Poisk (computer)

Poisk, meaning "Search" in Russian, was a Soviet personal computer developed in the late 1980s. It was one of the earlier attempts to create a mass-market computer for home and educational use in the Soviet Union.

The Poisk was designed to be relatively affordable and easy to use. It featured a custom processor based on the Intel 8080 architecture and ran a proprietary operating system, often referred to as Poisk DOS. The operating system provided a command-line interface and basic tools for file management and program execution.

One of the notable aspects of the Poisk was its focus on educational applications. It came bundled with software designed to teach programming concepts and other academic subjects. The computer also supported a variety of peripherals, including printers and joysticks, to expand its capabilities.

While the Poisk was intended to be widely available, production was hampered by limitations in the Soviet economy. The computer faced challenges in terms of component availability and manufacturing quality, which limited its overall impact. Despite these obstacles, the Poisk played a role in introducing computing technology to a generation of Soviet students and hobbyists.