Here is a detailed look at a rare new old stock NABU Personal Computer from the early 1980s, an innovative Canadian home computer platform often described as "the internet before the internet." Founded in Ottawa, Canada in 1982, the NABU Network combined a Zilog Z80A-based personal computer with a cable television delivery system capable of downloading games, software, educational content, news, and interactive services directly through a cable connection years before the rise of the modern internet.
This video documents the unboxing, hardware overview, restoration, and first boot experience of a preserved NABU PC obtained during the resurgence of interest surrounding newly discovered old stock systems released in late 2022. The video includes detailed examinations of the NABU motherboard, Z80A processor, TMS9918 graphics hardware, AY-3-8910 sound chip, Alps mechanical keyboard switches, joystick ports, rear expansion connectors, and common hardware issues including noisy power supply fans found in many surviving units.
The video also demonstrates reconnecting the NABU computer to the revived NABU Network using modern gateway software running through a laptop connection, showcasing software loading, the online category menu system, Pac-Man developed by Leo Binkowski during the 1980s, and real-time communication through the revived RetroNET online chat system. For retro computing enthusiasts, vintage computer collectors, and fans of early online technology history, the NABU PC remains one of the most fascinating and forward-thinking home computer systems of the early 1980s.