Does anyone know anything about this mysterious thing called an Intel TRM-1?

[Mark Gent]

Hi,

I recently discovered the appearance on eBay of what looks to me like a terminal called the Intel TRM-1:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/236577348626

I have seen many an Intel manual and used quite a few or their machines, but never seen any of these.
(and if I had sufficient space for it and was living in the US and had no doubt more money than sense I would have snapped that up in a microsecond)

Is it a re-badged Hazeltine or something?

Has anyone come across one before?

Thanks,

Mark

[craig andrews]

I have been watching this, but once I saw the asking price more just out of curiosity rather than any thought of purchasing.  

I know the Intel terminal showed up with the original MDS in the late 70s, I used one but it was hanging on a bare bones system. 

Craig

[Herbert Johnson]

I don't remember this terminal configuration after half a century. but I
looked at the photos and used some judgement. I think "rebadged" is
pretty likely.

The bottom of the terminal has glued on labels which strongly suggest
this was a piece of Intel property, not necessarily an Intel product.
ONe label has a date 9/16/83. The front has two matching "Intel" molded
badges, which could have been attached by anyone.

The screen has a lot of burn-in characters, which suggest heavy use with
a software product that had a distinctive menu. Not sure how that could
identify use or origin.

I recommend a visual search for terminals produced prior to 1983 that
look like this one. The keyboard has unique layout and colors. Possibly
inspection of the keycaps would be informative.

I don't like training AI's. But this circumstance suggests use of Google
Image. Easier done than explained.

> AI Overview
> This item is a vintage Data General Dasher D200 terminal branded with Intel logos.
>
> It features a green phosphor Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display.
> The keyboard has distinctive blue function keys.
> This specific unit was likely used as a development workstation for Intel microprocessors.
> These are considered collectibles for vintage computing enthusiasts.

Well, that failed. the search "focused" (correlated) with the blue
keycaps found one the Data General DG D200, but that ain't it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Vintagekeyboards/comments/1f2179h/data_media_elite_3000_keyboard/

On a hunch: The above Data Media product keyboard, matches the physical
layout of the badged Intel terminal. A change of keycaps would complete
the match. But that suggests a keyboard producer, not a terminal producer.

https://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

A search here, or a post to their Wiki, may be productive.

That's all I've got. - regards Herb Johnson

On 3/15/2026 2:43 PM, craig andrews wrote:
>
> I have been watching this, but once I saw the asking price more just out
> of curiosity rather than any thought of purchasing.
> I know the Intel terminal showed up with the original MDS in the late
> 70s, I used one but it was hanging on a bare bones system.
>
> Craig
> On Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 10:58:11 AM UTC-7 Mark Gent wrote:
>
> I recently discovered the appearance on eBay of what looks to me
> like a terminal called the Intel TRM-1:
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/236577348626

> Is it a re-badged Hazeltine or something?
> Has anyone come across one before?

--
Herb Johnson, New Jersey USA
http://www.retrotechnology.com or .net
preserve and restore 1970's personal computing
email: hjohnson @ retrotechnology dot com
or try later at herbjohnson @ comcast dot net

[Al Kossow]

On 3/15/26 2:23 PM, Herbert Johnson wrote:

>> I recently discovered the appearance on eBay of what looks to me
>> like a terminal called the Intel TRM-1:
>> https://www.ebay.com/itm/236577348626
>> Is it a re-badged Hazeltine or something?
>> Has anyone come across one before?
>

Zentec

[craig andrews]

Here is a photo of a MDS with the terminal

https://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/intel-MDS-blue-box/IntelMSD472.JPG

[Herbert Johnson]

Bingo:

https://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.php/Zentec_Zephyr

http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/datapro/programmable_terminals/Datapro_C21_Zentec.pdf

Regards Herb

On 3/15/2026 5:32 PM, Al Kossow wrote:

>> Zentec

> On 3/15/26 Mark Gent wrote:
>
>>> I recently discovered the appearance on eBay of what looks to me
>>> like a terminal called the Intel TRM-1:
>>> https://www.ebay.com/itm/236577348626
>>> Is it a re-badged Hazeltine or something?
>>> Has anyone come across one before?

[Mark Gent]

Hi everyone,

Many thanks for demystifying this.

