Joe's HP 9807 Integral Personal Computer

Created 1/3/98

The Integral is one of my personal favorites! The HP model 9807 is universally known as the IPC or Integral Personal Computer. The IPC is a self contained machine that combines a UNIX computer, memory, HP-IB and HP-HIL interfaces, disk drive, keyboard, display and printer all in one portable unit. Once the top was released and folded behind the case, the ThinkJet printer located on the top of the unit was exposed. This built-in printer operated exactly like a standard HP ThinkJet. The hinged printer cover was wider than that used on a standard ThinkJet and covered a compartment to the right side of the printer that could be used for storage of a mouse, power cords and extra disks. Opening the top also released the keyboard from it's storage position on the side of the case. The keyboard could be removed and plugged into one of the two HP-HIL ports at the front bottom corner of the case. It was not attached to the case so it could placed in any convenient location. A mouse could be plugged in the second HP-HIL port. The two HP-HIL ports allowed any HP-HIL device to be connected including mice, different keyboards, numeric keypads and even graphics tablets. Removing the keyboard uncovered the flat panel display. The display used in the IPC is a flat panel gas-plasma screen that could be tilted out obtain the best viewing position. Removing the keyboard also uncovered the 3.5 inch disk drive located to the right of the display. The Integral is the only portable computer that I know of that is complete with a printer. The Integral PC has two expansion slots in the back that allow different interfaces, more memory or other cards to be added to the system. One of the most unusual of these is the "Software Engineering ROM" .The name ROM is somewhat misleading since it is actually a circuit board containing several ROMs. The SE ROM included a fully functional System 5 UNIX operating system that operated without using up any RAM or having to load from a disk drive. If you didn't have this ROM or needed more room for data storage then you could use the HP-IB port and connect a HP 9121 dual floppy drive or a combination floppy and hard drive like the HP 9133 to your Integral. The HP-IB interface allows up to 32 devices per system, so while you were at it you might want to add an external printer like the HP 82906 dot matrix printer. Also located on the back of the case was a panel that could be opened to exposes a socket that could be used to install a ROM containing HP's Technical BASIC or the HP Integral Service ROM for trouble shooting.

To be continued:

Again I have to thank to Randy Jenkins and Stan Perkins for selling these terrific machines to me. Thanks guys!

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This page was created by Joe Rigdon, Oviedo, Florida in the interest of preserving HP calculator and computer technology and history. All original material is copyright 1997 by Joe Rigdon, all rights reserved. Please send comments to rigdonj@intellistar.net