SAM Coupé
The SAM Coupé (pronounced /sæm ku:peɪ/ from its original British English branding) is an 8-bit British home computer manufactured by Miles Gordon Technology (MGT), based in Swansea in the United Kingdom and released in December 1989.
| Manufacturer | Miles Gordon Technology |
|---|---|
| Type | Home computer |
| Generation | 8-bit |
| Release date | 1989 |
| Discontinued | 1992 |
| Units sold | 12,000 |
| Operating system | SAM BASIC, CP/M via software |
| CPU | Zilog Z80B @ 6 MHz |
| Memory | 256 KB/512 KB (4.5 MB max.) |
| Removable storage | 3.5-inch floppy disk, Cassette tape |
| Display | UHF TV, composite or RGB monitor; 512 × 192 with 4 colors, 256 x 192 with 16 colors |
| Graphics | Motorola MC 1377P, VGT-200 gate array custom ASIC graphic processor |
| Sound | Philips SAA1099 (6 channel, 8 octave, stereo, envelope and amplitude control); Beeper |
| Input | Mouse, Light pen, Light gun, joystick |
| Connectivity | SCART, 64-pin Euroconnector, Mouse port, Light pen / Light gun port, 5-pin DIN stereo audio out, MIDI ports, 9-pin joystick port, 3.5 mm mono audio in/out |
| Backward compatibility | ZX Spectrum |
It was based on and designed to have a compatibility mode with the ZX Spectrum 48K with influences from the Loki project and marketed as a logical upgrade from the Spectrum with increased memory, graphical and sound capabilities, native peripheral support (floppy disk, MIDI, joystick, light pen/light gun and a proprietary mouse).
The inclusion of support for higher graphical modes allowed for 80-column text presentation, providing a platform to support productivity and CP/M applications via additional software.
Being based on 8-bit technology at a time when 16-bit home computers were more prevalent, coupled with a lack of commercial software titles, led to it being a commercial failure.
When MGT went into receivership in June 1990 two further attempts were made to restart the computer and brand, firstly under SAM Computers Limited and then in November 1992 under West Coast Computers, a company spun from Format Publications which lasted until liquidation in 2005.