Clearly Intel *did* sell (re-badged) terminals with their early kit.  I've really absolutely never seen one in any of their many databooks, let alone one "in the flesh", but looking at it again their is a similar terminal shown in the section for the ICE-85 in the 1978 Intel Component Data Catalog.  But clearly they never sold them or advertised them on their own.

This also finally explains what that zentec.mac file is doing in the Aedit distribution.

I do think that TRM-1 is a good-looking machine (one-piece, many-key-keyboard with traditional keycaps), but it's not exactly easy to get another CRT and fitting a TFT means sawing into the CRT surround.
However, if anyone has a non-working one in the UK that can be provided with modern innards then please give me a shout ;-)

Again, many thanks for clearing this up.

Cheers,

Mark

[James Brown]

NO

That is an MDS CRT-Terminal in the Digibarn Photo!

James

Sent from my iPhone

On 16 Mar 2026, at 04:40, craig andrews <andre...@gmail.com> wrote:

Here is a photo of a MDS with the terminal

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[Herbert Johnson]

It's not entirely clear to me that Intel sold (many) Zentec produced
terminals with their Intel 8-bit development systems. While I'm not
obsessed with identifying terminals, other people certainly are;
https://terminals-wiki.org/ for instance. There's reasons for you (Mark)
to follow such content, as I'll show after some lecturing (sorry).

Checking your evidence:

> ICE-85 in the 1978 Intel Component Data Catalog.

Please provide links to online documents when you reference them; as I
did. I found this copy:

https://www.bitsavers.org/components/intel/_dataBooks/1978_Intel_Component_Data_Catalog.pdf

Catalog page 13-63 (PDF page 783) shows an ICE-85 system image. The
terminal shown there is NOT the (apparent) Zentec terminal in
discussion. The keypad on the far right doesn't match. It's more like
the terminal referenced by Craig Andrews in this thread.

https://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/intel-MDS-blue-box/IntelMSD472.JPG

I recognize "Craig's" terminal as one I used in the era on a MDS-800,
and one I've seen with many other MDS-800 (first generation blue) Intel
brand Multibus systems. The keyboard for this terminal, is in a separate
case. (There's a history of discussion about finding over-priced
keyboards for that terminal.) I think other list members will agree, but
image-search for INtel's Multibus systems should show a lot of these
"Intel" terminals.

I don't know who produced that ("Craig's", Intel's) terminal for Intel
or how it was produced. To be brief: a terminal is keyboard + CRT
monitor assy + terminal controller + power supplies + cabinetry. Each of
these can be contracted out by the "OEM" (original equipment
manufacturer like INtel) and then "badged" by the OEM. I"d bet Intel did
not create CRT's or video boards which drove them: Motorola and Ball
were two who did. Terminal documentation sometimes included copies of
the original monitor" producers' documents. Why? For servicing, as I'm
explaining.

Same considerations apply to the identified Zentec terminal in
discussion. I know little about the Zentec company. But Zentec documents
found (previous posts) show that Zentec *also* produced 8080 processor
development systems. Question: why would Intel sell a terminal, produced
by a competing microprocessor development company? Possible answer:
Zentec sold terminals before selling development systems, Intel changed
their mind? I do not know.

> zentec.mac file is doing in the Aedit distribution.

Let's be specific. Are there copies of Intel-labeled diskettes which
contain Aedit, also contain zentec.mac? More than one diskette copy?
That would be supporting evidence. Original dates of those files would
be informative. Others who have Intel disk archives may know about this.

In previous posts, I commented on my observations of photos of your
(Mark Gent's) apparent-Zendec terminal. Intel identifiers on that
terminal appeared to me to be applied by hand, not necessarily by Intel
as an Intel-distributed product. I'm still saying, it's *possible* some
Intel location bought ONE Zentec terminal and slapped some labels and
badges on ONE for internal use.

-------------------------------------------

> not exactly easy to get another CRT

Here's why I'm explaining all this. So you want to replace the burned-in
CRT? Well, your call; as that burned text reveals the history of use of
that terminal with something - match the text, find the something.

But to replace the CRT, you need to find the producer - not of the
terminal, but either the CRT itself or the CRT monitor assembly. Look at
paper labels on the CRT, and it may have a brand and model number. Look
at the video board adjacent to the CRT, see if it has a brand/model
number. OF course, if you found Zentec documents or matching Zentec
terminals (or asked owners of such), you might find CRT brand/model info.

