LogAbax

LogAbax was a French computer brand. Founded in 1942, the company was one of France's pioneers in computer manufacturing. The name is composed of two abbreviations: Log from logarithm and Abax from abacus.^[1]

The company was created in 1942 as “La Société Française des Brevets LogAbax”. In 1947 it employs twenty people and has a factory located at Malakoff. The company obtains a contract from CNRS for the construction of a "Couffignal machine", intended to be the fist French "electronic calculation machine".^[2] Between 1948 and 1950 LogAbax studies an electronic meter, related to the electronic calculator development.^[3]

In 1968 LogAbax and Bariquand et Marre merge, forming LogAbax SA.

The LX 500, a personal computer based on the Z80 microprocessor and running the CP/M operating system, is presented in 1978.^[4][5]

Due to poor results in the late 1970s,^[6] LogAbax files for bankruptcy in 1981, with Olivetti becoming the majority shareholder, creating a new entity named Société Nouvelle LogAbax.

The Persona 1600, a PC compatible machine with an Intel 8086 CPU (similar to Olivetti M24) is presented in 1985.^[7][8] Other rebranded Olivetti PCs follow (Persona 1800^[9] and 1300^[10]).

In 1988 Olivetti France and Société Nouvelle LogAbax merge, becoming Olivetti-LogAbax.

• LX 3200 - office computer, calculator, typewriter, printer, 1969^[11]
• LX 2200, 2600 - office computer, calculator, typewriter, printer, 1974/75^[12]
• LX 4200, 4300, 4400, 4500, 4600 - office computer, 1970s/75^[13]
• LX 5000, 5076, 5200 - multi-user 16-bit computer, 64 Kb RAM, 1976/77^[14][15]
• LX 2000, 2010, 2500 - 1976
• LX 500, 518, 528 - Z80A, 128Kb RAM, CP/M, 1978^[4][5][16]
• LX 3000, 3128, 3500 - multi-user office computer, 1980^[17]
• Hyper 32 - fault tolerant redundant computer, 1983^[18][19][20]
• Persona 800 - Z80 @ 4 MHz, 64KB RAM, CP/M, 1985^[21]
• Persona 1600 (Olivetti M24) - Nanoréseau^[22] network machine, 8086 @ 8 MHz, 1985^[7][8][23]
• Persona 1800 (Olivetti M28) - 80286 @ 8 MHz, 1986^[9][24][25]
• Persona 1300 (Olivetti M19) - 8088 @ 4.77 MHz, 256KB RAM, 1986^[10][26]
• 3B modèle 400 (Olivetti CPS/32 Stratos) - 68030, VOS, 1986^[27]

• Computing for All, a French government plan to introduce computers to the country's pupils

Media related to LogAbax at Wikimedia Commons