Advanced Digital Corporation

{{Short description|Defunct American computer company}}

{{Infobox company

| type=Private

| name=Advanced Digital Corporation

| trade_name=ADC

| founded={{start date and age|1980}} in Garden Grove, California

| hq_location=Huntington Beach, California (1983–1990)

| defunct={{end date and age|1990}}

| fate=Bankruptcy

| products=Computer hardware and systems

| key_people=Hossein Asadi (president)

| image=Advanced Digital Corporation Former Headquarters 2022.jpg

| image_caption=Site of former headquarters in Huntington Beach, California, pictured in 2022

}}

Advanced Digital Corporation (ADC) was a privately owned{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=May 1, 1989 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A7234294/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=Advanced Digital Corp. | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=6 | issue=17 | page=109 | via=Gale}} American computer company based in California, active from the 1980s to the 1990s.{{cite journal | last=Derfler | first=Frank J. Jr. | date=1988 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ObYblXvjuhUC&pg=PA308 | title=Advanced Digital Corp. | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=7 | issue=14 | pages=308–315 | via=Google Books}}{{cite journal | date=November 5, 1990 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/272520956/ | title=Bankruptcies | journal=Orange County Register | page=C5 | via=ProQuest}} The company was founded by 1980 by a group of engineers, in order to market their single-user and multi-user expansion cards and peripherals for S-100–based computers.

In 1983, ADC introduced a pair of their own S-100 computers, the Super Six and the Super Star.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=August 8, 1983 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_computerworld_1983-08-08_17_32/page/81/ | title=Advanced Digital Unwraps Computer | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=17 | issue=32 | page=81 | via=the Internet Archive}}{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=August 22, 1983 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_computerworld_1983-08-22_17_34/page/61/ | title=S-100-Based System Features Fixed/Removable Disk Drive | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=17 | issue=34 | page=61 | via=the Internet Archive}} In 1984, they made the pivot to production of expansion cards for the IBM Personal Computer, with one (the PC II, co-produced by Link Technologies of Fremont) allowing the IBM PC to be used as a multi-user platform, with as many as 32 concurrent users.{{cite journal | last=Morrissey | first=Jane | date=September 1, 1987 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A5158681/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=LAN operating systems find new role in PC-based multiuser environments | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=4 | issue=35 | page=35 | via=Gale}}{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=August 27, 1986 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120055265/off-the-ticker/ | title=LINK Tech gets $5 million order | journal=The San Francisco Examiner | page=C1 | via=Newspapers.com}} Toward the late 1980s, they introduced their own 386SX-based PC compatible systems under the PowerLite name, to critical acclaim in the tech press.{{cite journal | last=Satchell | first=Stephen | date=December 1989 | url=https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1989-12/page/n210/ | title=Downsizing the Desktop | journal=Byte | publisher=McGraw-Hill | volume=14 | issue=13 | pages=179–182 | via=Gale}}{{cite journal | last=Mendelson | first=Edward | date=January 30, 1990 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ySO4VbD0-mcC&pg=PT101 | title=Powerlite 386SX | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=9 | issue=2 | page=100 | via=Google Books}} ADC was initially based in Garden Grove, California, employing 35 by mid-1983.{{cite journal | date=October 5, 1983 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_computerworld_1983-10-05_17_40a/page/n60/ | title=Vendor Profiles | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=17 | issue=40A | page=V-1 | via=the Internet Archive}} In late 1983, they moved to Huntington Beach.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=October 10, 1983 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_computerworld_1983-10-10_17_41/page/n121/ | title=Micro Offered With Winnie For 100% Backup | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=17 | issue=41 | page=80 | via=the Internet Archive}} By April 1984, their employee headcount reached 75.{{cite journal | date=April 18, 1984 | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_computerworld_1984-04-18_18_16a/page/51/ | title=Vendor Profiles | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=18 | issue=16A | page=V-1 | via=the Internet Archive}} Its president was Hossein Asadi (born 1961, also known as Hossein Asadibagheri).{{cite journal | last=Bermar | first=Amy | date=July 11, 1988 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A6827077/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=Does a bad idea constitute grounds for a lawsuit? PR agency Regis McKenna is about to find out | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=5 | issue=28 | page=133 | via=Gale}}{{cite journal | last=Pietrucha | first=Bill | date=October 29, 1997 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A19932157/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=Novell Breaks Software Counterfeiting Ring | journal=Newsbytes | publisher=The Washington Post Company | via=Gale}} The company entered bankruptcy in 1990.

Their Huntington Beach headquarters were the subject of an armed robbery in September 1988, with Asadi being bound and gagged while various merchandise was stolen. Asadi sustained no physical injuries.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=September 18, 1988 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120055242/three-gunmen-rob-computer-company/ | title=Three Gunmen Rob Computer Company | journal=Los Angeles Times | page=4.2 | via=Newspapers.com}}