A bit of engineering/tech work, could find an equivalent CRT. Here's
how. CRT's of that size had two "neck" diameters. (Correlates to the
deflection angle, nevermind what that means.) YOu have to have the right
neck diameter, to fit the yoke assembly.

CRT's also have a diagonal measure (corner of screen to corner). A
12-inch diagonal CRT often has a model-number "12-something", 9-inch
diagonal "9-something", and so on. And CRT's are a vacuum tube. There's
old books of vacuum tube specifications, some are specific to CRT's by
that model number. I won't list CRT vacuum tube features, homework on
CRTs and vacuum tubes provide details.

In the era, techs replaced CRT's all the time. Neck diameter, diagonal
measure, and some homework about internal vacuum tube connections
determined compatibility. Some adjustment of analog components in the
video board may be needed. I've done this myself, with ADM-3A terminals.
Replacing CRT's is about like replacing transistors. I'm sure that
sounds very arcane in 2026.

> fitting a TFT means sawing into the CRT surround.

It's entirely your business if you want to do this sort of thing. But
there's people in the vintage computing community who would find that
plan less than satisfactory. There's also people who do that all the
time and find it quite an accomplishment. again: ask around that
community - but watch out. I'm old, so I'd compare this situation to
vintage-car restoration versus hot-rodding mods. It's two different car
collector camps, if repairing old cars is informative. I'm just saying,
know the side you are talking to when you mention "TFT".

> a non-working one in the UK

I've just described a path by which you MIGHT find that CRT in the UK.
My apologies for an unasked-for lecture. But you asked for help, in
posting here. This is what (I think) help looks like. You aren't alone
in the terminal world, and a terminal isn't one thing, it's many things,
and there's tech history about each of them, and people interested.

regards Herb Johnson

On 3/16/2026 9:13 PM, Mark Gent wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> Many thanks for demystifying this.
>
> Clearly Intel *did* sell (re-badged) terminals with their early kit.
> I've really absolutely never seen one in any of their many databooks,
> let alone one "in the flesh", but looking at it again their is a similar
> terminal shown in the section for the ICE-85 in the 1978 Intel Component
> Data Catalog.  But clearly they never sold them or advertised them on
> their own.
>
> This also finally explains what that zentec.mac file is doing in the
> Aedit distribution.
>
> I do think that TRM-1 is a good-looking machine (one-piece,
> many-key-keyboard with traditional keycaps), but it's not exactly easy
> to get another CRT and fitting a TFT means sawing into the CRT surround.
> However, if anyone has a non-working one in the UK that can be provided
> with modern innards then please give me a shout ;-)
>
> Again, many thanks for clearing this up.
>
> Cheers, Mark

[James Brown]

Also to mention one has a detached keyboard, the keyboard layout is completely different, front bezel completely different, in fact there is zero similarity!

Sent from my iPhone

On 17 Mar 2026, at 15:33, James Brown <james0...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

NO

[Mark Gent]

Hi Herbert,

Sorry for the late reply, I'm afraid I'm (still) well behind with my emails.

Thank you for your complete answer, I very much appreciate the dedication and passion that it takes to keep retro technology and specifically the Intel equipment alive, which is what I much enjoy so a lecture is absolutely fine by me.
Suffice to say that I will leave the dealing with internally-phosphorus-coated evacuated tubes and their high-tension electrical requirements to others (as I always have).

Which brings me back to my original question, and in fact what follows from it:
Between us we have now identified several photos with several types of Intel-(re-)badged terminals.
I've not seen any of these in the copious Intel handbooks and catalogues (other than the one I belatedly discovered, and that was not a TRM-1/re-badged Zentec Zephyr).

Now on top of that something has appeared that has what looks like one of those TRM-1 terminals standing on top of it:

https://bid.musickauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/771/lot/420639/Intel-MDX-1003-Monitor-All-In-One-Computer-System?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ2kHlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBHU3pHSE9YUE1KQmVhWklNc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHotvv1FijpHRFxqvje9ZgUtd9wFwTVILB5CtP9hkeWtfSkoXyfjbaoWgN8Ai_aem_txeXl8A9BE0jEXzdDpXN1g

It was noticed by the IntellecMDS Facebook group here and everyone is stumped by what it is:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IntellecMDS/permalink/34597844399828844/

Here's a clearer picture of the machine:
https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagecomputing/comments/1q8mmoa/never_seen_one_of_these_before_intel_mainframe/

Although some people in the other forums seem to identify it as an Intellec workstation it is clearly not one of the familiar Intellec Series, and definitely not a Series-IV as was suggested.

