Announcing the IMSAI VDP-40 - Microcomputer System Solution

Here is an advert for IMSAI's less well-known VDP-40, the VDP bit standing for "Video Data Processing", whilst IMSAI was a contraction of IMS Associates, Inc, itself standing for "Information Management Sciences"[source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMS_Associates,_Inc]. 

It marks something of a departure from the previous - and famous - <a href="comm_015">IMSAI 8080</a>, which was a switches-and-lights interface machine, presumably taking on board the new all-in-one competition in the form of the Commodore PET, Tandy TRS-80 and Apple II that had launched in 1977. 

Instead, the VDP was an integrated unit comprising a 9" monitor (the same size as that built-in to the PET), 32 or 64K RAM, an S-100 bus, and two integrated PerSci 5.25" floppy drives. 

It came in three versions - the VDP-40 (with 180K disk storage), VDP-42 (400K) and VDP-44 (780K). All used a 3MHz Intel 8085 CPU, which was a second-generation 8080 with a single 5V supply requirement[source: http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/8085]. They all ran IMSAI's "IMDOS" multi-disk operating system, and weighed in at 65lbs  - about 30kg[source: IMSAI VDP-4X brochure, http://classictech.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/1978-imsai-vdp-4x-brochure-8-15-78.pdf]

IMSAI filed for bankruptcy in October 1979, after a failed attempt to diversify in to computer retailing via its "ComputerLand" outlets. Computerland was eventually taken over by the Fischer-Freitas Company, which had originally started out as a support outfit for IMSAI's computers[source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMS_Associates,_Inc.#ComputerLand].

IMSAI seemed to also have been something of a poisoned chalice amongst UK computer dealers as well. 

About the same time as it was going bankrupt, one of its UK suppliers - Corner Computing Store in Epsom - was closing down and turning in to a consultancy. It became at least the third company to "fail to make a profit handling [the IMSAI] franchise", although it blamed its closure on the fact that other retailers would "cut the price and run"[source: "IMSAI cornered", PCW, February 1980, p. 37]. 

The otherwise-profitable Comart was another that had to abandon IMSAI, returning to Cromemco and North Star instead.

