Thomson MO5

Thomson MO5
ManufacturerThomson SA
Release date1984; 40 years ago (1984)
Introductory price2390 FF
Discontinued1986; 38 years ago (1986)
MediaCassette tape, Cartridges
Operating systemMO5 BASIC 1.0
CPUMotorola 6809E @ 1 MHz
Memory32 KB RAM, 16 KB VRAM
Display320x200, 8 colours with 2 saturation variations, 2 colours per 8x1 pixel area
GraphicsEFGJ03L gate array[1]
Sound1-bit square wave
InputKeyboard, Lightpen
Controller inputJoystick
ConnectivityExpansion port
SuccessorThomson MO6
RelatedThomson TO7/70

The Thomson MO5 is a home computer introduced in France in June 1984[2] to compete against systems such as the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. It had a release price of 2390 FF.[3]

At the same time, Thomson also released the up-market Thomson TO7/70 machine. The MO5 was not sold in vast quantities outside France and was largely discontinued in favour of the improved Thomson MO6 in 1986.

MO5s were used as educational tools in French schools for a period (see Computing for All, a French government plan to introduce computers to the country's pupils), and could be used as a "nano-machine" terminal for the "Nanoréseau" educational network.[4]

The computer boots directly to the built-in Microsoft BASIC interpreter (MO5 Basic 1.0).[2]

  1. ^ "MO5 v3 Circuit Diagram". dcmoto.free.fr.
  2. ^ a b Miné, Antoine. "Thomson MO5 Emulation in MESS". Antoine Miné's Web Site.
  3. ^ "Thomson MO5". Obsolete Tears - Nostalgie videóludique (in French). 2018. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  4. ^ "Thomson MO5". Old-Computers.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018.