The thing is I can remember long ago working near one of those machines (without an Intel terminal connected to it).
I never thought anything of it at the time but I have never seen it nor the TRM-1 terminal mentioned in any Intel literature.

But they must have marketed them, which must mean more information should be available somewhere.

Does anyone know of any marketing material or obscure handbooks that have any more information on these in them?

Many thanks,

Mark

[Sid Jones]

The picture shows a file server for intel MDS networks.

 

As delivered, £30K back in the day (1982-5?), for just the 30Mbytes of HD...

 

Racal Decca Survey in Leatherhead had one on their MDS network. I remember helping install it.

 

Passed up the chance of rehoming it a decade later due to lack of room... Sigh.

 

Regards

 

Sid

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[Herbert Johnson]

Mark, thanks for your thoughtful reply to me. Also, Sid, good to hear
from you.

So the auction page for the Intel product has no real information other
than photos. the Facebook page of messages, is actually pretty
informative and has better photos. Posts in Facebook identify the system
as "Intel MDX778/MDX1003" and/or "Intel iMDX310".

Looking up series 300 Intel systems on bitsavers.org provides a system
330A introduction manual that's generally informative:

https://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/intel/system3xx/144680-001_System_86_330A_Overview_Manual_Jun82.pdf

It's an 80286 based system of mini-computer size running iRMX-86, a
real-time operating system. I'm pointing to it as an example, not a
great match for the system in question. This system 330 is "something
like" the system in question, you get a glimpse inside the 330.

Blah blah blah, Web search,

https://www.ebay.com/itm/297922249070

https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagecomputing/comments/1q8mmoa/never_seen_one_of_these_before_intel_mainframe/

> Interesting that the chassis exterior says MDX-1003, while interior says MDX-778.

They also linked to me as in "The owner of this collection [me] would
likely be the one to contact for further information." Ha!

So, the reddit discussion is mostly speculative as to what the Intel
product was. I'll take Sid's recollection as more definitive, a file
server of some sort. More likely 300MBytes than 30Mbytes. 300Mbytes
would correspond to a minicomputer class foot-diameter hard drive of
1982 or so. That would be about the right size.

But look. Intel in the early 80's had a robust Multibus architecture and
a growing range of 16 and 32 bit processors. Plus some experimental
processor stuff. They could have built all KINDS of Multibus systems of
half-rack or full-rack size. Some became standard products (for a few or
several years), some did not. Undoubtedly, they built some one-off's or
small-run systems for some company's use - file servers, multiprocessor
systems, control systems, networked (older ethernet) systems. (Their
Multibus II stuff was even more sophisticated.)

Most of the now vintage interest in INtel 8 16 32 bit stuff is in the
early days, development systems. Most of the literature collected will
be from engineers and developers from those earlier days. But going into
the 1980's, Intel systems were business systems and back-office stuff
and industrial support stuff. The "techs" who used them, didn't open the
cabinets up and pore over databooks about the boards. They were general
engineers and general programmers, busy with production issues or the
products of the companies. The companies bought these systems *as
services* not to tinker with.

I'm explaining the lack of 21st century archived information about these
later Intel products; based on my experiences in the era (an engineer)
and my impressions of the class of *people* who accumulated and
preserved this documentation. Take Sid for example: he saw this box but
didn't service it, just saw to its installation at best.

and, if this passed through some "computer museum", they may have lost
interest in it for any number of reasons. Maybe they are more interested
in home computing / gaming; maybe in ancient 8 bit stuff; maybe it was
too big, needed 220 3-phase power they don't have; who knows?

I don't want to pass judgement on any of this, but it helps to have some
social awareness of who is preserving this stuff and why they make their
choices. And, some understanding of about the product development over
years, about companies like Intel, in the world of microprocessor based
computing.

