Vintage Soviet Personal Computer VEKTOR-06C (Вектор-06Ц) This is NOT a ZX SPECTRUM clone It could run ZX Spectrum software through an emulator! USSR, 1991 Vektor-06C was one of the best Soviet clones ZX Spectrum. It had nice soft keyboard, somewhat similar to high end soviet computers of the time. The ROM was very small and it was copied into RAM upon startup. It had no BASIC interpreter so you should have loaded one from tape, but you were not limited by ROM manufacturers. With full 64K of RAM there was plenty of software - several versions of BASIC, Forth and such. The graphics was amazing. It could display 16 colours at once out of 256 colour palette. For a home computer of the time it was mindblowing. Vektor-06C uses a KR580VM80A CPU and had 64kB RAM. Connections: RGB, tape recorder, joystick, systems slot, Power Little history [woodhome25]: The best computer in the USSR has been thought up in Moldova! 21 year ago engineers from Kishinev Donat Temirazov and Alexander Sokolov had been invented "Vector - 06C" - a household personal computer. "Vector" was not the first computer which have invented in Soviet Union. Before were "Mikro-80", "Mikrosha" and "RK-80". Computers with the black-and-white monitor, with complex user parameters. But already for them by means of one of the first programming languages of "BASIC" created programs and the first computer games: "Tetris", "Sea fight"... Unfortunately, characteristics "Mikrosha" and "RK - 80" could not make their popular among the broad audience of people. And as a house computer their use remains in doubt. It quite understood Donat Temirazov - the serviceman of the electronic equipment of a factory "Schetmash". It has realized one of the first, on what the Computer are capable and how much they are important. Therefore it aspired to make as much as possible convenient model. Model which would be equitable to interests of a growing circle of users of house computers. For so complex business Donat Temirazov has invited Alexander Sokolov. Their general friend A.Pokladov has acquainted engineers. Donat has shown Alexander the scheme. After it the Sokolov should collect a computer and write for it the starting software. Without it a computer - only a heap of iron. The computer has been made. For it the software has been written. It was necessary to introduce only in manufacture. Temirazov and Sokolov repeatedly addressed to administration "Schetmash". The industrial base of a factory very well approached for release of "Vectors". But the management only waved away from developers, having told, as without it problems suffice. Fortunately, the case has helped. Per 1987 owing to efforts of local club DOSAAF the computer has been presented at 33-rd All-Union radioexhibition in Moscow. On summarizing of an exhibition there was a delegation of the Ministry of the radioindustry. In the chief negotiator there was Vladimir Kurochkin - minister of the radioindustry of the USSR. Survey was fast, and in a hall where there was "Vector", at all have not glanced. When the delegation passed to an output, Donat in hearts has stated the deputy minister: why at us often all turns out worse, than it is possible to assume? The beginnings it to beg, that it though has looked at a "Vector". Also has convinced it to spend even a minute, to look at "Vector". Minute has turned to half an hour, and since that moment the industry has turned a close attention on "Vector". After this history the management "Schetmash" has received the instruction from Moscow: to begin preparation of manufacture for release of personal computer "Vector" and henceforth to listen to offers of the employees. At 33-rd All-Union exhibition on VDNH in Moscow D.Temirazov and A.Sokolov, developers of the first Moldavian house personal computer, have received the main premium. The computer really cost that. In those days it on parameters surpassed "Sinclairs" - the western analogues of "Vector". It had a color graphic screen with the big color palette, a three-channel sound and thus quite the reasonable price. It was the present break in electronic industry of the USSR. And inventors Donat Temirazov and Alexander Sokolov for the invention of "Vector" have received on 200 roubles (about US $150) bonus as for the efficiency proposal at the enterprise. Since 1987, except for Kishinev "Schetmash", personal computer "Vector" began to let out some more defensive enterprises of the USSR in such cities, as Astrakhan, Kirov, Voljsky and Minsk. The quantity of the most different programs began to grow: training and simply games, editors of texts and schedules of the programming system for such languages, as C, Paskal. It admits the best Soviet computer among house personal computers. "Vector" has received a wide circulation not only in house conditions, but also at the enterprises, in educational establishments. Per 1989 at 34-th All-Union exhibition of creativity of radio fans D.Temirazov and A.Sokolov have presented the improved design "Vector-06c.03". The computer has been added by an opportunity to work with flexible disks and an electronic disk under control of operational system. And this time developers of the house personal computer from Kishinev have been awarded the maximum award. With disintegration of the USSR and simultaneous growth of release of foreign computers of western firm IBM the computer "Vector" has gradually quitted the stage and has not received due continuation of the development. Now it can be found in a working kind only at separate fanatical fans of computer antiques.