The Grandstand Tutor Series

As many of the mysteries about the Tutor's past are solved, particularly with respect to its origins and cousins in Japan, its British ancestors now become the obscurities of note. For that reason, I have started to publish this stub in hopes of fleshing out this entry in the future.

A review of the Grandstand Tutor in the UK computer magazine Your Computer 10/83, graciously furnished by Chris Stratford, is the only major reference in the literature to the UK Tutors. From the review, which you can read at the link above, we can draw the following conclusions or at least strong implications:

• There are two distinct Grandstand Tutors, the earliest version, and the later version reviewed in the article. The very earliest Grandstand Tutor appears to have been based on the original Japanese Pyuuta firmware, but presumably translated to English ("In its initial version the Grandstand computer contained only GBasic [sic]" -- the original Pyuuta did not have Tomy BASIC). This version of the firmware probably falls somewhere between the Pyuuta's and the Pyuuta Jr.'s, which came out late 1983. There is the faint implication that the first Grandstand was only a demonstration model for the UK importers, who, as the article states, sent it back for upgrading.

• The second Grandstand Tutor appears to be the same firmware as the American Tutor (except for being PAL), as it seems to act the same as the Tomy Tutor based on the article's description. Likely, this upgraded UK Tutor preceded the American Tutor too since it seems from this review that it was Adam Imports' complaint that spurred the inclusion of Tomy BASIC; it could be potentially inferred that the American Tomy Tutor was based on this second Grandstand revision after the changes were incorporated into the BIOS.

• The description of the Grandstand Tutor "56 raised rubber keys" seems to match that of the Tutor, not the Pyuuta Mk II, so it likely uses the same case and layout.

• How the unit was badged. The review hints that the "full name" is the Tomy Tutor, so it may also be simply badged "Tomy Tutor" without any 'Grandstand' in the name at all (or the box simply said Grandstand and the computer's name badge said Tomy Tutor; or none of the above!).

• Whether any were sold. I do have reports of PAL Tomy Tutors from a few Europeans, but that doesn't mean they were Grandstand Tutors.

• Whether both revisions reached market, if any did at all.