Telcon Zorba

The Telcon Zorba was a late entrant into the world of CP/M portables. By the time it was introduced the Kaypro and Osborne machines already dominated that market and the Compaq, along with others, were making inroads into the DOS portable marketplace.

These factors probably contributed to the short production run for the Zorba although it's quality and it's ability to read disks from almost any other CP/M system helped it become fairly popular while it lasted.

The Zorba packed up nicely into a case about the same size as the old Osborne 1.

The Zorba's also came with 5-sided slipcovers to protect the outer case from damage. The handle poked through the top and a strap ran under the keyboard to secure it further. There was a side pocket big enough to hold disks and some documentation.

These are the 5 original disks that shipped with the Zorba. A CP/M master, Wordstar, MailMerge, CalcStar, and more. As you can see, this machine is pristine enough to have its original drive protectors included.

The machine also came with a full set of manuals for the machine and the MicroPro software as well as a "Learning the Zorba" tutorial on tape.

(Submitted March 19, 2008 12:43:16 by Robert)

I have a Zorba with all original docs. that was modified to run MS-DOS. The internal screen does not work but have external monitor that works. Also have all of the Oracle of Zeus and other manuals. I don't want to throw this computer away if someone wants it. Just pay the shipping cost and it yours.

(Submitted November 4, 2007 11:44:46 by Dave Fletcher)

I worked and traveled with Sid and Fran for a few yrs He always said you cant sell beggals from a empty push carti guess wash.DC will never forget the ZORBA here.....

(Submitted October 28, 2007 17:21:58 by Paul Bertino)

I have a zorba portable that I would like to sell, pjsicon@aol.com. Thanks

(Submitted October 28, 2007 18:29:32 by Paul Bertino)

I have a zorba portable that I would like to sell, pjsicon@aol.com. Thanks

(Submitted September 3, 2007 22:31:38 by John Iler)

What wonderful memories I have of this series. The disk drives were the weak link and they were proprietary, which made it awful to try to replace. The quad drives would write disks that could be read by other quads, but other Zorbas with DS/DD disks would often find that their drives would crank and crank trying to read DS/DD disks written by the quad drives. They were the BEST door stops money could buy in the early 90s!

(Submitted August 19, 2007 16:27:47 by HKS)

I've been reading the Zorba comments with interest and concur with the observations on the Simons. My company is did the CPM bios for the Zorba. It was an interesting project.

(Submitted May 16, 2007 14:14:35 by Philip Anderson)

I have a Zorba computer with a 9 amber screen and dual, quad density floppy drives. This was my second Zorba computer. This machine starts up and displays the Zorba logo but, as best I can determine, the floppy drives need to be realigned. Same thing happened to my first Zorba but was able to send it back to the factory to get it repaired. I would like to sell this Zorba computer along with the manuals, schematics and software. Contact me at: anderson@pplant.msu.edu

(Submitted April 3, 2007 16:20:37 by Bob R)

Sid Simon and Frannie Simon what a pair they were. The previous poster is actually being polite in his description of them. The daughter was a real gem too. The biggest thrill at Telcon was when the bank would actually cash your payroll check. On more than one occasion they didn't.

(Submitted April 1, 2007 13:12:00 by Thomas Bonge)

Sid Simon was an ass and his wife was a bitch. He was about 5'6 and a fat dumpy little pig. She was about 5'10 and thought she was still the raving beauty she must have been 10 years earlier. He drove his workers unmercessly and when they couldn't work any longer she started throwing her tits around to get them to work harder. When they would walk together she would be looking down at his bald head.

But that was one FANTASTIC machine.

Anyone have a brown working model for sale?

(Submitted January 10, 2007 14:46:43 by Steve)

I have found two ZORBA's at work and have no disks. Both are GC-200 with 7 screen. Is there a way to get a boot disk?

