imported>Gradius2: today's value

2025-04-03T22:43:57Z

today's value

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{{Infobox computer
| Photo = [[Image:Gradiente Expert Brazil.jpg|280px|Gradiente Expert GPC-1]]
| Type = [[home computer]]
| Released = December 1985
| Discontinued = 1990
| Processor = [[Zilog Z80]]A
| Memory = 64 KB–4096 KB (max.)
| OS = [[MSX BASIC]], [[MSX-DOS]], [[CP/M]]
| compatibility = [[MSX]]
| name = Expert
| aka = Expert XP-800
| manufacturer = Gradiente Eletrônica
| successor = Expert GPC-1
| CPUspeed = 3.58 MHz
| graphics = [[TMS9918]]
| sound = [[AY-3-8910]]
| memory card = Cassette tape, cartridges, floppy discs
}}

The '''Expert''' (or '''Expert''' '''XP-800'''), made by [[Gradiente|Gradiente Eletrônica]] (to date best known as a [[video game console|game console]] and [[Hi-Fi]] equipment company) was the second and last [[MSX]] [[home computer]] launched in the [[Brazil]]ian market, in the mid-1980s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Gradiente Expert XP-800 |url=https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=832 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=www.old-computers.com}}</ref>

It was presented to the public at the ''5th International Computing Fair'', nicknamed "Informatica '85".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-05-18 |title=5ª Sucesu e 18º Cong. Nacional da Informática |url=http://mueap.com.br/site/eventos-ver.php?t=1&a=85&c=264 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Museu de Eventos - Anhembi |language=Portuguese |archive-date=2015-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091046/http://mueap.com.br/site/eventos-ver.php?t=1&a=85&c=264 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The event took place at [[Anhembi Convention Center]] in the city of [[São Paulo]] from September 23 to 29, 1985.<ref name="Veja">{{Cite news |date=October 2, 1985 |title=Uma Vitrine Renovada |language=Portuguese |pages=88, 89 |work=VEJA |issue=891 |url=http://mueap.com.br/site/uploaded_files/eventos_1_imagem2_264_2249.pdf |access-date=November 4, 2018 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091048/http://mueap.com.br/site/uploaded_files/eventos_1_imagem2_264_2249.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the announcement, the computer was priced 65 [[:pt:Indexação na economia brasileira#Obrigação Reajustável do Tesouro Nacional|ORTN]] s.<ref name="MS48E">{{Cite news |date=September 1985 |title=Informática 85: o que há de novo no setor |language=Portuguese |pages=36 |work=Micro Sistemas |url=http://files.datassette.org/revistas/micro_sistemas_info85.pdf |access-date=2022-12-16 |archive-date=2015-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518090632/http://files.datassette.org/revistas/micro_sistemas_info85.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Its market release date was 1 December 1985, one week after Epcom's [[Hotbit]], just in time for 1985's Christmas and with a massive media campaign on magazines, newspapers and TV. In the newspapers ads the initial offer price was [[Brazilian cruzeiro (1970–1986)|Cr$]] 4,640,000, or US$470 by the value at the time,<ref name="Estadao">{{Cite news |date=December 15, 1985 |title=BRENO ROSSI shop advertising |language=Portuguese |pages=24 |work=O Estado de S. Paulo |issue=33.987 |url=https://acervo.estadao.com.br/publicados/1985/12/15/g/19851215-33987-nac-0024-999-24-not-ahgpwxe.jpg}}</ref> or US$1,390 by Q2 2025.

The machine was a clone of the [[National (brand)|National]] CF-3000, with a [[computer case]] resembling a [[stereo system]], a detached keyboard with a proprietary connector, no [[caps lock]] [[LED]] and no [[reset key]],<ref name=":0" /> although the soft-reset could be achieved by pressing simultaneously the keys Shift + Control + Delete, while a hard-reset could be achieved by pushing in either of the cartridge slot covers, if they were free.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2023 |title=Gradiente Expert XP-800 |url=https://www.msx.org/wiki/Gradiente_Expert_XP800 |website=MSX Resource Center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2004 |title=Expert |url=http://www.mci.org.br/micro/outros/expert.html |website=Museu da Computação e Informática - MCI |language=Portuguese |access-date=2023-05-20 |archive-date=2011-07-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706161305/http://www.mci.org.br/micro/outros/expert.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

The Expert XP-800 was followed by the '''Expert GPC-1''' ("Gradiente Personal Computer") in 1987, and by '''Expert Plus''' and '''Expert DD Plus''' (a system with a built-in 720 KB 3{{frac|1|2}}" [[floppy disk]] drive) in 1989.<ref name="Gradiente">{{Cite web |title=GRADIENTE Expert Plus |url=https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=807 |url-status= |website=OLD-COMPUTERS.COM}}</ref>

The Expert users waited for an [[MSX2]] machine, but Gradiente never produced it<ref name="Gradiente" /> and discontinued the MSX line in 1990.

==Versions XP-800/GPC-1==
The two first versions had a graphite case and [[Jack (connector)|socketed]] [[Integrated circuit|chips]], which caused a chronic problem: when the machine heated, the chips frequently pulled out and the system "froze". Also, the GPC-1, released in 1987, had a [[Read-only memory|ROM]] slightly modified to solve an [[MSX character set#Brazilian variants|ASCII table]] compatibility issue with the other popular Brazilian MSX, Sharp's [[Hotbit]].

==Versions Plus/DD Plus==
The last two versions had a black case and the problematic socketed chips were replaced by an [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASIC]]. Nevertheless, the [[RAM]] was mapped to a secondary slot and, although it was straight by the MSX standards, caused a lot of crashes with programs who searched for memory in the wrong place. It did not contribute for the popularity of any of the Plus versions.<ref name="Gradiente"/>

These machines used the [[MSX-Engine]] T7937A instead of the Z80A CPU of previous models.

==Technical specifications==
{|class="wikitable"
|CPU||[[Zilog Z80]]A (''XP-800'' & ''GPC-1'') @ 3.58 MHz<br>[[MSX-Engine]] T7937A (''Plus'' & ''DD Plus'') @ 3.58 MHz<br>
|-
|VDP||[[TMS9918]]
|-
|RAM||64 KB
|-
|VRAM||16 KB
|-
|ROM||32 KB
|-
|Keyboard||mechanic, 89 keys (with 4 [[cursor keys]]), [[number pad]]
|-
|Display||text: 40×24 rows; graphics: 256×192 [[pixel]]s, 16 colours, 32 [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]s
|-
|Sound||[[General Instrument AY-3-8910]] (PSG), 3 voices, [[white noise]]
|-
|Ports||2 [[joystick]] connectors, [[TV out]], [[RGB monitor]] out, sound out, [[cassette tape|tape recorder]] connector, [[parallel port]], 2 [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]] slots
|-
|Storage||[[tape recorder]] (1200/2400 [[bit/s]]) or one or two external [[floppy disk|floppy drives]] (5{{frac|1|4}}", 360 KB or 3{{frac|1|2}}", 720 KB)
|}

==Peripherals==
* DR-1 ("data-corder"): [[tape recorder]]
* JS-1: [[joystick]]
* MBW-12: 12" green CRT [[monochrome monitor]]
* TA-1: TV adapter
* TM-1: 1200/75 [[bit/s]] [[modem]] with a [[RS-232]]C port

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Z80]]
[[Category:MSX microcomputer]]

Gradiente Expert - Revision history

imported>Gradius2: today's value