<s>
The	O
ICON	O
(	O
also	O
the	O
CEMCorp	O
ICON	O
,	O
Burroughs	O
ICON	O
,	O
and	O
Unisys	O
ICON	O
,	O
and	O
nicknamed	O
the	O
bionic	O
beaver	O
)	O
was	O
a	O
networked	B-Architecture
personal	B-Device
computer	I-Device
built	O
specifically	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
schools	O
,	O
to	O
fill	O
a	O
standard	O
created	O
by	O
the	O
Ontario	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Education	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Intel	B-Device
80186	I-Device
CPU	O
and	O
ran	O
an	O
early	O
version	O
of	O
QNX	B-Operating_System
,	O
a	O
Unix-like	B-Operating_System
operating	I-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
was	O
packaged	O
as	O
an	O
all-in-one	B-Device
machine	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Commodore	B-Device
PET	I-Device
,	O
and	O
included	O
a	O
trackball	B-Device
for	O
mouse-like	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
time	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
GUI-like	O
systems	O
appeared	O
for	O
the	O
platform	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
's	O
NAPLPS-based	O
graphics	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ICON	O
was	O
widely	O
used	O
,	O
mostly	O
in	O
high	O
schools	O
in	O
the	O
mid	O
to	O
late	O
1980s	O
,	O
but	O
disappeared	O
after	O
that	O
time	O
with	O
the	O
widespread	O
introduction	O
of	O
PCs	B-Device
and	O
Apple	B-Device
Macintoshes	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1981	O
,	O
four	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
first	O
microcomputers	B-Architecture
for	O
mainstream	O
consumers	O
appeared	O
,	O
the	O
Ontario	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Education	O
sensed	O
that	O
microcomputers	B-Architecture
could	O
be	O
an	O
important	O
component	O
of	O
education	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ministry	O
recognized	O
that	O
a	O
small	O
proportion	O
of	O
teachers	O
and	O
other	O
school	O
personnel	O
were	O
already	O
quite	O
involved	O
with	O
microcomputers	B-Architecture
and	O
that	O
some	O
schools	O
were	O
acquiring	O
first-generation	O
machines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
were	O
the	O
Commodore	B-Device
PET	I-Device
which	O
had	O
a	O
strong	O
following	O
in	O
the	O
new	O
computer	B-General_Concept
programming	I-General_Concept
classes	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
tough	O
all-in-one	B-Device
construction	O
and	O
built-in	O
support	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Language
BASIC	I-Language
,	O
and	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
which	O
had	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
educational	O
software	O
,	O
mostly	O
aimed	O
at	O
early	O
education	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Ministry	O
wanted	O
to	O
encourage	O
uses	O
of	O
microcomputers	B-Architecture
that	O
supported	O
its	O
curriculum	O
guidelines	O
and	O
was	O
willing	O
to	O
underwrite	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
software	O
for	O
that	O
purpose	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
idea	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
machine	O
quickly	O
gained	O
currency	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
added	O
bonus	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
help	O
develop	O
a	O
local	O
microcomputer	B-Architecture
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
set	O
of	O
concerns	O
were	O
rendered	O
moot	O
when	O
the	O
specifications	O
were	O
introduced	O
in	O
March	O
1983	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Functional	O
Requirements	O
for	O
Microcomputers	B-Architecture
for	O
Educational	O
Use	O
in	O
Ontario	O
Schools	O
—	O
Stage	O
I.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
physical	O
design	O
required	O
a	O
PET-like	O
all-in-one	B-Device
case	O
,	O
headphones	O
output	O
for	O
voice	O
and	O
sound	O
effects	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
trackball	B-Device
for	O
mouse-like	O
pointing	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inside	O
the	O
case	O
,	O
the	O
specification	O
called	O
for	O
a	O
processor	O
and	O
support	O
systems	O
to	O
allow	O
a	O
multitasking	B-Operating_System
