Sakhr (Al Alamiah) AX170, AX200 and AX-350 II
Summary
The collection includes one each of the Al Alamiah AX170, AX200 and AX-350 II. These three MSX models broaden the view of the international spread of personal computers.
The contemporary AX170 manual documents its Arabic-English design. It describes an international or Arabic keyboard, editors for both languages and an adapted version of MSX BASIC for processing Arabic characters.
AX-350 II
The AX-350 II is an MSX2 computer built by Yamaha for Al Alamiah, the company known today as Sakhr. Technically it corresponds to the Yamaha YIS-604/128, with a Z80A processor, 128 KB RAM, a 3.5-inch floppy drive and an RS-232 interface. Like all Al Alamiah computers it has Arabic firmware; commands such as CALL ARABIC switch MSX-BASIC into Arabic mode. It also includes built-in painting, word processing and calendar programs.
An entry point into Arabic-language computing history
The AX170 can illustrate how an international computer standard was adapted for different languages and writing systems. It gives the collection a tangible connection to Arabic-language computing culture.
The language features described here are documented in the AX170 manual. The precise configuration and model variants of the two examples in the collection still need to be documented through individual photographs and markings.
Sources and further links
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