 | |
| Product family | Spectravideo |
|---|---|
| Type | Home computer |
| Release date | 1983 (Winter CES, Las Vegas) |
| Operating system | Microsoft Extended BASIC |
| CPU | Zilog Z80A @ 3.6 MHz |
| Memory | 16 KB |
| Removable storage | ROM Cartridge, cassette tape (1200 baud), 5¼-inch floppy disks |
| Display | 256×192, 16 colours; TV or composite monitor |
| Graphics | TMS9918 (16 KB video memory) |
| Sound | AY-3-8910 |
| Input | Keyboard |
| Related | SV-328 |
The SV-318 is the basic model of the Spectravideo range. It was fitted with a chiclet style keyboard, which was difficult to use, alongside a combination cursor pad/joystick. This is a disc-shaped affair with a hole in the centre; put a red plastic 'stick' in the hole and with a built-in joystick, remove the stick and it is a directional arrow pad for word processing etc.[1] This machine also had only 16 KB of user RAM (plus an additional 16 KB of video RAM), which limited its usefulness. However, this could be expanded via an external peripheral box.
This machine is basically identical to its big brother the SV-328, the only differences being in the keyboard and amount of memory. The two machine's ROM, expandability, mainboard and case were identical.
Reference to the operating system Microsoft Extended BASIC is not to be confused with MSX BASIC, although some marketing at the time claimed that Microsoft Extended is what MSX stood for. The SV-318 is not fully compliant with the MSX standard.
In 1983, Spectravideo announced the SV-603 ColecoVision Video Game Adapter for the SV-318. The company stated that the $70 product allowed users to "enjoy the entire library of exciting ColecoVision video-game cartridges".[2][1]
- ^ a b Samdal, Roger. "Spectravideo SV-318". Roger's Spectravideo Page. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ "Heavy Hardware". Softline. March 1983. p. 46. Retrieved 28 July 2014.