operating	I-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
to	O
be	O
used	O
,	O
selecting	O
the	O
Intel	B-Device
80186	I-Device
as	O
the	O
CPU	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
the	O
systems	O
would	O
include	O
no	O
local	O
storage	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
and	O
would	O
instead	O
rely	O
on	O
a	O
networked	B-Architecture
file	B-Application
server	I-Application
containing	O
a	O
hard	B-Device
drive	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
deliver	O
such	O
a	O
machine	O
,	O
Robert	O
Arn	O
,	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
CATA	O
team	O
,	O
set	O
up	O
CEMCORP	O
,	O
the	O
Canadian	O
Educational	O
Microprocessor	B-Architecture
Corporation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
order	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
afford	O
what	O
was	O
expected	O
to	O
be	O
an	O
expensive	O
machine	O
,	O
the	O
Ministry	O
announced	O
a	O
special	O
"	O
Recognized	O
Extraordinary	O
Expenditure	O
"	O
(	O
REE	O
)	O
grant	O
that	O
would	O
provide	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
75%	O
of	O
the	O
purchase	O
costs	O
of	O
machines	O
meeting	O
the	O
"	O
Grant	O
Eligible	O
Microcomputer	B-Architecture
Systems	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
G.E.M.S.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
only	O
the	O
ICON	O
met	O
the	O
GEMS	O
requirements	O
,	O
which	O
cut	O
its	O
purchase	O
price	O
from	O
around	O
CAD$2500	O
to	O
a	O
mere	O
$495	O
(	O
USD$2700	O
and	O
$696	O
)	O
–	O
less	O
expensive	O
than	O
most	O
existing	O
microcomputers	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
IBM	B-Operating_System
Personal	I-Operating_System
Computer/AT	I-Operating_System
in	O
1984	O
reopened	O
the	O
debate	O
and	O
made	O
nightly	O
news	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
used	O
a	O
newer	O
and	O
more	O
advanced	O
CPU	O
than	O
the	O
ICON	O
:	O
the	O
80286	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
basic	O
ICON	O
design	O
had	O
reached	O
"	O
beta	O
quality	O
"	O
after	O
just	O
over	O
a	O
year	O
,	O
using	O
off	O
the	O
shelf	O
parts	O
,	O
the	O
hardware	O
manufactured	O
by	O
Microtel	O
and	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
from	O
Quantum	B-Operating_System
Software	I-Operating_System
Systems	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ICON	O
system	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
workstation/file	O
server	O
model	O
,	O
with	O
no	O
storage	O
local	O
to	O
the	O
workstations	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
workstations	B-Device
and	O
servers	O
were	O
internally	O
similar	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
Intel	B-Device
80186	I-Device
microprocessors	B-Architecture
running	O
at	O
7.16	O
MHz	O
,	O
and	O
connected	O
to	O
each	O
other	O
using	O
ARCNET	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ICON2	O
sported	O
a	O
redesigned	O
case	O
,	O
a	O
detached	O
keyboard	O
with	O
integrated	O
trackball	B-Device
,	O
expanded	O
RAM	O
,	O
and	O
facilities	O
for	O
an	O
internal	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
CPU	O
was	O
upgraded	O
to	O
the	O
386	O
in	O
the	O
Series	O
III	O
,	O
while	O
an	O
"	O
ICON-on-a-card	O
"	O
for	O
PCs	B-Device
also	O
appeared	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
ICON	O
workstations	B-Device
were	O
housed	O
in	O
a	O
large	O
wedge-shaped	O
steel	O
case	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
full-sized	O
keyboard	O
mounted	O
slightly	O
left-of-center	O
and	O
a	O
trackball	B-Device
mounted	O
to	O
the	O
right	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Graphics	O
were	O
generated	O
by	O
a	O
Hitachi	O
HD46505	O
SP	O
video	O
controller	O
,	O
supporting	O
NAPLPS	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
EGA	B-Device
monitor	O
was	O
mounted	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
a	O
tilt-and-swivel	O
mount	O
,	O
a	O
welcome	O
improvement	O
on	O
the	O
PET	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
included	O
TI	O
's	O
TMS5220	B-Application
speech	O
chip	O
,	O
originally	O
designed	O
for	O
the	O
TI-99	B-Device
,	O
and	O
would	O
speak	O
the	O
vaguely	O
obscene	O
word	O
"	O
dhtick	O
"	O
when	O
