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Subject: Collector's Corner..Twin's At Birth..

Author: Steve B

Date: 09:36:07 01/18/05


Many dedicated computers were released over the years that are exactly the same
but with different names on then..

Even competing manufacturers would sometimes call cease fires and give each
other licensing agreements to sell their computer with the others name or
"Badge" on them

sometimes referred to as "Twins",for the most part these involved inexpensive
but popular portables

the following is a small sampling of Twin Computers
an exhaustive list would probably include 50-75 Twins

From Fidelity and CXG
The smallest dedicated computer ever released:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=517b.jpg&.src=ph

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=d1d3.jpg&.src=ph

From Mephisto and CGL..
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=3840.jpg&.src=ph

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=c3dd.jpg&.src=ph

again from Fidelity and CXG
one of the Early "Calculator" style computers:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=4e41.jpg&.src=ph

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=c038.jpg&.src=ph

not all Twins were portables of course
shown here are is a Twin from Conic and Westrack
this computer is highly unusual in that  the pieces had long metal connecting
rods,that when inserted in the holes in each square would
create a closed connection with the board and the move would be registered

Victor Korchnoi actually endorsed one of these models and his name was printed
on the face of the computer

 this computer is a rare Triplet in that CXG also released it under its
Schneider label

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=db0e.jpg&.src=ph

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/3353&.dnm=db0e.jpg&.src=ph

and finally..perhaps the most well known pair of Twin's ..the  Mephisto and
Fidelity Phantom Robots:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=3353&.dnm=361a.jpg&.src=ph

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cpaa2@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=3353&.dnm=e09f.jpg&.src=ph


Double your Pleasure Regards
Steve



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