Changes
/* Range and products */
They were released in a lot of models variations (mostly concerning the keyboard or colour of the casing) from late1982-1983 to 1989.
While MO and TO models are incompatible in software, most of the peripherals and Hardware were compatible.
2nd generation was almost fully retro-compatible with 1st generation but specific 2nd generation softwares couldn't run on 1st generation computers.
Those compatibilities issues were fatal to the range alongside the success of the Amstrad CPC in France.
Most TO computers were supplied with a light pen, or even mouse (TO9) for the later generations. The varied ranges were plagued by inconsistencies in releases, alongside a bigger price than Amstrad's products. Many models were actually re-released better and with bugs fixed, and often more inbuilt features the year later. As a result, peoples were shy and reluctant to get into this because those computers were not the best for the same price on the market, to begin with, and because it is always a shame to see that if you waited a bit more, you would have had a far better product. Amstrad customers had this with the CPC664. A typical example is the TO9, which was supplied with no Monitor first, then was supplied with a colour monitor for the exact same price a 4-6 months later. And with a lot of additional stuff 1 year after being first released (TO9+...). And TO9 keyboard was no more compatible with TO9+...
*'''MO5E''': had a different casing and was aimed at Export, but was also sold on French market as the MO5Etentu (extended), with a AZERTY keyboard though. It features and in-build Joystick and (slightly) upgraded beeper.
The casing would later be reused re-used with MO6 hardware as Network terminals renamed MO5NR.
<gallery caption="Thomson MO5 first generation range of computers">
*'''TO7''' : produced from 1982 to 1984. Supplied with only 24K RAM (16K used by the video)... so actually 8Kusable, upgradable into 48K (so actually 32k because of the 16k video). it It can display only 8 colours. Probably the worst keyboard ever.
* '''TO7/70''' : in 1984, this one replaced the "faulty" TO7.
The TO7/70 had a bit more RAM (64K, upgradable into 128K, still 16k used by Video) and some bug fixes and upgrades (implementations for the NanoReseau). It could display twice more colours(16 instead of 8) and became the "standard TO7".
Also the keyboard was changed into a rubber keyboard(fail!), then mechanical keyboard.
<gallery caption="Thomson TO7 first generation range of computers">
===Second generation===
*'''MO6TO9''' : Released released in 1986late 1985. 128K Ram A professional casing with separate Keyboard and built in Tape driverCentral unit, and a lot of inbuilt peripherals and larger amount of RAM (128k upgradable into 192K). features It was the in-built "joystick and sound" upgradeprototype for the later MO6/TO8 graphical specifications.
*'''MO5NR''': released in 1985-1986. Was actually a MO6 specification with in-built NanoReseaux all cased in a MO5E casing, hence no in-built Tape Driver as it was supposed to be in network with a TO model as netserver..
*'''MO6''' : Released in 1986. 128K Ram and built in Tape driver. features the in-built "joystick and sound" upgrade.
*'''TO8''' : released in late 1986. 256K Ram (could be extended into 512K), 80K ROM with Microsoft's Basic512, better video modes, slightly upgraded beeper (DAC 6-bit) and a lot of connectics
*'''TO9+''' : released in late 1986 (one year after the TO9). The "+" version has an in-built Modem and 512k RAM..
* '''TO8D''' : released in late 1987. a TO8 with a Built-in 3"1/2 floppy Disk drive (D=Disk).
*'''Olivetti :''' Some Thomson '''MO6''' were sold in Italy, branded as '''Olivetti prodest PC128'''
===PC compatible===
*TO16 : released in september 1987. it was an 8088 based IBM compatible PC with various configurations that was to be used as network server alongside NanoReseaux. A prototype TO16 was supposed to be 68000CPU based with an intel82716 graphic chipset and Unix styled "OS-9". only 5 prototype were produced and finalised. but they finally simply released an IBM PC clone instead.
===Networking kingsand peripherals===
*NanoReseau (Nano-Network) was a Network solution very "popular" as it was largely used in France's Schools.
Actually some sort of Ethernet. It was well known by young frenchpeoples french peoples in the late 80's thanks to the "informatique pour tous" plan.
It was developped developed by the '''Science and Technology University of Lille''' (city in northern France).
it could enable to connect up to 31 Thomson (O/TO) computers called "Nanomachines" with a more powerfull powerful computer "head network".
It was largely supplied to various levels of schools by 1985.
*Video incrustation system : enabled to mix TV signal with Computer graphics.
Also various RAM extensions, MassData storage devices, Lightpens and mouse, printers, modems/network connections, Vocal synthesisers, scanners, and so on.
As those available on most other computers..
'''Yet no proper soundchip solution were available.'''
The best one available was a "DAC 6 bits mono" beeper.
=Palette and Video Modes=
