Difference between revisions of "Orion"

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[[Image:CTM644 05.jpg|200px|thumb|CTM644 Monitor with ORION cathode ray tube]]
 
[[Orion]] is one the [[LK-selectable Brand Names]] contained in the CPC BIOS, allowing to display the boot message '''Orion 64K Microcomputer''' on power up. Amstrad apparently planned a partnership with a company with that name.
 
[[Orion]] is one the [[LK-selectable Brand Names]] contained in the CPC BIOS, allowing to display the boot message '''Orion 64K Microcomputer''' on power up. Amstrad apparently planned a partnership with a company with that name.
  
 
As far as known, the partnership didn't worked in that direction - there have been no CPCs sold using the Orion brand. However, it worked the opposite way around: The [[CTM640/CTM644]] and [[GT64/GT65]] monitors contain cathode ray tubes from Orion.
 
As far as known, the partnership didn't worked in that direction - there have been no CPCs sold using the Orion brand. However, it worked the opposite way around: The [[CTM640/CTM644]] and [[GT64/GT65]] monitors contain cathode ray tubes from Orion.
  
== Orion (Japan) ==
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'''Orion (Japan)'''
  
 
'''ORION Electric Co,. Ltd.''' is japanese company, founded 1958 by Shigemasa Otake.
 
'''ORION Electric Co,. Ltd.''' is japanese company, founded 1958 by Shigemasa Otake.
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* http://www.orion-electric.co.jp/en/
 
* http://www.orion-electric.co.jp/en/
  
== Orion ISP (Germany/Japan) ==
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'''Orion and ISP KG'''
  
ORION wurde 1958 von Shigemasa Otake im japanischen Kobe gegründet. 1975 übernahm die ISP KG Dieter Lather in Dreieich bei Frankfurt den Vertrieb für ORION-Produkte in Deutschland, Benelux, Österreich und der Schweiz.
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The ISP KG acts eurorean retailer for japanese ORION products (from 1975 until today), mentioned here because the CPC BIOS also includes [[Isp]] as selectable brand name, which may refer to ISP KG.
  
== Tungsram / Orion (Hungary) ==
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'''Orion Electric (Japan) and Orion Electronics (Hungary)'''
  
* Info from http://www.audiotools.com/ about '''Tungsram''': This Hungarian company was one of the first producers of light bulbs in the world and remained a large producer of valves and light bulbs until it was broken up in the early 90's and the bits sold off to various western companies, General Electric bought a large part of it in 1990 and so did Shréder a little bit later, both companies operate using the original name. Made radios both under the Tungsram name and using the [[Orion]] brand, continued making radios and hi-fi products at the least into the 70's, produced some of the best valves that were made in Europe and should not be confused with some other eastern European products.
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Confusingly, there are two ORIONs, both using nearly identical logos, and both spanning a nearly identical range of products. For example, both are selling television sets with the ORION brand name. Orion (Hungary), founded in 1913, has confirmed that they are '''not''' related with each other.
  
== Orion Electronics (Hungary) ==
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The [[LK-selectable Brand Names#Interview|Cliff Lawson Interview]] isn't perfectly clear which company they were referring to: It only says "far east", but not how far. Considering that the CPC and GX4000 were manufactured in Korea and Japan, it's quite obvious that "far east" meant east Asia to Amstrad; Hungary is central Europe, and it couldn't even really be called east Europe.
 
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* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Electronics - wikipedia about the hungarian orion
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* http://www.orionelec.com/orionabout.htm - the hungarian orion's "about us" (in english)
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Revision as of 07:48, 28 April 2010

CTM644 Monitor with ORION cathode ray tube

Orion is one the LK-selectable Brand Names contained in the CPC BIOS, allowing to display the boot message Orion 64K Microcomputer on power up. Amstrad apparently planned a partnership with a company with that name.

As far as known, the partnership didn't worked in that direction - there have been no CPCs sold using the Orion brand. However, it worked the opposite way around: The CTM640/CTM644 and GT64/GT65 monitors contain cathode ray tubes from Orion.

Orion (Japan)

ORION Electric Co,. Ltd. is japanese company, founded 1958 by Shigemasa Otake.

Orion and ISP KG

The ISP KG acts eurorean retailer for japanese ORION products (from 1975 until today), mentioned here because the CPC BIOS also includes Isp as selectable brand name, which may refer to ISP KG.

Orion Electric (Japan) and Orion Electronics (Hungary)

Confusingly, there are two ORIONs, both using nearly identical logos, and both spanning a nearly identical range of products. For example, both are selling television sets with the ORION brand name. Orion (Hungary), founded in 1913, has confirmed that they are not related with each other.

The Cliff Lawson Interview isn't perfectly clear which company they were referring to: It only says "far east", but not how far. Considering that the CPC and GX4000 were manufactured in Korea and Japan, it's quite obvious that "far east" meant east Asia to Amstrad; Hungary is central Europe, and it couldn't even really be called east Europe.