Cat © 1987 Canon.
A task-dedicated desktop computer. It features a text user interface, not making use of any pointer (mouse), icons, or graphics. All data are seen as a long stream of text broken into several pages. Instead of using a traditional command-line interface or menu system, the Cat makes use of its special keyboard, with commands being activated by holding down a 'Use Front' key and pressing another key. The Cat also uses special 'Leap keys', which, when held down, allows the user to incrementally search for strings of characters.
An extensive range of application software is built into 256 KB of ROM: standard office suite programs, communications, a 90,000-word spelling dictionary, and user programming toolchains for Forth and assembly language.
The machine's hardware consists of a 9-inch (229 mm) black-and-white monitor (80 x 24 character display, 672 x 344 resolution), a single 3½-inch 256 KB floppy disk drive, and an IBM Selectric–compatible keyboard. It uses a Motorola 68000 CPU (like the Macintosh, Lisa, Atari ST, and Amiga) running at 5 MHz, has 256 KB of RAM, and an internal 300/1200 bit/s modem. Setup and user preference data are stored in 8 KB of non-volatile (battery backed-up) RAM. The Cat's array of I/O interfaces encompasses one Centronics parallel port, one RS-232C serial port (DB-25), and two RJ11 telephone jacks for the modem loop. The total weight of the system is 17 pounds (7.7 kg).
Canon Cat was primarily the creation of Jef Raskin, the originator of the Macintosh project at Apple. After leaving the company in 1982 and founding Information Appliance, Inc., he began designing a new computer closer to his original vision of an inexpensive, utilitarian 'people's computer'. Information Appliance developed the Swyft computer prototype, and then developed and licensed it to Canon as the Cat.
Selling price: $1,495. About 20,000 units were sold.
Developed by: Information Appliance, Inc.
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