TeleVideo Corporation is a U.S. company that achieved its peak of success in the early 1980s producing computer terminals. TeleVideo was founded in 1979 by K. Philip Hwang, a Utah State University graduate born in North Korea who had run a business producing CRT monitors for arcade games since 1975. The company was headquartered in San Jose, California.

TeleVideo's terminal protocol was popular in the early days of microcomputers and was widely supported by applications as well as terminal emulators (often referred to as "TeleVideo 925 emulation").

TeleVideo also built CP/M-compatible 8-bit desktop and portable personal computers based on the Z80 processor. Up to sixteen of these machines could be connected to proprietary multi-user systems through serial interfaces. In 1983, TeleVideo introduced an MS-DOS compatible personal computer based on the Intel 8088.

The detachable keyboard features a Selectric-style layout of the alphanumeric keys, a numeric keypad for accounting applications, and 16 programmable function keys for added simplicity of end-user interaction. The keyboard is connected to the main unit by a coiled telephone-type cable allowing you to move the keyboard to a comfortable position. The keyboard's low profile and integral palm-rest complement the ergonomic design of the video display. This total design keeps operator fatigue to a minimum even throughout extended computing sessions.

The TS-803 is a traditional Z80 and CP/M based system. This version comes with a single 5.25-inch floppy drive and a Winchester 10 MB hard disk which is loaded with a number of applications. Introduced January 1983

The 803 can be seen during the library scene in the film Pretty in Pink.

U.S.A. March 1983
Keyboard 117 keys with function & editing keys & arrows pad
CPU Z80A 4 MHz
RAM 64 KB expandable to 128 KB
VRAM 32 KB
ROM 8 KB
Text Modes 80 columns x 24 lines - 7x8 dot matrix
Graphic Mode 640 x 240 dots

Manufacturer: Televideo
Date: 1st January 1983

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH15477. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.