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1982's Canon AS-100 Computer Workstation
Big. Weird. Customizable. And wonderful. With a jog dial controller.
August 26, 2023
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In 1982, Canon released the AS-100 computer. A fascinating — and awesome looking — computer workstation that was aimed squarely at the business market.

Let’s take a close look at the AS-100 — the second computer released by the famous printer company. A weird, wonderful, extraordinarily customizable machine capable of running both CP/M and MS-DOS… but which was not exactly IBM PC Compatible.

Ain’t she a beauty?

So, the Canon AS-100 is not an IBM Compatible system (at least… not completely). But what sort of specs did that little beast have?

  • Intel 8088 CPU (with an optional 8087 math co-processor)

  • 128 KB RAM (expandable to 512 KB using a 384 KB expantion)

  • An 8 color (with a full palette of 27 colors), 640x400 display (with a cheaper, black and white monitor option available)

  • Capable of running both MS-DOS and CP/M (though not compatible with all DOS software that relied on IBM PC Compatible hardware)

Nothing too crazy here — though definitely pretty beefy for 1982!

But look at that picture up there. Look at the “mouse”. Here. Let me zoom in for you. ENHANCE!

Well, what do we have here? That’s not a mouse at all! It’s a jog dialer! A little wheel you can turn (not unlike old Atari 2600 paddle controllers). This was called the “A-1100 Pointing Device”.

The storage options were equally fantastic and unusual. Let’s take a closer look. ENHANCE!

There were a whole host of different storage options for the AS-100:

  • 5 1/4” floppy drives (640 KB, Double Sided, Double Density).

    • You could purchase an expansion unit with either one floppy drive… or two.

  • 8” floppy drives (1.2 MB).

    • What’s wild… is you could purchase an expansion unit with a single 8” drive… or two 8” drives… or three 8” drives… or, I kid you not, four 8” drives in a single (huge) chasis.

  • A Winchester Hard Disk (8.2 MB)

And you could combine them together. Which means you could have a LOT of storage drives on this badboy.

Oh, and get this. The full rig weighed a whopping 66 lbs (give or take, depending on which options you selected).

All of the pictures showcased either a Canon Daisy Wheel or Ink Jet printer.

 

Because this is Canon. And they sell printers. But, technically, you didn’t need to have a printer connected.

The Canon Software

What many people forget is that Canon made PC software — that they either shipped with or sold for the AS-100 — back then.

This included Canobrain (which was a database package with color charting), CanoCalc, CanoGraph, CanoWriter, and CanoBasic. Cano-Everything. All very business-oriented packages. This was, after all, a very professional computer.

CanoBrain screenshots courtesy the AS-100 flyer

How much did a standard configuration with a color screen set you back? Over $4,000 USD. And that’s 1982 dollars.

In the end, the Canon AS-100 was not a huge seller — likely due to the fact that it was not “IBM PC Compatible” and, thus, had compatibility problems with some software. Plus it was expensive. And huge. Also heavy.

But, gosh darn it, it’s still an impressive, gorgeous machine. One that I would not mind having on my desk.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a sampling of magazine advertisements for the AS-100. Enjoy the early 1980s goodness.

From “Personal Computer World”, December 1982

 

From Micro Systèmes, May 1983

 

From Bit Magazine, June 1983
 
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This episode is free for all to enjoy and share.

Be sure to subscribe here at Lunduke.Locals.com to get all shows & articles (including interviews with other amazing nerds).

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The Lunduke Journal will be live at 5:30pm Eastern (2:30pm Pacific, 9:30pm UTC).

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This Friday (September 19th), the price of a new Lifetime Subscription to The Lunduke Journal will be increasing from $200 to $300.

Which means: If you want to pick up a new Lifetime Subscription for the lower price, simply grab one (via Locals, Substack, or Bitcoin) by Thursday night (Sep 18th). That’s roughly 24 hours from the moment I am writing these words.

Obviously, once you have a Lifetime Subscription you’re set. You know. For life.

I wanted to give all of you some notice so you could grab one at the lower rate.

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-Lunduke

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Time permitting, we’ll also be doing a little Nerdy Q & A. So, if you’ve got something you’d like to ask, join us in one of the chat rooms!

Also, quick reminder that the price of new Lifetime Subscription is going up this Friday. If you want one at the lower price, now’s your moment. We’ve also added some new perks for subscribers worth checking out.

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New Lunduke Journal Sub Perks, Lifetime Price Increase Next Week

A quick update: There are some new perks for Lunduke Journal subscribers, and an upcoming price increase for new Lifetime Subscriptions (if you want one of those at the lower price, you have a couple days).

All the details below.

Lifetime Subscription Price Increase

This coming Friday (September 19th), the price of a new Lifetime Subscription to The Lunduke Journal will be increasing from $200 to $300. I wanted to give all of you a few days notice so you could grab one at the lower rate.

If you want to pick up a Lifetime Subscription for the lower price, simply grab one (via Locals, Substack, or Bitcoin) by Thursday night (Sep 18th).

The prices for new Yearly and Monthly subscriptions will remain the same. No changes.

Reminder: The Lunduke Journal has phased out sales and discount promotions. The current price of a subscription is the best price.

New Perks for Lunduke Journal Subscribers

I am working on adding a few new perks for Lunduke Journal subscribers — a way of saying “Thank You” for making this work possible (while still keeping all of the articles and shows free for the world).

Here are the perks as of today.

Perks for all Subscribers (Monthly, Yearly, and Lifetime):

Note: The eBooks & Games are currently only available on Locals & Substack (due to platform features). Those perks will also become available to subscribers on X, YouTube, & Patreon next week. Stay tuned for access details.

Additional (Optional) Perks only for Lifetime Subscribers:

  • The Lunduke Journal will follow your account on X.

  • Your name (real, or internet handle) listed in a special thanks slide at the end of new Lunduke Journal videos.

Both of these perks are 100% optional.

If you are a Lifetime Subscriber, and would like to take advantage of either (or both), simply email “bryan at lunduke.com” with the subject line “Lifetime Perk” (that part is important, I get so many emails this will help me see yours) and include a link to your X profile and/or the way you want your name to appear at the end of videos.

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Seriously.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. The Lunduke Journal is only possible thanks to each and every one of you.

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