BeBox

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Personal computer sold by Be Inc.

title: "BeBox" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["be-inc.", "computer-related-introductions-in-1995", "computer-workstations", "powerpc-computers"] description: "Personal computer sold by Be Inc." topic_path: "general/be-inc" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeBox" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Personal computer sold by Be Inc. ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox information appliance"]

FieldValue
nameBeBox
imageSamsung SyncMaster 191T and BeBox 20081114.jpg
captionThis BeBox has an aftermarket monitor.
manufacturerBe Inc.
typeWorkstation
release_dateBeBox Dual603-66:
BeBox Dual603e-133:
priceBeBox Dual603-66
BeBox Dual603e-133
discontinued
units_sold1000 – BeBox Dual603-66
800 – BeBox Dual603e-133
osBeOS
power100–240 volt AC single-phase
cpu2× PowerPC 603 @ 66 MHz, or
2× PowerPC 603e @ 133 MHz
memoryUp to 256 MB (Up to eight 72-pin SIMMs)
dimensions15.68 in × 8.28 in × 18.15 in
39.8 cm × 21.0 cm × 46.1 cm
website
::

::callout[type=note] the personal computer ::

| name = BeBox | aka = | logo = | image = Samsung SyncMaster 191T and BeBox 20081114.jpg | caption = This BeBox has an aftermarket monitor. | developer = | manufacturer = Be Inc. | family = | type = Workstation | generation = | release_date = BeBox Dual603-66: BeBox Dual603e-133: | lifespan = | price = BeBox Dual603-66 BeBox Dual603e-133 | discontinued = | units_sold = 1000 – BeBox Dual603-66 800 – BeBox Dual603e-133 | units_shipped = | media = | os = BeOS | power = 100–240 volt AC single-phase | system_on_chip = | cpu = 2× PowerPC 603 @ 66 MHz, or 2× PowerPC 603e @ 133 MHz | memory = Up to 256 MB (Up to eight 72-pin SIMMs) | storage = | memory_card = | display = | graphics = | sound = | input = | controllers = | camera = | touchpad = | connectivity = | platform = | online_services = | dimensions = 15.68 in × 8.28 in × 18.15 in 39.8 cm × 21.0 cm × 46.1 cm | weight = | top_game = | compatibility = | predecessor = | successor = | related = | website =

The BeBox is a discontinued workstation from Be Inc., running the company's operating system, later named BeOS. It has two PowerPC CPUs, its I/O board has a custom "GeekPort", and the front bezel has "Blinkenlights".

The BeBox debuted in October 1995 with dual PowerPC 603 at 66 MHz.{{cite magazine | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lp7gd8Y8RL4C&pg=PP45 | magazine = Computerworld | title = Video Be-in | first = Lisa | last = Picarille | date = 16 October 1995 | page = 45 | volume = 29 | issue = 42 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=aToEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3 | magazine = InfoWorld | title = Briefly Noted | date = 3 February 1997 | page = 3 | volume = 19 | issue = 5

CPU configuration

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/BeBox.Le_dos_(cropped).jpg" caption="Connectors of the I/O board"] ::

Production models use two 66 MHz PowerPC 603 processors or two 133 MHz PowerPC 603e processors to power the BeBox. Prototypes having dual 200 MHz CPUs or four CPUs exist, but were never publicly available.

Main board

The main board is in a standard AT format commonly found on PC. It used standard PC components to make it as inexpensive as possible.

  • Two PowerPC 603/66 MHz or 603e/133 MHz processors
  • Eight 72-pin SIMM sockets
  • 128 KB Flash ROM
  • Three PCI slots
  • Five ISA slots
  • Internal SCSI connector
  • Internal IDE connector
  • Internal floppy connector
  • External SCSI-2 connector
  • Parallel port
  • Keyboard port, AT-style
  • Three GeekPort fuses
  • I/O Board connector
  • Front panel connector
  • Power connector

I/O board

The I/O board offers four serial ports (9-pin D-sub), a PS/2 mouse port, and two joystick ports (15-pin D-sub).

There are four DIN MIDI ports (two in, two out), two stereo pairs of RCA connectors audio line-level input and output, and a pair of 3.5 mm stereo phone jacks for microphone input and headphone output. There are also internal audio connectors: 5-pin strip for the audio CD line-level playback, and two 4-pin strips for microphone input and headphone output. The audio is produced with a 16-bit DAC stereo sound system capable of 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz.

For the more unusual uses, there are three 4-pin mini-DIN infrared (IR) I/O ports.

GeekPort

An experimental-electronic-development oriented port, backed by three fuses on the mainboard, the 37-pin D-sub "GeekPort" provides digital and analog I/O and DC power on the ISA bus:

  • Two independent, bidirectional 8-bit ports
  • Four A/D pins routing to a 12-bit A/D converter
  • Four D/A pins connected to an independent 8-bit D/A converter
  • Two signal ground reference pins
  • Eleven power and ground pins: Two at +5 V, one at +12 V, one at -12 V, seven ground pins

"Blinkenlights"

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Bebox_CPU_LEDs.jpg" caption="The LEDs"] ::

Two yellow/green vertical LED arrays, dubbed the "blinkenlights", are built into the front bezel to illustrate the CPU load. The bottommost LED on the right side indicates hard disk activity.

Market

Be called the BeBox: "the first true real-time, portable, object-oriented system that features multiple PowerPC processors, true preemptive multitasking, an integrated database, fast I/O, and a wide range of expansion options — all at an extremely aggressive price that is well below that of any competitive offering."

BeBox creator Jean-Louis Gassée did not see the BeBox as a general consumer device, warning that "Before we let you use the BeBox, we believe you must have some aptitude toward programming the standard language is C++."

Prototype

As of 1993, prototypes (at the time called Be Machine) had two 25 MHz AT&T Hobbit processors and three AT&T 9308S DSPs. In 2009, a rare prototype of the BeBox with Hobbit processors was sold at an auction.

Linux

Craftworks Solutions developed Be_Linux for the BeBox. Craftworks and Be Inc. announced in 1996 that they would work together to bring Be_Linux to the BeBox.

References

References

  1. (October 3, 1995). "Jean-Louis Gassée Unveils the BeBox".
  2. (August 5, 1996). "Be Announces the BeBox Dual603-133".
  3. [http://testou.free.fr/www.beatjapan.org/mirror/www.be.com/support/qandas/faqs/faq-0261.html The BeBox, General, FAQ, How many BeBoxes were sold before they were discontinued?] Be, Inc.
  4. [http://testou.free.fr/www.beatjapan.org/mirror/www.be.com/products/bebox/dual603ds.html Be Product Datasheet], The BeBox Dual603, BeBox Dual603-66, BeBox Dual603-133
  5. "About Be".
  6. "BeBox History, 1997". The BeBox Zone.
  7. (2 December 2005). "Interview with Joseph Palmer". Be Informed, The BeBox Zone.
  8. Mark, Dave. (January 1997). "The Wizards of Be, Inc.".
  9. "beunited.org - Open Standards BeOS-compatible Operating Systems - the BeBox".
  10. "Pinout for the GeekPort connector".
  11. (9 January 2020). "BeOS: The Alternate Universe's Mac OS X". Hackaday.
  12. (September 1996). "New Amiga Prepares to Kill Mac/PC". [[Imagine Media]].
  13. "Introduction to the Be machine and the BeBus".
  14. "Planets Align: Rare Hobbit BeBox Offered and Sold – OSnews".
  15. (1997-02-18). "Craftwork Solutions and Be Announce Alliance".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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