Optim became the latest new name on the business micro scene with the launch of its 1050 dual processor system.

The system has 128K driven by a Z80, with another 32K and a 6502 to control all screen operations. It comes with twin 400K floppies and CP/M Plus for £1,995.

The 1050's keyboard has 17 function keys, a numeric pad, and a help key apart from 93 plain keys in a qwerty arrangement. Its screen has 640 by 300 bit-mapped graphics. Bundled software includes Wordstar, Mailmerge, Multiplan and DR Graph. Optim is on 01-969 6768.

* There was celebration on the Peachtree stand where IBM was toasted with lurid cocktails.

IBM had announced that it was making Peachtree's Sales and Purchase Ledger packages available on the PC. "For any company to have its products marketed by IBM is an accolade," said Peachtree UK's general manager Dick Moore. It should also be a password into Aladdin's cave.

IBM is now selling four Peachtree packages.

* Two major Japanese micro makers were demonstrating systems that first appeared towards the end of last year. Fujitsu and Sharp now have systems on the brink of full availability.

Sharp's PC-5000 is the portable device with a built-in printer and LCD screen plus an option on 128K of bubble memory. It will cost from £1.195 and will be in stock next month.

Fujitsu's FM7 and FM16S not only mark the arrival of two interesting systems, but also the entry of one of the world's biggest computer companies in to the UK.

The FM7, from £495, is an 8-bit colour system with 64K of RAM, 48K video RAM, Fujitsu Basic and a Centronics interface. With the addition of disk drives, a Z80 card, interfaces and other peripherals it builds into a system costing £1,450.

The FM16S has an 8086 and Z80A, RAM starting at 128K building to 1Mb, additional video and monitor memory, twin floppiers with 320K each, and the possibility of a degree of IBM compatibility. Fujitsu intends to go with DR operating systems rather than chase MSDOS' tail, and it is already running Concurrent CP/M version 3 (with windows) on the FM16S. The system starts at £2,170.