The Acorn Businesss Computer 310 was a computer built around the Intel 80286 16-bit processor with a 6502 processor for I/O functions. The computer came with a whopping 1MByte of RAM, a color monitor, a 720k 5.25" Floppy Disk Drive, and a 10MByte Hard Drive. The operating system was DOS 286+, and the machine also came with the GEM graphical user interface.

The ABC 310 was the last in a series of eight ABC computers:

• ABC Personal Assistant

  6502 CPU @ 2MHz, 64kB RAM, 640kB FDD

• ABC Terminal

  6502 CPU @ 2MHz, 64kB RAM, No disk, VT100 terminal emulator in ROM

• ABC 100

  Z80 CPU, 6502 I/O CPU, 64kB RAM, dual 720k 5.25" FDD, CP/M 2.2

• ABC 110

  Z80 CPU, 6502 I/O CPU, 64kB RAM, 720k 5.25" FDD, 10 MB HDD, CP/M 2.2

• ABC 200

  32016 CPU, 6502 I/O CPU, 512kB RAM, Dual 720k 5.25" FDD, Xenix

• ABC 210

  32016 CPU, 6502 I/O CPU, 1MB RAM, 720k 5.25" FDD, 10MB HDD, Xenix

• ABC 300

  80286 CPU, 6502 I/O CPU, 1MB RAM, Dual 720k 5.25" FDD, DOS 286+GEM

• ABC 310

  80286 CPU, 6502 I/O CPU, 1MB RAM, 720k 5.25" FDD, 10MB HDD, DOS 286+GEM

The Intel 80286 is a 16-bit microprocessor introduced in 1982. It was the first 80x86 processor with a separate, address and data bus, the first to introduce protected virtual address mode or protected mode, as well as built in memory management abilities. The 80286 is instruction compatible with the 8086 and the 8088 processors. It contained all the 8086, the 80186 instructions, and also new instructions to handle protected mode.