(Submitted August 28, 2006 13:47:34 by charlie oliver)

i have one and it is working , but soo hard to do much stuff with it , it is fun though. i collect computers in st.louis mo.usa.Charlie

(Submitted May 8, 2006 13:36:38 by John Evans)

Greetings,

I owned a Zorba model 7 from about 1983 until 1985. It was my second computer (first was a kit built Northstar Horizon) and a very nice workhouse. My wife used it to produce her MS thesis having it connected to a typewriter with parallel interface. If I could own another complete Zorba system, I would.

(Submitted May 6, 2006 14:21:54 by Harry Zandbergen)

Just to let everyone know. I created Zorba web site at www.zorba.z80.de

Feel free to contribute any info you have.

(Submitted May 2, 2006 14:49:15 by Grant)

Hi, just stumbled across your page - dusting off old memories - I was a contract engineer to Sid Simon prior to the Zorba release, I wrote the BIOS and although the hardware was complete, I fixed a few things. I remember Sid always saying when will we be done? - I added the baudot (5 level) decoding capability to make it compatible with his news terminals but it took some time. A few years later a friend and I formed Advanced Concepts Engineering and made hard disk add-ons for most desktop and portable CP/M machines including the Zorba, both external and internal, 10 and 20 mb. I don't recall selling any Zorba kits, the Kaypro and Osborne were too strong by then. One other remembrance, when the first lot of Zorba cases arrived from the molder, I was in the building when they were opened and everyone said BROWN!!! expecting something more techlike. Sid's wife chose the color and nobody knew until they arrived. So brown it was. -Grant

(Submitted March 6, 2006 10:57:36 by (a href=mailto:randy1bnospamAtcomcastdotnetdontspam)Randy(/a))

Paul O'Nolan, I remember you from ZEUS days. I still have the ZEUS t-shirt. I did software mods for the Zorba, my first and last foray into assembly language programming.

(Submitted January 13, 2006 12:12:56 by Jim)

I have a Telcon Zorba however it is slightly different than the one you have pictured here. I understand that at one time they produced a version where the drive bays and the screen were swapped, possibly to allow the installation of a larger 9 in. screen. Also the circuit breaker is relocated to the left side of the panel between the reset switch and the power connector. If you would like pics and more information on this variant, let me know. jrosstheman(at)bellsouth.net

(Submitted December 22, 2005 14:58:40 by Alain)

I had worked at ModComp (Modular Computers)with Randy during the Zorba production days. I spent way too much time gluing small ferrite magnets along the yoke of the small displays to straighten out the image. The Zorba was an incredibly labor intensive microcomputer to produce, even at that time. I just dropped off my Zorba at our local recycling center today.

(Submitted September 12, 2005 16:52:38 by Brad Mathews)

Ahhh.... fond memories! The Zorba was my second computer (after C64). I got a very early one, heavily discounted, because my computer teacher knew a bigwig at Telcon. I guess they wanted to seed the education market - I was in high school at the time. I spent most of my time with C-Basic which seemed like I finally had a real programming language to me because you could actually complile it!

I used it until 1987 when I sold it for $200.

- Brad

(Submitted June 23, 2005 06:43:37 by Ram Meempat)

Dear John: I wish I could help you, but the only way I can do so is unload those monsters from your back if you pay me $100 for each. It's a deal!

(Submitted June 23, 2005 06:24:29 by Ram Meempat)

I was given a Zorba free of cost when a left my job at Modular Computer Systems, Ft Lauderdale in the yeat 1986. I had a whole lot of problems to use that monster and finally my son in law rescued me by taking away the thing to play with it. He too got sick of it and I guess it is lying somewhere in his garage.

(Submitted June 5, 2005 10:40:17 by Paul O'Nolan)

Greetings to old Zorba friends if any find this. Found this while browsing and it brings back memories.