Regards Herb

On 3/30/2026 7:26 AM, Sid Jones wrote:
> The picture shows a file server for intel MDS networks.
> As delivered, £30K back in the day (1982-5?), for just the 30Mbytes of HD...
> Racal Decca Survey in Leatherhead had one on their MDS network. I
> remember helping install it.
> Passed up the chance of rehoming it a decade later due to lack of
> room... Sigh.
> Regards
> Sid

> *From:* Mark Gent >

> Hi Herbert,
>
> Sorry for the late reply, I'm afraid I'm (still) well behind with my emails.
>

> Now on top of that something has appeared that has what looks like one
> of those TRM-1 terminals standing on top of it:
>

> [link to auction Web site]

> It was noticed by the IntellecMDS Facebook group here and everyone is
> stumped by what it is:
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/IntellecMDS/permalink/34597844399828844/
>
> Here's a clearer picture of the machine:
> https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagecomputing/comments/1q8mmoa/never_seen_one_of_these_before_intel_mainframe/
>
> Although some people in the other forums seem to identify it as an
> Intellec workstation it is clearly not one of the familiar Intellec
> Series, and definitely not a Series-IV as was suggested.
>
> The thing is I can remember long ago working near one of those machines
> (without an Intel terminal connected to it).
> I never thought anything of it at the time but I have never seen it nor
> the TRM-1 terminal mentioned in any Intel literature.
>
> But they must have marketed them, which must mean more information
> should be available somewhere.
>
> Does anyone know of any marketing material or obscure handbooks that
> have any more information on these in them?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Mark

[Herbert Johnson]

https://www.retrotechnology.com/intel_778/intel_778.html

I took an hour out of my life, to follow the trail left on reddit about
this "intel MDX 778 MDX 1003" product, and make a Web page. It led to an
eBay auction for it which had over 15 photos; the original auction from
which the eBay seller bought it; some non-profit recycler slash museum
who obtained it originally and then put it up for auction.

Since it's work to follow that trail, most of my hour was to grab
images, make a Web page, and tag the images with some clues from my
meager experiences. The links are included for those who want to dig
deeper. This post took some time too.

The eBay listing has detailed and internal photos which identify this
thing, in my opinion from inspection, as follows:

by visual inspection. from front, right cabinet is power supply and hard
drive labeled MDX 778. From front, left cabinet is MDX 1008 Multibus (I)
based system for drive control and communications. Multibus boards on
the 1008 side, include a "master" 8085 based controller, with a "slave
processing" controller likely 80186 or 80286 (PLCC so no identifying
information). Date on Priam 3450-10 drive (30-35 Mbyte) is Sept 1983; on
the MDX 778 side. Controller cards on MDX 1008 side may be customized
by Intel for this particular product. serial numbers on cabinets are
796 and 815 and inferred by low number suggests these may be semi-custom
Intel products.

Conclusion: this is a file server produced by Intel from early-80's
Multibus cards, for 35 or 70 Megabyte hard drives of the era.

Sid's recollection posted early is confirmed, down to the drive
capacity. A date of mid-1983 sets the possible Intel tech and drive tech
involved.

I don't like being a "shill" for someone else's sale. Also, those aren't
my photos to repost, I don't like to grab-and-run. My Web page is for
the convenience of my friends in intel dev-sys and may be removed at any
time. For now, I'll be glad to update the content with better
explanations than mine.

I credit the ebay seller who did the work of photographing the interior
and pulling cards. That enables folk with knowledge (here) to figure out
what this is.

As a product, it's an awful lot, just to host a year 1983 30 Megabyte
hard drive (and an option for a 2nd drive, maybe 65 MB). But, that was
how it was done in the era because that hard drive was expensive and
scarce. 35 megabytes was about 35 big floppy disks worth of data, and
those floppy drives were expensive too. But in 2026, it's the kind of
thing that's hard for a technology museum to justify in floor space,
certainly in power and effort to restore or even use.

regards Herb Johnson

[Herbert Johnson]

Um, the title of this thread is "TRM-1". The Intel MDX system I show
off, was sold in an auction that also sold an, err, "TRM-1" terminal. So
this product was another instance when Intel packaged that terminal with
an Intel product. Follow the links to find the adjacent auction of the
recycler's goodies for the terminal. Other goodies may be interesting to
see. These are closed auctions of course. - Herb

On 3/30/2026 5:12 PM, Herbert Johnson wrote:
> https://www.retrotechnology.com/intel_778/intel_778.html
>
> I took an hour out of my life, to follow the trail left on reddit about
> this "intel MDX 778 MDX 1003" product, and make a Web page. It led to an
> eBay auction for it which had over 15 photos; the original auction from
> which the eBay seller bought it; some non-profit recycler slash museum
> who obtained it originally and then put it up for auction.
>