The system that is launched almost as regularly as the Space Shuttle is inching on to the pad again.

Commmodore is to launch its 700 business micro for the third time in 15 months in March. The 700 made its first UK appearance last January in Birmingham. It was effectively re-launched after months of indecision at the Commodore Show in June; now it is set to go up for the third time, trailing flags and bundled software as the band plays on.

Commodore is not talking in any detail about its plans for the 700 except to say that the machine would, finally, be plainly visible.

The software is expected to include Superscript, Calcresult, and a database of some description. At the Which Computer? Show last week a 700 was running Facts business applications, but these are not thought to be part of the package.

The price of Commmodore's new/old 700 is to be extremely competitive, according to a spokesman. The 700 originally tested by PCN in Issue 5 was selling for £1,374, but since then it has been subject to a cut of 18 per cent (Issue 26) and there could be a further reduction to celebrate its return to favour.

The 700 range was launched as the top of Commodore's business line at last year's Which Computer? Show. At the time it was accompanied by the 500 series, a science-orientated line of systems. The 700 was warmly received - PCN's reviewer (Issue 5) said: "The CBM700 series has amply fulfilled all I expected from it." It promptly disappeared, and although it lived on in the memories of some dealers its fate was uncertain for several months. The 500 series disappeared for good.

Commodore UK's John Baxter revealed in early June: "The machine went into production this week" and to back him up Commodore produced a 700 for its summer Fair. The system at that time was haltingly running CP/M, having originally been restricted to Basic.

Now it looks to be on the verge of yet another bid for the limelight. The original was due to have a Z80 second processor and disk drives built in to the main box - these features could star in the re-launch.