Digital Equipment Corporation VK-100 ("GiGi") system

    While not a minicomputer, DEC's VK-100 GiGi is enough of an oddity that when I had a chance to collect one, I couldn't pass it up.

    Essentially, the device is a colour video terminal. Its "brain" is Intel's 8085, and it drives an RGB monitor. Some of these machines have BASIC in ROM (I believe this one does). The VK-100 "understands" the Regis command set for basic graphics and control.

    I have two of these little devices, one is non-functional due to startup ROM errors; the second (with profound thanks to Mr. Jeremiah Wansack) is fully operational. With the acquisition of the second GiGi, I can now embark upon a journey of discovery about the little machine.

    I currently lack a colour monitor for the device, but am able to get a decent display on a standard NTSC connection to a television set. The NTSC (RS-330) composite signal, however, is monochrome.

    User memory is around 7800 bytes in this particular example; it appears that the lower 32 kb of memory is devoted to ROM space and the upper 32 kb to user RAM and screen memory. This setup is very reminiscent of both the Tandy Model 100 and the Intecolor 8001 .

    I must thank everyone who assisted me with this machine. You have my most humble gratitude.

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