The Hewlett Packard Integral PC

I don't know a lot about this machine, it comes with a built in thinkjet printer, ( apparently the thinkjet was the first inkjet printer made)a 3.5" floppy and a built in flat screen.

The language used was HP UNIX, and that's about all I know This machine was purchased at the same time as the HP85 for £7 and unfortunately it did not come with any software or documentation

Apparently the machine is built round the Motorola MC 68000 and has a 256k ROM and 512k of Ram that is expandable to 1.5meg.

The Unix is on a ROM cartridge on the back of the machine therefore it may be possible that other operating systems were intended.

I had an emil from Scott Hickman who worked on the IPC which I have pasted below.

" I noticed your pic of a HP Integral Personal Computer. I worked on this project at HP Corvallis from 1982-1984. I used to have one but gave it back when I left HP.

There were several versions developed but the only one actually sold was the floppy based Unix version. As you mentioned, the kernel was in a replaceable ROM designed by Joseph Scheffelin. All the UNIX commands had to be loaded using the floppy.

We developed a Hard Drive version which was cancelled. One can attach a 5 Kbyte external hard drive using the built-in HPIB port. I used this computer extensively for test monitoring and control. I used a HPIB connected data acquisition unit to control my test and gather data. I wrote a simple basic (HP85 technical basic) program to talk over the HPIB port.

The built in floppy and printer were nice since they allowed data logging real time.

You are right that the printer was the very first Thinkjet developed. We worked at the same sight as the Thinkjet group (Corvallis) and several of those same engineers are still involved with Inkjets. The floppy was also the very first Sony 3.5" floppy mechanism. They came to us before it was released and we adopted it as a new technology by building it into our project.

The code name was Pisces. The Project Managers were Tom Pearo and Doug Collins. It was a follow on to the Technical Basic based HP80 series computers. The first HP Portable Computer, the HP 110 was developed across the hallway.

Good memories,

Scott Hickman

If you have any further information please contact me at

brian@oldcomputers.freeserve.co.uk