3R Computers

Avatar Technologies, Inc.

Formerly	3R Computers, Inc. RRR Computers, Inc.
Company type	Public
Industry	Computers
Founded	December 1981 (1981-12) in Westborough, Massachusetts
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Acquired by Digital Communications Associates

3R Computers, Inc., which later became known as Avatar Technologies, was a U.S.-based computer manufacturer located in Westborough, Massachusetts. The company gained recognition for its Avatar product line, which transformed traditional dumb terminals into fully functional workstation devices.

Early years as 3R Computers (1981–1983)

Established in December 1981 by Edward G. Grace, Brad Hebert, and Fred Schlaffer—all former Data General Corporation staff—3R Computers began its journey with Grace as CEO and president, while Hebert and Schlaffer took on vice presidential roles. After dedicating a year to research and development, the firm introduced its initial offering, the Avatar Terminal Converter (TC1), in late 1982. Grace attributed the company's founding to dissatisfaction with Data General’s reduced commitment to R&D during the recession of the early 1980s.

The Avatar Terminal Converter series comprised microcomputers running proprietary operating systems designed to convert extended ASCII output from software into protocols compatible with various dumb terminals. This innovation allowed cost-effective terminals to operate either as independent desktop computers or as smart terminals interfacing with host minicomputers or mainframe systems. The TC1 model, launched in October 1982, was powered by a Zilog Z80A CPU running CP/M 2.2 and came equipped with one or two 5.25-inch floppy disk drives.

In July 1983, 3R expanded its lineup with the TC100 and TC3278 models, which combined the Z80A processor with an Intel 8088-2 CPU clocked at 8 MHz. These models featured 128 KB of RAM, expandable up to 256 KB, along with floppy disk storage. The TC100 was compatible with basic ASCII terminals, whereas the TC3278 targeted IBM's 3270 glass terminal users. Furthermore, in September 1983, the company released the Avatar PA100 protocol converter, designed to link terminals and IBM PCs with contemporary IBM mainframe environments.

Transition to Avatar Technologies (1983–1992)

By mid-1983, financial pressures mounted due to extensive product development costs. To alleviate debt and increase operational capital, six investors injected $2.3 million through a private stock offering in September of that year. In January 1984, the enterprise rebranded itself as Avatar Technologies, Inc., simultaneously relocating its headquarters to Hopkinton, Massachusetts. In March 1985, Avatar was acquired by Orange Nassau Electronics—the Arizona division of the Hague-based Orange Nassau Group—with intentions to broaden its dealer network across the United States and diversify its computer offerings. Following this acquisition, co-founder Hebert departed to join Wall Data in Seattle.

During Orange Nassau’s ownership, Avatar engineered both hardware and software solutions enabling communication between Apple’s original Macintosh computers and IBM mainframes. Between March 1987 and January 1988, the company introduced the Mac Mainframe SE and Mac Mainframe II products—3270 emulation tools tailored for the Macintosh SE and Macintosh II models respectively.

Entering the 1990s, Avatar had established operations in Santa Clara, California. Ultimately, in December 1992, Alpharetta-based DCA purchased Avatar for $8 million and subsequently shut down its facilities in Hopkinton and Santa Clara.

See also

• Technical Analysis Corporation, producer of the Irma board, expansion interface cards for both PC and Macintosh that support 3270 emulation; also purchased by DCA