Lesson plan
Enterprise (computer)
The Enterprise is a Zilog Z80-based home computer announced in 1983, but due to a series of delays, was not commercially available until 1985. It was developed by British company Intelligent Software and marketed by Enterprise Computers. The specification as released was powerful and one of the higher end in its class (though not by the margin envisaged in 1983). This was due to the use of custom ASICs for graphics and sound which took workload away from the CPU, an extensive implementation of ANSI BASIC and a bank switching system to allow for larger amounts of RAM than the Z80 natively supported. It also featured a distinctive and colourful case design, and promise of multiple expansion options. Its two variants are the Enterprise 64, with 64 KB of RAM, and the Enterprise 128, with 128 KB of RAM. The machine was renamed several times during development, being known variously as Samurai, Oscar and Elan. Versions can sometimes been found in magazine articles referred to by the preceding monikers. Ultimately, not assisted by release delays and a changing market place, the Enterprise was not commercially successful. The manufacturer called in the receivers in 1986 with significant debt, although old stock continued to be sold through a German partner until well into the 1990s.
Article summary
The Enterprise is a Zilog Z80-based home computer announced in 1983, but due to a series of delays, was not commercially available until 1985. It was developed by British company Intelligent Software and marketed by Enterprise Computers. The specification as released was powerful and one of the higher end in its class (though not by the margin envisaged in 1983). This was due to the use of custom ASICs for graphics and sound which took workload away from the CPU, an extensive implementation of ANSI BASIC and a bank switching system to allow for larger amounts of RAM than the Z80 natively supported. It also featured a distinctive and colourful case design, and promise of multiple expansion options. Its two variants are the Enterprise 64, with 64 KB of RAM, and the Enterprise 128, with 128 KB of RAM. The machine was renamed several times during development, being known variously as Samurai, Oscar and Elan. Versions can sometimes been found in magazine articles referred to by the preceding monikers. Ultimately, not assisted by release delays and a changing market place, the Enterprise was not commercially successful. The manufacturer called in the receivers in 1986 with significant debt, although old stock continued to be sold through a German partner until well into the 1990s.
Key claims
- release date: 1983 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- The record states that the release date is "1983". What evidence would count against this claim?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378417046
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.