Other European computers (niche)¶
The rare / niche European machines that don't (yet) have a dedicated page. They share the electronics and faults of the 8-bits of their era → generic repair & modernisation at the bottom, with a pointer to the repair Methods hub.
Catalogue¶
| Machine | Country / year | CPU | Notable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memotech MTX 500 / 512 | 🇬🇧 1983 | Z80A | sturdy aluminium case, TMS9918A + SN76489, expandable (FDX, CP/M) |
| Camputers Lynx | 🇬🇧 1983 | Z80A | ambitious (96 KB, hi-res), a commercial failure |
| Tangerine Microtan 65 | 🇬🇧 1979 | 6502 | expandable single-board kit (TANEX/TANBUS bus) |
| Grundy NewBrain | 🇬🇧 1982 | Z80 | optional built-in fluorescent display, tied to the BBC Micro's history |
| Philips P2000 T / M | 🇳🇱 1980 | Z80 | answering-machine-style mini-cassette, Videotex-oriented |
| Thomson Micromega / others | 🇫🇷 | various | FR variants/prototypes (see Thomson for MO/TO) |
British machines already detailed: SAM Coupé, Enterprise 64/128, Jupiter Ace, Oric, Dragon.
Repair & modernisation (generic 8-bit)¶
These machines follow the 8-bit canon — apply the hub methods:
- Recap (external PSU + board) → Recap; the mains-filter RIFA that smokes → replace.
- Socketed RAM / ROM: substitution on a dead screen → PCB diagnosis.
- Keyboard (membrane / contacts): clean / remake.
- Custom chips (e.g. TMS9918A on the Memotech): diagnose by substitution; the VDP is shared with MSX/Coleco → RGB mods are possible.
- Modern storage: Gotek + FlashFloppy or HxC for floppy configs; cassette → audio from a PC/phone; community SD interfaces on the expansion bus.
- Video: RF output → composite mod; RGB → SCART then OSSC / RetroTINK or RGB2HDMI for crisp digital.
⚠️ Do not host ROMs/games — method only. A machine deserves its own page? Just ask.
See also¶
Sources & attribution¶
- Wikipedia — Memotech MTX, Camputers Lynx, Microtan 65, Grundy NewBrain, Philips P2000 — CC-BY-SA — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memotech_MTX
- Established retro community knowledge (recap, RIFA, Gotek) — synthesis.
Review & corrections
How this space is used
Spotted a wrong value, an outdated procedure, a chip reference that does not match your board? Say so here, with what you observed (model, board revision, serial number, measurement). Every report is cross-checked against a source before anything changes — an unverifiable correction is published as “reported by …, not cross-checked” rather than silently applied.
Reading is open to everyone; posting requires signing in with Discord. Reports from the wiki's declared reviewers are handled first; anyone else's are read too, but go through a human before anything is changed.