Using a general purpose microcomputer for online searching Available to Purchase

In 1981, the Online Search Service at the University of Strathclyde began using a microcomputer, rather than an ordinary ‘dumb’ terminal, to search online databases. The system chosen was a Cifer 2684, a British‐built microcomputer, incorporating twin Z‐80 microprocessors (each with 64K RAM), the CP/M operating system, and twin 5¼″ double‐sided, double‐density flexible disc drives holding around 250,000 characters each. A feature of the hardware is an arrangement to enable fast transfer of data on to disc (a full description of the system is given by Petrie and Cowie).