starting	O
up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fileserver	B-Application
,	O
sometimes	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
the	O
LexICON	O
,	O
was	O
a	O
simple	O
rectangular	O
box	O
with	O
an	O
internal	O
10MB	O
hard	B-Device
drive	I-Device
and	O
a	O
5.25	B-Device
"	I-Device
floppy	B-Device
drive	I-Device
opening	O
to	O
the	O
front	O
,	O
and	O
parallel	O
port	O
for	O
a	O
shared	O
printer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
Lexicons	O
included	O
a	O
64MB	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
,	O
divided	O
into	O
two	O
partitions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
PET	O
's	O
floppy	B-Device
system	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
users	O
of	O
the	O
ICON	O
used	O
Unix	O
commands	O
to	O
copy	O
data	O
to	O
their	O
personal	O
floppy	B-Device
disks	I-Device
from	O
its	O
"	O
natural	O
"	O
location	O
in	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
home	O
directory	O
on	O
the	O
hard	B-Device
drive	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
the	O
client	O
and	O
server	O
ran	O
the	O
Unix-like	B-Operating_System
QNX	B-Operating_System
as	O
their	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
with	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
network	O
file-sharing	O
,	O
the	O
basic	O
portions	O
of	O
it	O
embedded	O
in	O
ROM	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
this	O
they	O
added	O
a	O
NAPLPS/Telidon	O
-based	O
graphics	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
with	O
the	O
trackball	B-Device
to	O
make	O
interactive	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
included	O
a	O
Paint	O
programme	O
that	O
used	O
the	O
trackball	B-Device
,	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
a	O
usable	O
GUI	B-Application
,	O
although	O
there	O
were	O
several	O
attempts	O
to	O
produce	O
one	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
QNX	B-Operating_System
2.0.1	O
included	O
a	O
modest	O
one	O
called	O
"	O
House	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
another	O
was	O
built	O
at	O
least	O
to	O
the	O
prototype	O
stage	O
by	O
Helicon	O
Systems	O
in	O
Toronto	O
and	O
appeared	O
in	O
one	O
form	O
as	O
Ambience	O
,	O
though	O
its	O
capabilities	O
were	O
limited	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ICON	O
was	O
originally	O
designed	O
to	O
let	O
teachers	O
create	O
and	O
share	O
their	O
own	O
lessonware	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
simple	O
hypertext-based	O
system	O
where	O
pages	O
could	O
either	O
link	O
to	O
other	O
pages	O
or	O
run	O
programs	O
written	O
in	O
C	O
.	O
The	O
"	O
anyone	O
can	O
create	O
lessonware	O
"	O
model	O
was	O
rejected	O
by	O
the	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Education	O
before	O
the	O
ICON	O
shipped	O
(	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
a	O
model	O
under	O
which	O
the	O
Ministry	O
funded	O
and	O
controlled	O
all	O
lessonware	O
)	O
,	O
leaving	O
the	O
ICON	O
with	O
only	O
the	O
QNX	B-Operating_System
command	O
line	O
interface	O
and	O
the	O
Cemcorp-developed	O
text	O
editor	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crosscountry	B-Operating_System
Canada	I-Operating_System
,	O
a	O
game	O
of	O
travelling	O
across	O
Canada	O
in	O
a	O
truck	O
,	O
picking	O
up	O
and	O
delivering	O
cargo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ernie	O
's	O
Big	O
Splash	O
,	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
including	O
Sesame	B-Application
Street	I-Application
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Logo	B-Device
,	O
an	O
implementation	O
of	O
the	O
Logo	B-Device
programming	I-Device
language	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Northwest	B-Application
Fur	I-Application
Trader	I-Application
,	O
educational	O
software	O
simulating	O
the	O
fur	O
trade	O
in	O
Canada	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lemonade	B-Application
Stand	I-Application
,	O
an	O
educational	O
game	O
of	O
setting	O
lemonade	O
prices	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
weather	O
forecast	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watfor	B-Language
,	O
the	O
WATCOM	O
FORTRAN	O
programming	O
language	O
.	O
</s>
