Transam: The Exciting New Triton Personal Computer

The Transam Triton was a British-built Intel 8080A-based kit computer[source: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/6210/Transam-Triton/] that was first released in December 1978. 

It was initially launched as a joint project with Electronics Today international magazine, which contained the instructions needed in order to build the kit.

Somewhat uniquely, it offered different levels of firmware with alternate ROM-based BASICs at its various price points.

The entry-level kit, which retailed at £286 + 15% VAT ([[329|1979]] in [[now]] money) offered a 2K Tiny BASIC, whilst for only an extra £8 ([[8|1979]] in [[now]]) - and for an increase of only 3% who wouldn't? - you could get a 2.5K Tiny BASIC. 

Finally, for £459 ([[459|1979]] in [[now]]) the kit came with a 7.5K "Scientific" BASIC plus an additional off-board 56K memory, bringing the total up to 64Kb - the maximum an 8-bit processor can address.

[picture: transam_boards_praccomp_dec79.webp|Some of Transam's products, including the Triton, a selection of S-100 boards and the "full range" of Ithaca's products. From PRAC, December 1979]

Transam was also a re-seller and at the end of 1979 the company announced that it had acquired a dealership for Ithaca's single-board computers and other products.  That apparently made it one of the few London sources of cheap S-100 components. 

In addition, the company also offered Commodore PET, Tandy and Apple memory upgrades[source: "New from Transam", Personal Computer World, December 1979, p. 36].

