Editing Enterprise (computer) (section)

== History ==
[[File:1984 Enterprise 64 motherboard copyright message.jpg|thumb|1984 'Flan Computers' seen on an Enterprise 64's motherboard]]
After the 1982 introduction of the [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Hong Kong]] trading company [[Locumals]] commissioned [[Intelligent Software]], headed by international [[chess]] player [[David Levy (chess)|David Levy]], to develop a home computer in the UK. During development the machine had the codename ''DPC'', which stood for [[damp-proof course]], to confuse potential competitors. The machine was also known by the names ''Samurai'', ''Oscar'', ''Elan'' and ''Flan'' before the ''Enterprise'' name was finally chosen. The succession of name changes was mainly due to the discovery of other machines and companies with the chosen name. The odd choice of Flan emerged following the discovery that Elan could not be used (due to complaints from Elan Digital Systems of Crawley) but some documentation had already been produced with that moniker and it was thought the Elan name could easily be modified on printed materials.<ref name="ElanStory">{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Meirion |date=January 1984 |title=The Elan Story |url=https://archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1984-01/page/n77/mode/2up |journal=[[Your Computer (British magazine)|Your Computer]] |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=78–85}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Packwood |first=Lewis |title=Curious Video Game Machines |publisher=Pen & Sword |year=2023 |isbn=978-1399073776}}</ref>

[[Entersoft]], modeled after [[Amstrad]]'s [[AMSOFT]], was set up to ensure a steady supply of software for the new machine. Enterprise was announced to the press in September 1983, and some 80,000 machines were pre-ordered by the time of its April 1984 sales launch. The product did not ship until 1985, by which point the UK home computer market was already dominated by the ZX Spectrum, [[Commodore 64]], Amstrad CPC and Acorn [[BBC Micro]] with the [[16-bit computing|16-bit]] era on the horizon. A successor machine, the [[PW360]], was developed in 1986 to compete against the [[Amstrad PCW]] 8256, but the company was by then in severe financial difficulties, and closed down.

The home computer market had changed greatly from the time from the machine was announced to its release date. There had been a downturn, owing to market saturation. Large retailers proved reluctant to stock the machine, and smaller retailers were wary of stocking a machine not supported through the major retail channels. The hardware was still powerful for a home computer of the era, but there was a limited software catalogue and the price was higher than the competition. For example, the [[Amstrad CPC 464]] included a monitor and cassette recorder, was released before the Enterprise, and retailed for less.<ref name="register" /> After the initial manufacturing run of 80,000 units, it is believed that no further units were made, so the Enterprise is among the rarer home computers of the 1980s.

The Enterprise had only minor success in the UK, selling no more that 25,000 units in this region, but did go on to have more impact in other countries. Enterprise Computers UK and Intelligent Software collapsed by 1986 but a German subsidiary survived until 1997 and shipped remaining stock to various countries including [[Egypt]], [[Kazakhstan]] and the [[Czech Republic]] but most notably to [[Hungary]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Q&A with Werner Lindner (technical director of the ENTERPRISE Computers GmbH) |url=https://enterpriseforever.com/hall-of-fame/qa-with-werner-lindner-technical-director-of-the-enterprise-computers-gmbh/ |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=enterpriseforever.com}}</ref> The Hungarian company [[Videoton (company)|Videoton]] had produced a simplified version of the Enterprise called the TVC under license that was mainly sold into Hungarian education. Hungary was then part of the [[Eastern Bloc]] which was subject to export controls and the TVC lacked the specialist Nick and Dave chips. Unsold Enterprise 128 stock though was imported into Hungary in 1987 (despite controls) and the machine became popular in the country, remaining on sale until around 1992.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Adrian |date=2023 |title=Enterprise Computers |url=http://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Enterprise/index.php |website=Binary Dinosaurs}}</ref> A dedicated [[cult following]] for the machine still exists in Hungary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://enterpress.news.hu/en/ |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Enterpress News |language=hu-hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Index |url=https://enterpriseforever.com/ |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Enterprise Forever}}</ref>