and support some 16-bit instructions. Thomson likely chose this CPU because they were already working on 6809 variants for the French armed forces.

As for the lightpen, when Thomson started developing their computers the mouse wasn't yet the standard input system it would become later. Only late Thomson computers allow for a mouse to be connected.

The issue of compatibility between TO and MO models is... complicated. Many of the sources I've consulted for this guide claim both series are software compatible, but I'm suspicious about it. On the other hand, it seems that peripherals developed by Thomson could be used on both series, which makes sense.

This is an abridged list of Thomson computer models. Most of its information comes from either Wikipedia or OLD-COMPUTERS.COM .

Thomson TO7 (1982): Their first model. Membrane keyboard, 22 Kb. RAM, 320x200x8 graphics, with limitations. Sound beeper. Microsoft BASIC available on a MEMO7 cartridge.

Thomson MO5 (1984): First model for home use. 48 Kb. RAM and available with either rubber or mechanical keyboards. Limited and export editions exist.



Thomson TO7/70 (1984): This was likely the most popular machine in the series, and the one used in the Informatique Pour Tous plan. Apart from many building improvements, these machines had 48 Kb. RAM and a 320x200x16 graphics.

Thomson TO9 (late 1985): Separate keyboard and central units. 128 Kb. RAM and built-in 3½-inch floppy disk drive.



Thomson MO6 (1986): Improved version of the MO5 . 128 Kb. RAM and built in tape recorder. Sold in Italy as the Olivetti Prodest PC128 .

Thomson TO8 (late 1986): 256 Kb. RAM, revised ROM with Microsoft BASIC 512 and extra video modes. Palette expanded to 4096 colors.

Thomson TO9+ (late 1986): Separate keyboard and central unit, 512K RAM with a built in modem and a 3½-inch floppy disk drive.

Thomson TO8D (late 1987): Essentially a TO8 with a 3½-inch floppy disk drive.

Most of these computers, if not all, could load software from cartridge, disk and tape.


Emulation.

As usual, MAME provides emulation for all these computers, but it is easier to use a dedicated emulator. In this guide we'll use DCMOTO by Daniel Coulom .



Our first task will be to change the emulator interface to English. This is accomplished through the option Options --> Language --> Anglais .

Then it becomes as easy as choosing the correct computer model and loading the software.



TO7 and TO7/70 software:

Cartridge, tape and disk images are inserted from the Removable media menu.

Cartridges seem reserved to BASIC or other optional languages.

For tapes, we enter the Microsoft BASIC cartridge, and then use the RUN"" or LOADM"",R commands. If the first doesn't work, then try the second.

For disk games, it's advisable to emulate a T08 or TO9 model. That's because then we can load most disk games automatically by pressing B from the computer main menu.

If the disk refuses to load this way, we enter BASIC and use the commands DIR to see a file list and RUN"FILENAME.EXT"

MO5 and MO6 software:

Tapes are loaded with the RUN"" or LOADM"",R BASIC commands. If the first doesn't work, try the second.

Disk images are a pain, unless they're bootable. Fortunately there aren't too many disk games and most of them are bootable.

If they aren't, we first need to set up a floppy drive controller. A CD 90-351 seems the best option, as it supports most file formats. Then we need to start the computer with a proper system disk, which you can obtain here. Note that there are TO and MO versions for each interface!

We then start the computer with the correct system disk...



...then we switch the disk with the game disk and enter DIR to see the disk contents:



And finally RUN"FILENAME.EXT" to run the program.



Oher things to take into account:

By default DCMOTO maps the joystick to cursors and SPACE, but always keeping Left CTRL pressed.

Oh, and these computers use AZERTY keyboards. If you can't find a particular key or symbol, use the virtual keyboard available at Tools --> Keyboard...




Les games.

Software for these platforms is quite plentiful. My TOSEC sets contain around 250 tape games for the MO5 and 7 MO6 especific. Plus a few disk images.

As for the TO computers, there are around 80 TO7 tapes and 160 disks.

Most of them seem originals or conversions from other platforms by first rate French developers such as Microïds , Infogrames or Loriciels . On the bad side, there's significant overlap between both series.


Game Over for the MO5


Captain Blood for the T07/70 or better


Turbo Cup for the TO7/70 or better

It's also worth noting that the DCMOTO homepage offers some of these games converted to Windows, using a feature from the emulator itself. So don't forget to explore their JEUX section.

That's pretty much it. Enjoy!

 

Compared to the Thomsons, the Philips VG 5000 is quite a simple affair.



It was released in 1984 and it seems like an attempt by Philips to stablish a standard for European computers. It wasn't just sold by Philips, but also by Radiola and Schneider. The later manufacturer has already appeared around here before, for a while they sold an official clone of the Amstrad CPC in West Germany, and later sold PC compatibles. All versions of the VG 5000 are the same computer, only the case differs.

The VG 5000 is one of those computers we could call pre-MSX , because the hardware is remarkably similar to the MSX1, although they are not compatible. However, it was released one year later than the MSX1, so my guess is that either Philips didn't expect the MSX standard to reach Europe... or they had a similar machine and they just hastily released it before the MSX1 made it obsolete .

This computer sold poorly, and as far as I know only in France. It was discontinued in 1986. And Philips? Well, it the world gives you lemons, make lemonade. Their computer models from the VG 8000 are proper MSX computers, and they even recycled the VG 5000 peripherals for their MSX line.


