Acorn Business Computer ABC 100

The Acorn Business Computer ABC 100 placed BBC B+ class hardware and a 6 MHz Z80 co-processor inside an integrated office workstation with dual floppy drives and a monochrome display. It was designed for CP/M productivity software.

The ABC family was announced for business use but disrupted by Acorn’s financial crisis; very few non-ACW models reached customers.

Notable Features

• The main processing arrangement was Rockwell 6512 at 2 MHz with Zilog Z80 second processor at 6 MHz.
• Its standard memory provision was 64KB host plus 64KB co-processor RAM.
• The model’s storage arrangement was Two 5.25-inch floppy drives.

Historical Significance

• The ABC family was announced for business use but disrupted by Acorn’s financial crisis; very few non-ACW models reached customers.
• This entry represents a distinct processor, storage or enclosure design rather than a software bundle.

Collector’s Notes

• Surviving examples are scarce, and fitted boards, firmware and storage may differ from announced specifications.
• Original documentation, peripherals and prototype provenance are particularly important for specialist Acorn systems.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Acorn Business Computer ABC 100
Manufacturer	Acorn Computers
Launched	Sunday, January 1, 1984
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	Rockwell 6512 at 2 MHz with Zilog Z80 second processor at 6 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	CP/M 2.2 with Acorn business applications
I/O	BBC interfaces, printer, serial, Econet option and Tube co-processor link
Keyboard	Separate business keyboard
Storage	Two 5.25-inch floppy drives
Sound	BBC-compatible programmable sound
Graphics	BBC Micro display hardware
Display	Integrated monochrome monitor
ROM	BBC B+ class MOS and business firmware
RAM	64KB host plus 64KB co-processor RAM
CPU Speed	2 MHz host; 6 MHz Z80