(Submitted April 22, 2005 11:11:21 by LaVay)

Just dug up my Zorba (had two...traded one about 15 years ago for some software). Discovered all my disks are gone except one Wordstar/Spell Star disk. Any chance of getting a boot disk from someone so I can see if this thing will get past the initial startup message.

Thanks.

(Submitted April 22, 2005 11:10:48 by LaVay)

(Submitted April 9, 2005 20:06:42 by Randy)

More.. The Zorba was solid, but very costly to produce.The cases were always a problem and took many hours of rework to get then to fit right the Keyboard in the top was my idea. But I wanted a slimmer one that could be stored in the top and removed. then the software would be stored in the top (lid) also. I was shocked to see the pictures. The Zorba died because of the costs to build it and the delays to get it finally FCC approved. I left Modcomp in 1984 and have never seen one again until tonight. Thanks for the pictures Randy

(Submitted April 9, 2005 19:58:49 by Randy)

In 1983, Sid Simon, Owner or Telcon (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) sold the Rights to the Zorba to ModComp, Modular Computer Systems. The case was changed from brown to Black. I was surprise to see the brown one, When I worked there (Telcon), only been a few dozen of them had been sold. By the time Zorba was sold to ModComp, I was working as an engineer with Modcomp and dreaded the day I was told that we would be required to make the Zorba FCC compliant. The only way to do this was to coat the inside of the case with an RF shield and to have a special AC cord made. the AC cord was designed by an associate of mine Vern Hargeaves, who also worked at Modcomp. The Zorba was sold to Modcomp for 5 million dollars. I was in charge of the video portion and getting the CRT's to work. we had tons of them that we had to glue (RTV) magnets to the tube just to get the text straight. More later... Randy

(Submitted February 27, 2005 05:32:15 by Jim)

I have two Zorbas with some software. One works and the other needs a video chip which is insertable. These are left over from a shortlived dealership in 1984.

(Submitted December 13, 2004 21:45:20 by (a href=mailto:)Hemorah(/a))

I'll like to buy them for $3.00 each. Do you live in New Zealand?

(Submitted November 27, 2004 10:06:19 by Jeff R.)

To John M. I tried to Email you but your address must have changed. I saw your post about having 2 Zorba's. How much would you like to get for them? and what shape are they in? Do you have everything for them? If your interested I could do a trade... I have some Kaypros, with documentation and software, a Visual 1050 with Docs and software, Superbrains, Apple Macintosh (original type), CoCo's, Commodore 64, Atari ST, and TI 99/4a. Also have some laptops... Epson HX-20 (non working), PX-8 Geneva (Cp/M machine), Tandy 2820 HD (unknown if working-no power supply). Thanks! Jeff R. in Texas

(Submitted October 26, 2004 22:50:58 by Michele)

I'll like to contact You John, but Your email still not working [(jamc@bendcable.com) is not a valid mailbox]

Michele

(Submitted October 26, 2004 18:11:35 by Erik)

My webmaster email will work. I suspect that Johns will as well. . .

Erik

(Submitted October 26, 2004 16:18:39 by (a href=mailto:)M(/a))

I'll like to contact You .... if Your email will work..

(Submitted October 22, 2004 18:03:51 by John M)

I have two Zorbas with all the docs and S/W I have no use for them. If any interest I can make a great deal

JM

Description
Manufacturer	Telcon Industries
Model	Zorba
Date Announced	1983
Date Canceled	1984
Number Produced	Unknown
Country of Origin	USA
Price	$1,600
Current Value	$10-$250

Specifications
Processor	Zilog Z80
Speed	4 MHz
RAM	64K
ROM	4K
Storage	5.25" floppy disk
Expansion	N/A
Bus	N/A
Video	Built-in 80x24 monochrome text
I/O	Parallel, Serial
OS Options	CP/M

Notes	The Zorba in my collection is basically new-in-the-box. It came with all of the original packaging, documentation and disks.

Related Items in Collection	Manuals, training tapes, software
Related Items Wanted	Additional Zorba software