Phoebe (computer)
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The Phoebe PC (or RISC PC 2) was to be Acorn Computers Ltd's next generation RISC PC, slated for release in late 1998. Acorn, Ltd's successor to the Risc PC was nicknamed the "Phoebe 2100". On September 17, 1998, Acorn, Ltd announced the end of the workstations division (responsible for the RISC OS computers) and cancelling Phoebe: Risc PC 2 despite thousands of pre-release orders.
Components
- 233 MHz StrongARM (multiple StrongARMs support included) CPU
- Upgradable daughter board
- Four EIDE devices (6.4 Gb unit supplied)
- IOMD2 and VIDC20+ chipsets
- 64 MHz front side bus
- up to 512 MB of SD RAM
- 4 MB of VRAM
- Monitor (1280 by 1024 pixels with 32,000 colours)
- Two serial ports
- Tower case (NLX specification; yellow curved front panel)
- Trayless CD-ROM drive
- 5.25" drive bays
- 4 PCI sockets
- 3 Acorn expension sockets
- 230 watt PSU unit.
It was to run RISC OS 4 which was being updated by Acorn, a beta version, 3.8, was released to developers, and that code eventually became RISCOS Limited's RISC OS 4 and Castle Technology's RISC OS 5.
Currently probably 2 working Phoebes exist.
After the cancellation about 400 of the yellow cases were sold by CTA (http://www.ctadirect.co.uk)
Since then a few other companies have built compatible machines such as the Iyonix PC.
External link
- Phoebe page (http://www.houseofmabel.com/puters/Phoebe/)
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