Microkey Primo

The Microkey Primo is a Brazilian home computer that was introduced in 1986 by Microdigital Eletronica Ltda. It was one of the early microcomputers produced in Brazil and gained popularity in the country during the 1980s. Here's a brief history of the Microkey Primo:

1. Development and Release: The Microkey Primo was developed by Microdigital Eletronica, a Brazilian electronics company founded in the early 1980s. It was designed as an affordable home computer targeting the Brazilian market, which was experiencing a burgeoning interest in personal computing during that time.

2. Specifications: The Microkey Primo was based on the Zilog Z80 microprocessor, which was a popular choice for many home computers of that era. It featured 32 KB of RAM, expandable to 64 KB, and 16 KB of ROM. The system also included a built-in BASIC interpreter, which allowed users to program and run software directly on the machine.

3. Peripherals and Expansion: The Microkey Primo was compatible with a range of peripherals, including printers, disk drives, and cassette tape recorders. It also had expansion ports for adding additional hardware components and accessories, such as memory upgrades and external storage devices.

4. Software Library: Like many home computers of its time, the Microkey Primo had a modest but growing library of software available for it. This included productivity applications, educational software, games, and programming tools. Some software was developed locally in Brazil, while others were ports or adaptations of international titles.

5. Popularity and Impact: The Microkey Primo enjoyed moderate success in Brazil during the 1980s, particularly among hobbyists, students, and small businesses. Its affordability and relative ease of use made it accessible to a wide range of users. However, it faced competition from other home computers, both domestically produced and imported, such as the MSX series and the ZX Spectrum.

6. Decline and Legacy: As technology advanced and new generations of more powerful computers emerged, the popularity of the Microkey Primo waned. Microdigital Eletronica struggled financially, and the company eventually ceased production of the Microkey Primo and other products in the early 1990s. Despite its relatively short lifespan, the Microkey Primo remains a nostalgic piece of computing history for many Brazilians and is remembered fondly by those who used it during its heyday.