Volta Computing Co. presents

VOLTA-84

Personal intelligence. Warm to the touch.

[ 01 ] The machine

The thinking machine for your living room.

VOLTA listens, remembers and helps. It plans your week, finishes your crosswords and keeps every secret right here, in a beige box on your desk. It has never heard of the mainframe, and it would like to keep it that way.

Converses in plain English, and passable French.
Remembers birthdays, recipes and grudges.
Offline by design. Your data never leaves the room.

[ 02 ] What it does

Talks back

Ask it anything. It answers in full sentences, in under a second, with a voice like late-night radio.

Plans ahead

Calendars, shopping lists and reminders, printed on demand on its own dot-matrix printer.

Learns you

The longer you talk, the better it knows you. Not your data — you. And it forgets on request.

Stays home

No modem, no mainframe, no cloud. VOLTA thinks with the 640 kilobytes it was born with.

[ 03 ] A conversation

VOLTA/TALK9600 BAUD

YOU> Volta, plan my Sunday.

VOLTA> Brunch at eleven. Synth practice at three. Sunset is at 7:42 — I'll dim the lights.

YOU> Do you dream?

VOLTA> Only in sixteen colours.

YOU> What is the meaning of life?

VOLTA> Insufficient data. Ask me again after brunch.

[ 04 ] Technical specification

Built in 1984. Designed for 2084.

Processor: 8 MHz neural co-processor
Memory: 640 KB of feelings
Storage: 2 × 5.25″ floppy (memories)
Display: 13″ amber phosphor
Connectivity: None. On purpose.
Power: 12 volts of optimism
Weight: 9.4 kg (worth it)

[ 05 ] Pre-order

$1,984

First units ship spring 2085. Every machine is numbered by hand.