View source for Compis

{{Short description|Personal computer for educational settings}}
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{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}
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{{distinguish|Compiz}}
{{Infobox computer
| aka          = Scandis (Norway, Denmark and Finland)
| logo         = 
| image        = Telenova Compis.jpg
| caption      = An example Compis system, showing two 5.25-inch floppy disk drives, keyboard, monitor and external hard disk drive
| developer    = 
| manufacturer = [[Svenska Datorer]], [[TeleNova]]
| type         = 
| generation   = 
| release date = 1984
| lifespan     = 
| price        = 
| discontinued = 1988
| units sold   = 
| media        = 
| os           = [[CP/M-86]], [[MS-DOS]]
| power        = 
| cpu          = [[Intel 80186]]
| memory       = 
| storage      = 
| display      = 
| graphics     = 
| sound        = 
| input        = 
| connectivity = 
| dimensions   = 
| weight       = 
| related      = 
}}

'''Compis''' (''COMPuter I Skolan'') was a computer system intended for the general educational system in [[Sweden]] and sold to Swedish schools beginning in 1984 through the distributor [[Esselte]] Studium, who also was responsible for the software packages. 

The computers were also used in Danish, Finnish and Norwegian schools under the name '''Scandis'''.

== History ==
In 1980, the [[ABC 80]] used in the schools was regarded as becoming obsolete, and the National Swedish Board for Technical Development (''Styrelsen för teknisk utveckling'') was tasked to find a replacement. In 1981, the procurement ''Tudis (Teknikupphandlingsprojekt Datorn i Skolan) '' was launched, and while the decision was controversial, [[Svenska Datorer AB]]  was awarded the contract with development beginning in 1982. After Svenska Datorer went bankrupt, production was transferred to TeliDatorer/Telenova under [[Televerket (Sweden)]].

The computer was distributed by [[Esselte]] and exclusively marketed towards, and sold to, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish schools, mainly high stage (year 7-9) and [[Gymnasium (school)|gymnasium-level]]. The Norwegian [[Ministry of Education and Research (Norway)|Ministry of Church and Education Affairs]] established a framework agreement for the procurement of the Scandis 128 and [[Tiki-100]] systems for the country's school system.<ref name="kud1984">{{ cite book | url=http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2015062408191 | title=Veiledning for bruk av rammeavtaler ved innkjøp av datautstyr og bruksrett til programutrustning til skoleverket | publisher=Kirke- og undervisningsdepartementet | date=1984 | access-date=19 August 2025 | language=nb }}</ref>{{rp|pages=1}}

The computer was based on the [[Intel 80186]] [[central processing unit|CPU]], fitted with 128&nbsp;KB of RAM as standard, expandable to 256&nbsp;KB, and used [[CP/M-86]] as the operating system in [[Read-only memory|ROM]] alongside a BASIC implementation.<ref name="samish1984">{{ cite book | url=http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2007071301013 | title=Velg riktig mikrodatamaskin | isbn=8200354199 | publisher=Universitetsforlaget | last1=Samish | first1=Francis | date=1984 | access-date=19 August 2025 | language=nb | pages=87–88 }}</ref> Display configurations included resolutions of {{nowrap|1280 x 800}} pixels in monochrome and {{nowrap|640 x 400}} in eight colours, these requiring an elevated 128&nbsp;KB of video RAM, along with a more modest {{nowrap|640 x 400}} in monochrome only requiring 32&nbsp;KB of video RAM. Norwegian educational pricing for the base monochrome model was {{Currency|5800|NOK}}, rising to {{Currency|6800|NOK}} for the higher-resolution or colour versions. Monitors added {{Currency|1800|NOK}} or {{Currency|3800|NOK}} for the high-resolution monochrome or colour models respectively. Disk drives also added upwards of {{Currency|2800|NOK}} to the price.<ref name="kud1984"/> The machine could also run [[MS-DOS]] from disk. The computer had a wide selection of ports, including one for a [[light pen]]. The Compis project was criticized from the start, and as the move to [[IBM PC]] compatibility came it was left behind and finally cancelled in 1988 although it was in use well into the 1990s.

== Applications ==
Notable applications being run on the Compis in an educational environment include:

* [[COMAL]] interpreter
* [[Turbo Pascal|Turbo Pascal 3.0]] compiler, under the name Scandis-Pascal
* [[WordStar]] word processor
* ''Harmony'' software: word processing, spreadsheet and database. The name was a pun on [[Lotus Symphony for DOS|Lotus Symphony]], the dominant [[productivity software]] at the time.

Some schools had simple [[local area network]]s of Compis/Scandis computers, in which 10–20 machines shared one [[hard disk]] with a typical capacity of 10[[megabyte|MB]].

== See also ==
* [[Education in Sweden]]
* [[Unisys ICON]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* [https://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/lång/compis Nationalencyclopedins nätupplaga, "Compis"]
* [https://www.internetmuseum.se/tidslinjen/compis-introducerar-datorn-i-skolan/ Swedish Internet museum]

== External links ==
* [http://www.df.lth.se/~pi/compis/ Telenova Compis]: some documentation available here (page in Swedish).

[[Category:Personal computers]]
[[Category:Goods manufactured in Sweden]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1984]]
[[Category:Educational hardware]]