Canon Cat
| Developer | Information Appliance, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Canon |
| Type | Task-dedicated single-unit desktop computer |
| Released | 1987 |
| Introductory price | US$1,495 (equivalent to $4,200 in 2025) |
| Discontinued | 1987 |
| Units sold | 20,000 units |
| Operating system | Forth |
| CPU | Motorola 68000 @ 5 MHz |
| Memory | 256 KB of RAM |
| Storage | 3½-inch 256 KB floppy disk drive |
| Display | 9-inch (229 mm) black-and-white monitor |
| Graphics | 80 × 24 characters, 672 × 344 pixels |
| Connectivity | Internal 300/1200 bit/s modem |
| Weight | 17 pounds (7.7 kg) |
The Canon Cat was a task-dedicated microcomputer released by Canon Inc. in 1987 for $1,495 (equivalent to $4,200 in 2025). Its appearance resembles dedicated word processors of the late 1970s to early 1980s, but it was more powerful, and had ideas for data manipulation.
The system was primarily the creation of Jef Raskin, who originated the Macintosh project at Apple. After leaving the company in 1982 and founding Information Appliance, Inc., he began designing a new computer closer to his original vision of an inexpensive, utilitarian "people's computer". Information Appliance first developed the SwyftCard for the Apple II, then licensed it to Canon as the Cat. BYTE in 1987 described the Cat as "a spiritual heir to the Macintosh".