Advance 86

Advance 86
An Advance 86B system
TypePersonal computer
Release dateDecember 1, 1983; 40 years ago (1983-12-01)
Operating systemIBM BASIC / MS-DOS
CPUIntel 8086 @ 4.77 MHz
Memory128 KB – 768 KB
Sound1-channel PWM

The Advance 86 was a microcomputer developed by Advance Technology UK in the United Kingdom, available in two models. The base model, the Model A (or Advance 86A), featuring a system unit and keyboard, was specified and priced to appeal to the home market, relying on cassette-based storage. An upgraded model, the Model B (or Advance 86B), augmented the Model A with an expansion unit providing dual floppy disk drives and was intended to appeal to business users. Through the addition of the expansion unit, the Model A could therefore be upgraded to the Model B. The core system employed the Intel 8086 processor, aiming for a level of compatibility with the IBM PC, and 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 256 RAM in the system unit and to a total of 768 KB utilising the expansion unit.[1]

  1. ^ Stobie, Ian (October 1983). "Inside the Advance" (PDF). Practical Computing. pp. 72–73. Retrieved 3 October 2022.