LogAbax explained

LogAbax
Foundation:	1942
Industry:	IT company
Products:	Computers

LogAbax was a French computer brand. Founded in 1942, the company was one of France's pioneers in computer manufacturing. The name is composed of two abbreviations: Log from logarithm and Abax from abacus.^[1]

History

The company was created in 1942 as “La Société Française des Brevets LogAbax”. In 1947 it employs twenty people and has a factory located at Malakoff. The company obtains a contract from CNRS for the construction of a "Couffignal machine", intended to be the fist French "electronic calculation machine".^[2] Between 1948 and 1950 LogAbax studies an electronic meter, related to the electronic calculator development.^[3]

In 1968 LogAbax and Bariquand et Marre merge, forming LogAbax SA.

The LX 500, a personal computer based on the Z80 microprocessor and running the CP/M operating system, is presented in 1978.^{[4] [5]}

Due to poor results in the late 1970s,^[6] LogAbax files for bankruptcy in 1981, with Olivetti becoming the majority shareholder, creating a new entity named Société Nouvelle LogAbax.

The Persona 1600, a PC compatible machine with an Intel 8086 CPU (similar to Olivetti M24) is presented in 1985.^{[7] [8]} Other rebranded Olivetti PCs follow (Persona 1800^[9] and 1300^[10]).

In 1988 Olivetti France and Société Nouvelle LogAbax merge, becoming Olivetti-LogAbax.

Machines

• LX 3200 - office computer, calculator, typewriter, printer, 1969^[11]
• LX 2200, 2600 - office computer, calculator, typewriter, printer, 1974/75^[12]
• LX 4200, 4300, 4400, 4500, 4600 - office computer, 1970s/75^[13]
• LX 5000, 5076, 5200 - multi-user 16-bit computer, 64 Kb RAM, 1976/77^{[14] [15]}
• LX 2000, 2010, 2500 - 1976
• LX 500, 518, 528 - Z80A, 128Kb RAM, CP/M, 1978^{[4] [5] [16]}
• LX 3000, 3128, 3500 - multi-user office computer, 1980^[17]
• Hyper 32 - fault tolerant redundant computer, 1983^{[18] [19] [20]}
• Persona 800 - Z80 @ 4 MHz, 64KB RAM, CP/M, 1985^[21]
• Persona 1600 (Olivetti M24) - Nanoréseau^[22] network machine, 8086 @ 8 MHz, 1985^{[7] [8] [23]}
• Persona 1800 (Olivetti M28) - 80286 @ 8 MHz, 1986^{[9] [24] [25]}
• Persona 1300 (Olivetti M19) - 8088 @ 4.77 MHz, 256KB RAM, 1986^{[10] [26]}
• 3B modèle 400 (Olivetti CPS/32 Stratos) - 68030, VOS, 1986^[27]

See also

• Computing for All, a French government plan to introduce computers to the country's pupils

Notes and References

1. Web site: Logabax histoire . 2022-11-08 . www.silicium.org.
2. Web site: COMPAGNIE DES MACHINES BULL . 2022-11-08 . www.feb-patrimoine.com.
3. Pierre Mounier-Kuhn, L'informatique en France, de la seconde guerre mondiale au Plan Calcul. L'émergence d'une science, Paris, PUPS, 2010, « Chapitre 1 ».
4. Web site: Logabax LX500 . 2022-11-08 . silicium.org.
5. Web site: Logabax LX-500 . 2022-11-10 . www.system-cfg.com.
6. News: 1980-02-28 . Les difficultés de Logabax ou le paradoxe du succès . fr . Le Monde.fr . 2022-11-08.
7. Web site: Logabax Persona 1600 . 2022-11-08 . silicium.org.
8. Web site: Logabax Persona 1600 . 2022-11-10 . www.system-cfg.com.
9. Web site: Logabax Persona 1800 . 2022-11-10 . www.system-cfg.com.
10. Web site: Logabax Persona 1300 . 2022-11-10 . www.system-cfg.com.
11. Web site: LX3200 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
12. Web site: LX2200 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
13. Web site: LX4000 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
14. Web site: Logabax LX5000 . 2022-11-08 . www.silicium.org.
15. Web site: LX5000 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
16. Web site: LX500 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
17. Web site: LX3000 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
18. CHAUVIN . Jacques . 1986 . La session d'automne du SICOB 1986 . La Revue administrative . 39 . 233 . 497–501 . 40780051 . 0035-0672.
19. Book: Broadband '89 . 2002 . Information Gatekeepers Inc . en.
20. Web site: Hyper32 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
21. Web site: P800 . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
22. Web site: Le Nanoréseau . 2022-11-08 . sites.google.com . en-US.
23. Web site: Logabax - Album photos . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
24. Web site: Logabax - Album photos . 2022-11-08 . logabax.free.fr.
25. Web site: Persona 1800 . 2022-11-10 . sites.google.com . en-US.
26. Web site: Logabax Persona 1300 . 2022-11-08 . www.silicium.org.
27. Web site: Olivetti CPS/32 - Paolo LANDI . 2022-11-09 . www.paolo-landi.it.