Technical specs.

CPU: Zilog Z80 @ 4 MHz.

RAM: Between 24 and 64 Kb. RAM (56 Kb. according to some sources).

Video: Semi-graphic mode, equivalent to a 320x250 resolution and 8 simultaneous colors.

Sound: 1 sound channel, with a 5 octave range.

OS: BASIC V 1.0 (derived from Microsoft Basic 80).


Emulation.

In this guide we'll be using DCVG5K by Daniel Coulom . AFAIK that's the only dedicated emulator for this system.



And of course there's also MAME , in every case we'll need the file vg5k.zip .

In both cases the games (around 40 of them) come as tape images and load with the BASIC command CLOAD . The only difficulties are pressing PLAY on the tape reader and dealing with the French AZERTY keyboards.


Backgammon


Football


US Rally

As you can see, the games are pretty basic and they send strong MSX vibes. But hey, most of them are especific to this platform, so there's that. That's because most of them were developed by Philips themselves. Such a small platform didn't attract third developers, which is a shame.

 

In the first message of this thread I mentioned Minitel , a French predecessor to the Internet. However, I cannot emphasize how important the service was to the French. So much in fact that it didn't close down until 2012, many years after they could access the World Wide Web. Every day, literally millions of French connected their computers and dumb terminals to book tickets, check online editions of newspapers, chat and much more. It didn't matter that it was ugly (its aspect was based on teletext), outdated or more expensive to use than the Internet. By 1999 an estimated 9 million terminals were still in use.

You can learn more about the Minitel in this article, "Minitel explained" by Lellianne Matthews.

The reason why I'm bringing this up is because being Minitel compatible gave some computers an advantage over the rest, which in turn explains the unusual dstribution of the French 8-bit computer market.

And it also explains initiatives like the Exelvision EXL100 and Exeltel , that likely wouldn't have happened in any other country.


Picture by NIGHTFALL

This was (another) 8-bit computer released in France around 1986 by Exelvision . The company was made of former Texas Instruments employees and the hardware taken from a failed TI portable computer, the Compact Computer 40 .

Not that Exelvision didn't do any work on it. They created a different main unit, keyboard, joystick and mouse that used an infra-red connection (yes, an infra-red connection in 1986!) and several other peripherals for it. The computer even became part of the Plan Informatique pour Tous , just like the Thomson TO / MO , which explains why most units ended up in schools.

Exelvision tried again with an improved model, the Exeltel . This one had more RAM and included a V23 modem as the main improvements:



However they didn't attract enough developers, so little software exists for either model. It's estimated that they only sold around 50,000 units in total.


The hardware:

CPU: Texas Instruments TMS 7020 running at 4.91 Mhz.
Co-processors: TMS-7041 (I/O), TMS-5220A (sound) and VDP TMS 3556 (video)
RAM: 34 kb. (2 Kb. for the TMS-7020 and 32 kb. reserved to video)
Graphics: 320x200 with 8 simultaneous colors.
Sonido: TMS-5220A with speech synthesis.
SO: ExelBASIC, loaded from cartridge. ExelDOS with the optional 3'4 disk drive.

These characteristics apply to the EXL100 . The Exceltel had 82 Kb. RAM, incorporated modem and answering machine and could download educational software from a dedicated network. BASIC had also been revised and renamed to ExelBASIC+ .

As you can see, all chips come from Texas Instruments, which is a rarity in computers of this era. Software was mostly loaded from cartridge and tape, although external disk drives were also available. Another funny aspect of the computer is that it is capable of speech synthesis, something that no doubt helped them to access the educational market.


Emulation:

Please, let's stand up and give our friend and ally Daniel Coulom some well deserved applause!

Thank you, thank you. Because you know, emulation of all these wacky French computers would be much harder without his emulators. In this case we'll be using DCEXEL :



Although you may as well use MAME , in which case you will need the files exl100.zip and exeltel.zip .

The first thing we do is to change the default emulator language from French to English, which you do from Outils --> Paràmetres --> Anglais .



Software is loaded through the File --> Load menu.

As usual, software from cartridges is the easiest to get going. Just enter the path to the cart dump and reset the machine:





Tapes require a few extra steps. First, the BASIC cart must be inserted, and then we also check the tape unit and enter the path to the tape dump:



The BASIC commands to start a tape are LOAD"1." and then RUN . But beware! Between the two commands you'll be asked to press ESC, but if you do it the emulator will reset. So we need to either use the virtual keyboard or go to the settings and map the reset option somewhere else in Reset switch emulation .

Apart from this small caveat, tapes work just fine:



It's really a pity there's not more software for these computers, because I find them very interesting. Their design is top notch, but I guess the unusual hardware was too much of a hurdle for most developers, even if the computer had sold better.

But there's still another thing to try: Exceldrums !



This add-on is pretty wild. It consists of a cartridge with software and a sound module. It turns the computer into a drum kit! The hardware was designed by Hohner and allows for 6 simultaneous sounds from a library of 17. Since it's all about percussion, we can't call it a proper sound synthetizer, but a drum kit.

To make it work, we insert the Exeldrums cart and check the Exeldrums box on the section of connected devices. This is the result:



It looks pretty basic, and it is. But it also allows for creating and saving your own compositions, which is neat.