Hugo site: layouts, config and pilot content
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
This commit is contained in:
Claude Opus 5.5
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{
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"title": "14 COMPUTERLAND STORES ALREADY OPENED",
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"date": "1977-08-01",
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"years": [
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"1977"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Companies"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "AUGUST 1977",
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"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0877_computerland_1.jpg",
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"oc_id": 25,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20210205161641/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=25",
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"date": "2021-02-05"
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0877_computerland_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>The fate of Computerland is the fate of its leader <b>William Millard</b>. He is president of the <b>IMSAI</b> company in 1976 and sells ready to order computer kits based on the Intel 8080 microprocessor by mail. Sales are good and Millard wants to move beyond kits and sell a pre-assembled computer for better profits. To help sales, he decides to create chain stores specialized in computer sales and mostly IMSAI 8080's. <br/><br/> In February of 1977, the first <b>Computer Shack</b> store opens in Morristown, New Jersey and in March the first advert appears. <br/><br/> After litigation from Radio Shack, the chain is renamed <b>ComputerLand</b>. In August 1977, 14 stores are opened, 23 in November and several hundreds eventually open worldwide in the following years. <br/><br/> Unfortunately, Millard then makes the same mistake as Adam Osborne: he announces a new version of the IMSAI computer before it is ready at all. Customers massively return their IMSAI, sales collapse and ComputerLand is almost bankrupt. <br/><br/> Fortunately, Apple at the time is seeking distributors to increase sales of its Apple II. Success follows suit for ComputerLand as it will again for IBM's PC's eventually. Profits will rise each year and reach one billion dollars in 1984. <br/><br/> After that extraordinary year, trouble comes, resellers rebel and create an association to defend their interests, and several employees sue Millard for broken promises. The spirit of the company gone, Millard sells ComputerLand for 200 million dollars and leaves for good to an island in the Pacific Ocean. ComputerLand still exists as a company, and nowadays has about 200 resellers in the US. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0877_computerland_2.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "4164",
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"date": "1978-10-01",
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"years": [
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"1978"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Hardware"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "OCTOBER 1978",
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"oc_id": 43,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=43",
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"date": "2022-12-15"
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0978_4164_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> The 4164 was quite a mythical memory chip. It contained 65535 bits of RAM memory, four times more than its predecessor, the 4116. Eight chips were thus needed to obtain 64 Kbytes of RAM. After a short period of low sales level, the famous 8 x 4164 RAM chips equipped quite every computer which featured at least 64 KB of RAM. <br/>>br> Texas Instruments launched the first samples of its TMS-4164 in late October 1978 at about... $170 per unit! However T.I. was not the first company to produce such chip. Japanese companies already manufactured the same chip for a few months, and the battle for international supremacy over RAM chips and computer components started with the 4164. <br/>>br> First, sales of the chip were modest. About 36.000 were sold worldwide in 1978-79 but they rocketed to some 13 million units in 1980-81. The Japanese captured 70 percent of the market. Sale price went from over $100 to $25 then $5, and remained the same throughout the following years. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0978_4164_2.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "History"
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}
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{
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"title": "ABC-80",
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"date": "1978-08-01",
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"years": [
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"1978"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Hardware"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "AUGUST 1978",
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"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0878_abc80_1.jpg",
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"oc_id": 39,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20210803234631/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=39",
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"date": "2021-08-03"
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}
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}
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0878_abc80_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In August 1978, first units of the "Advanced Basic Computer for the 1980s", in short <b>ABC-80</b> left the Swedish Luxor factory. <br/><br/> A few months earlier, Luxor contracted with two other companies, <b>Scandia Metric</b> and <b>Data Industrier AB</b> (DIAB), to build the first totally Swedish computer. Scandia Metrics which had previous experience of computer based products designed the main board, DIAB manufactured the chips, while Luxor, one of the biggest TV set manufacturers, built the monitor, case and keyboard and assembled the whole system in its assembly plant of Motala (Sweden, at the northeast shore of Swedens second largest sea, Vättern). <br/><br/> Despite the fact that the technology behind the ABC 80 was very simple and technical features wasn't better than US competitors, the ABC80 was a quality machine and became a great success among early Swedish computer enthusiasts, who had been waiting for a long time a real local computer. More than 10.000 computers were sold within two years. For six years, the ABC80 and then its sequel the <b>ABC800</b>, were by far the most sold and used personal computers in Sweden, for home, hobby, and especially education. <br/><br/> In 1984, the <b>ABC1600</b> and <b>ABC9000</b>, two Unix systems, were launched with the slogan "Who needs to be IBM compatible?"... They were the last Luxor computers produced. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0878_abc80_2.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "ADA BIRTH",
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"date": "1977-12-01",
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"years": [
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"1977"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Software"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "DECEMBER 1977",
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"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_1277_ada_1.jpg",
