Lanier Model 103 rebranded AES Superplus IV Word Processor.

[Enigma6971]

I picked one of these bad boys up from an estate sale yesterday for $50 w/ it's corresponding printer for $25. These appear very uncommon considering that there is very little to be found online outside of these forums.

Assuming this is a good deal all day long? The bad part is that there were two and the first one sold along with an entire box of floppies/other software for it not 30 minutes before I arrived.

Does anyone know where to obtain the native software or others for it? I seen the Fluxengine project on GitHub and could copy images if I only knew where to find software. I'm seriously considering tracking down the other person through the auction company to ask if they'll let me burn images of all the disks.

 

[NeXT]

This sounds like something @PhilipA can REALLY help you out with.

 

[Enigma6971]

Haha, you're not kidding. I looked at his post history and it looks like he's been rebuilding that one for the last 6 years. I'll reach out to him.

 

[Enigma6971]

So I spoke with the auction company who can put me in touch with the other buyer. I may potentially have access to an assortment of software for it a well as being able to buy a 2nd Lanier that they still have.

I may keep it as a project but out of curiosity, what does the market and rarity look like for these? Everything has a price, hah.

Phillip, do these pictures not look like heaven to you?

 

[Chuck(G)]

Wupros don't generally garner as much interest as personal computers. The AES ones are interesting, but not generally considered as collector's material. IIRC, they take hard-sectored floppies and internal documentation is next to non-existent. The "no problem" word processor has become a "problem" to maintain.

 

[PaddyIreland]

I used to service these in the 1980s here in Dublin. I have complete working machines as well as parts and disks. 103/plus like yours. An Alpha Plus (integrated printer). A 7200 (multiples) a 7300. I also have a copy disc to copy program disks on the hard sectored discs. I also have the very rare cpm disk. It works on a super plus v or plus with extended memory board. I threw out a lot more. Especially the 103s. They just used the alphaplus hardware remodeled. There is a pc version of the software you can have free of I can find a working 3inch floppy.

 

[PaddyIreland]

It's all in the attic

 

[minty]

I've just got hold of one of these beasties. I would love to get hold of the copy disk and the CP/M disk - and an extended memory board too. The machine works, but I'd love to be able to use it for more.

 

[Michiel]

Hi, this is nice: I serviced these in the Netherlands (on site at the customers) from 1984 till .... the end of the '90s? Were great machines. We sold the word processor range as AES brand mainly with Qume daisy wheel printers. State of the art!
Maintenance of the floppy drives was the most common. The floppy disks were/are hard sectored and the drive adjustments were very critical. Spent many an hour with an alignment disk and oscilloscope adjusting the 'cat eyes' and timing pulses.
I might have some boxes with programs in the attic, but not sure. The alignment disks are donated to a local computer museum.
These stand alone machines in bigger offices were later mostly replaced by central CPU units (model refrigerator ;-)) with terminals connected through triax cables.

 

[Stoffe-74]

Hi, this is nice: I serviced these in the Netherlands (on site at the customers) from 1984 till .... the end of the '90s? Were great machines. We sold the word processor range as AES brand mainly with Qume daisy wheel printers. State of the art!
Maintenance of the floppy drives was the most common. The floppy disks were/are hard sectored and the drive adjustments were very critical. Spent many an hour with an alignment disk and oscilloscope adjusting the 'cat eyes' and timing pulses.
I might have some boxes with programs in the attic, but not sure. The alignment disks are donated to a local computer museum.
These stand alone machines in bigger offices were later mostly replaced by central CPU units (model refrigerator ;-)) with terminals connected through triax cables.

Is this system the "central cpu unit"?

 

[Michiel]

Is this system the "central cpu unit"?

Yes, this is indeed.

 

[PaddyIreland]

I have the later 7200 and 7300 repackaged cpu versions of the Multiplus. Same boards in a slightly smaller cpu. Integrated pc / coms board. Slightly thinner triax coax connectors. Also have a triax isa pc board which could connect a pc to the system.

 

[PaddyIreland]

AES-Lanier · Monday, May 12 📸

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