Xen

The Xen was Apricot's successor to the PC/XI.   It was one of the first computers to use the 80286 processor.  The Xen development project was codenamed 'Candyfloss' within Apricot and it was launched in October 1985 as a direct competitor to the IBM PC-AT.

Xen was shipped with Microsoft Windows v1 as standard along with an unusual 'paperwhite' monochrome monitor as an option, although a cheaper green phosphor screen was also offered to keep the entry-level price low.    The Paperwhite screen was by far the better option and made the computer really stand out.

The Xen was not an IBM clone but extended the architecture used for the Sirius and PC/Xi.  It was Apricot's last non IBM-compatible product, with the company bowing to the inevitable and moving to full IBM compatibility with the launch of the Xen-i a year or so later.

The big news was that Xen shipped with a new thing from Microsoft called 'Windows'.  It replaced DR Gem on all Apricot products moving forward.

The Microscreen LCD keyboard display from the PC/Xi was brought through in an upgraded form, and the computer launched with new peripherals like a phone handset and the same microphone as was shipped with the FP - for use with voice dictation applications.

I remember this thing arriving in the office - it was like something from the future compared to the IBM XT next to it, and Windows look gorgeous on the white screen.  The biggest problem was the enormous external PSU and unwieldy cable that was a real challenge to set up without making it look ugly.

CPU

Intel 80286 @ 7.5MHz

RAM

512Kb or 1Mb onboard - Up to 4Mb with expansion cards

Storage

Double sided Sony 720Kb Floppy Drives

20Mb Hard disk

20Mb internal tape drive (optional upgrade)

External ports

RS232C Serial Port

Parallel Printer Port - Centronics

Keyboard Connector

Internal Expansion

5 x Apricot expansion slots

Xen FD (512Kb RAM, Twin 720Kb 3.5" floppy drives)

Xen HD (1Mb RAM, 20Mb Hard Disk, 720Kb 2.5" floppy drive)

Xen WS (1Mb RAM, no storage)

The Xen used the same proprietary expansion slots as the PC/Xi series, and could use the same expansion cards.  There was a removable hatch on the top of the case that granted access to these slots without the need to remove the entire case, although the plastic clip was very susceptible to damage from the scissors that you inevitably used to open the thing.

The Xen was the only Apricot product to use an external 'power brick'  - This was HUGE (more of a power breeze-block than a brick) and connected to the Xen with a very substantial and unwieldy cable.

To the left of the function keys on the keyboard was a small plastic plug.  This could be removed to reveal a socket for mounting a microphone - used for Apricot's foray into speech recognition.