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Acorn A4

AKB60 (2 MB, FDD) · AKB64 (4 MB, HD60) · 1992–1994 · laptop

Specifications

Cpu: ARM3, 24 MHz (drops to 6 MHz, with RAM clock to 3 MHz, in power-save mode)
Ram: max: 4 MB via Acorn's official RAM upgrade; not user-expandable beyond that · base: 2 MB
Ports: PS/2 keyboard port (external keyboard/keypad) · VGA monitor port (15-pin D-sub) · Serial port · Bi-directional parallel (Centronics) printer port · 3.5mm stereo audio jack · Network Interface Slot (Econet module, or Ethernet via a parallel port adaptor)
Battery: 1800 mAh NiCad pack, roughly 2.5 to 4 hours per charge depending on power-save use
Display: 10" dual-panel monochrome LCD, 640x480 with 15 grey scales; external VGA output supports SVGA up to 800x600 in 256 colors
Storage: base: 1.6 MB 3.5" floppy drive only (2 MB/FD configuration, no hard disc) · options: 60 MB 2.5" IDE hard drive, factory-fitted on the 4 MB/HD60 configuration
Weight: 3 kg
Os Support: latest: RISC OS 3.11 via ROM upgrade · shipped: RISC OS 3.1
Release Price: £1,399+VAT (2 MB, floppy only); £1,699+VAT (4 MB, 60 MB hard drive)

Variants

Storage

2 MB / FDAKB60Entry configuration: 2 MB RAM, floppy drive only, no internal hard disc.

4 MB / HD60AKB64Higher-end configuration with 4 MB RAM and a factory-fitted 60 MB 2.5" IDE hard drive.

Upgrade paths

RAM

4 MB via Acorn's official internal RAM upgrade board · This is effectively an Archimedes A5000 squeezed into an A4-paper-sized case, and the first ARM machine Acorn shipped as a genuine portable, but the ARM3 was hemmed in by a fixed 4 MB ceiling with no path beyond it.

~£150 at the time for the official kit

MODERATE

storage

60 MB 2.5" IDE hard drive (factory option), or a same-interface IDE/CompactFlash swap today · The FD-only base unit can be retrofitted with the internal IDE drive from an HD60 unit; modern restorers commonly swap in a CompactFlash card via an IDE adaptor for reliability.

~£30-£60 today for a period-compatible IDE drive or CF-to-IDE adaptor

MODERATE

battery

Original 1800 mAh NiCad pack only · No factory Li-ion replacement exists; restorers either rebuild the NiCad pack with fresh cells or run the machine on external power.

varies, original packs are scarce

HARD