"The agreement calls for cash payment to Entrex of $1.8 million, plus continuing royalties on Nixdorf's sales of the Entrex line. Nixdorf has been selling Entrex systems in Germany, Austria and Switzerland under its own “Nixdorf 620” label for more than a year, and has already accounted for more than 200 Entrex systems with a retail value of over $1.6 million. COMPANY Advanced Memory Systems Advanced Micro Devices Ampex Applied Devices Burroughs Computer Data Systems ..."
On a search results page, Books.Google.com produces the below paragraph, and cites this as a source. There is is Volume 7 Number 1 (January 1974) of this magazine is available at bitsavers.org. However, the text that Google returns below is nowhere to be found throughout this entire magazine. So it must be a different number of Volume 7. Too bad, because this is "the key information" that could explain the most about why the Nixdorf 620 seems to be so nearly identical to the Entrex 480, and parts are interchangeable. We have the phrase above, which is great, but what is the entire context? Hopefully we'll track the actual magazine down (or a scan of it turns up) someday.
(And notice how the text quoted below cannot be found in the screen shots that Google shows for this "book"?) The google search that I did to find this was "Entrex computer" (Books selected), and at the time I did the search, it showed up 3rd from the top of page 2. (I archived page 2 of that search here on the day I wrote this.) An enigma...
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Businessweek - Page 19 1977 - ? Snippet view
Nixdorf and Entrex together. A major new force joins the top computer firms serving U. S. businesses. Now the U.S. market's first-time computer users, largest corporations and nearly everyone in between can find a Nixdorf or Entrex system for their needs - and be dealing with one of the Top Ten computer firms serving customers coast to coast. User oriented systems for virtually any firm, any market. The recent Nixdorf-Entrex combination forms an annual- revenue entity of more than $ 300 million. More important, it brings together two highly complementary firms in products, services ...
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For large and small data mountains: Nixdorf 620 system family. To each his own.
We don't have a date for this ad, but the caption at the bottom, translated into English, reads:
"Properly read!
What would provide for the substitution of entire PR departments and extensive social media shitstorms these days was not worth mentioning in 1974."
Maybe there was/is something offensive in the smaller print? Knowing Entrex's advertising habits in the USA as being highly sexist, I can only guess. Maybe I"ll type it all out and run it through Google Translate too....later....
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The German in the lower-right orange box, Google-Translates to English as:
In order to solve the task of capturing data from original documents in a computer-friendly way, Nixdorf used one system from Entrex. Up to 32 data entry data points could be controlled by the System 620.
Nixdorf initially acquired a distribution license for Europe. In 1977, the company bought Entrex and founded its American subsidiary.
The data collection system 620 and its successor model 8850 warranted great sales success at home and abroad. One of the largest customers was the Federal Labor Office. From 1974 to 1984, 3,589 data collection systems were produced with approx. 35,000 data entry points.
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Wikipedia Germany! https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrex
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rejestrator_danych
Equivalents: ENTREX 480 from ENTREX, DATENSAMMELSYSTEM 620 from NIXDORF.
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This excerpt comes to us from Joe Farr's site:
Adventures with the Nixdorf 8870 Mini-Computer
He is quoting "Charlie", who worked for Nixdorf Computer for 10 years and sold some of the first 8870s in the US.
"The first machines sold here were US assembled from purchased components (DCC CPU, Disk, IRIS O/S, etc.). The were too slow for more than 2 or 3 terminals
Nixdorf Computer AG then began manufacturing them in-house in Germany and eventually phased out the US Assembly line in Schaumburg, IL. I also sold the first COMET system (s/w) that was sold as an alternative to NIDAS (original bill, post and inventory package sold to small businesses).
Nixdorf acquired ENTREX (key to disk) about 1977 which led to the 8850 line (Extrex made the 280, 380, 480 and 600 series Data Entry systems). US HQ was moved to Burlington, MA (and later Waltham). Nixdorf added the 8890 (plug compatible mainframe); tried WP for a short time - 8840, Communications boxes - 8860 (competed with IBM 8100) and even PC's -- 8810 --- none were really successful."
Thank you, Charlie and Joe for providing us this gem of information.
And on we hunt for Entrex and Nixdorf equipment that is related to the "Data/Scope"!
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Other Google results (before this site gets sorted to the top of the page)...
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Find this Data/Terminal User's Guide - Entrex 600 Series:
https://vt100.net/manx/details/43,11084
To recap, here the specifications of my system:
Computer : D-116, clone of a DG Nova 1230 with 17 slots, also known as "Entrex 480" and "Nixdorf 620"
Core memory : 64 kW
Terminal : ENTREX DATA/SCOPE
Disk Cartridge : Diablo Model 40
Mag-tape : Pertec 8840A (800 bpi)
Line drum printer : Data Products model 2230
As the machine was distributed by Nixdorf, the identification of the tape and disk controllers is a bit difficult, but I can take detailed pictures.
The Diablo disk drive was a 2.4 MB removable pack
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