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"oc_id": 12,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=12",
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"date": "2022-12-15"
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}
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}
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1277_ada_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In December 1977, the revised language specification of <b>ADA</b> was published in SIGPLAN, the Special Interest Group on Programming Languages. Actually, this is a small event within the long history of ADA birth. <br/><br/> In 1973, the US Department of Defense (DoD) was spending $3 billion annually on software. At this time, more than 450 programming languages were used to implement different DoD projects, and none of them were standardized. For these reasons, the Army, Navy, and Air Force proposed to develop a common and standardized high-level language for use in the development of large military systems. <br/><br/> In 1975, the Higher Order Language Working Group (HOLWG) was formed for evaluating existing language and think about an ideal language specification. 23 languages were tested, but none of them were accepted. The first ADA language specification appeared in early 1977 and four software companies began parallel production of a prototype language. <br/><br/> In may 1979 the French CIE <b>CII Honeywell/Bull</b> (the only foreign contractor) won the challenge and the language design was tested by thousands of programmers in the world who reported bugs and wishes. Based on these informations, the final version of ADA was born in early 1980. The language was then standardized in 1983, and revised in 1995. <br/><br/> The language was first named "DoD-1", but the name ADA was finally retained in 1979 by the Working Group in honour of Countess <b>Augusta Ada Lovelace</b>, the daughter of poet Lord Byron and a mathematician who worked with Charles Babbage on his engines and thus is considered the world's first computer programmer. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1277_adaariane.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "ADVENTURELAND",
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"date": "1978-03-01",
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"years": [
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"1978"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Software"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "MARCH 1978",
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"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0378_adventureland_1.jpg",
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"oc_id": 7,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=7",
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"date": "2022-12-15"
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0378_adventureland_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>Nowadays, everybody has heard of or has played adventure games, a style of game that puts the player in an environment and then allows him to manipulate objects to accomplish an objective. <br/><br/> In 1978, noboby played adventure game, except some DEC owners who could enjoy the first adventure game written by two college students and called <b>Colossal Caves Adventure</b>.<br/> In 1978 <b>Scott Adams</b> had the opportunity to play this game and he was fascinated by the concept. He wrote his first adventure game <b>Adventureland</b> in the same year for the Radio Shack TRS-80 model 1 and was thus the first person to put an Adventure game on a personal computer and sell a computer game (for $14.95). He is credited with starting the computer game industry. <br/><br/> Few months later, Scott formed his company, <b>Adventure International</b>, and wrote a series of adventure games during about six years. Among them <b>Pirate adventure</b>, <b>Pyramid of doom</b> or <b>The Count</b>. Some versions were all text for S-100 or CP/M based computers, others (Atari, Apple 2, Commodore 64, TI-99) were graphical and offered primitive animations. <br/><br/> In 1985, during the big down turn of the personal computers industry, the company went out of business and Scott became a senior programmer in a management software company. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0378_adventureland_2.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "ALAN SHUGART FOUNDS SHUGART TECHNOLOGY",
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"date": "1979-03-01",
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"years": [
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"1979"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Companies"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "MARCH 1979",
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"oc_id": 51,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220429214055/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=51",
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"date": "2022-04-29"
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}
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}
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0379_shugart_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In 1978, Alan Shugart met Finis Conner at Memorex. Conner had a great idea: to build a hard drive the same size as a 5.25" floppy drive but with 15 times the capacity and 10 times the speed. At this time people were beginning to buy a lot of PCs with several floppy drives and needed more and more storage capacity. <br/><br/> In 1979, they founded Shugart Technology. The company was soon renamed Seagate Technology because Xerox which acquired Shugart Associates, a floppy drive company also founded by Shugart in 1975, would sue them over the name. <br/><br/> One year later, they introduced first small hard disk drives which packed 5 to 10 MB of storage, they sold thousands of them, mainly to IBM for their mainframe. Within a few years, they had produced 4 million units. <br/><br/> The same year, Shugart Associates defined the specifications of a new interface using a device-independent parallel connection and allowing to attach several peripherals to a same desktop computer. This interface was called <b>SASI</b> (Shugart Associates Systems Interface). In 1982, NCR added features to Shugart's original interface which was renamed in <b>SCSI</b> (Small Computer System Interface) and then widely used, particularly by Apple. <br/><br/> In 1981, several of the engineers who worked on SASI left Seagate to form Adaptec, a host card manufacturer. Finis Conner also left the company in 1984 and launched Conner Peripherals. <br/><br/> For more than 15 years, under Shugart leadership, Seagate was the first hard disk manufacturer. In 1997, the company employed 100,000 people worldwide with a $9 billion turnover. Sadly, one year later, the company lost more than 650 M$. The lost was inputted to Shugart who resigned from Seagate Technology's board in August 1998. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0379_shugart_2.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "APPLE ANNOUNCES ITS THIRD COMPUTER, THE APPLE II+",
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"date": "1979-06-01",
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"years": [
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"1979"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Hardware"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "JUNE 1979",
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"oc_id": 55,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=55",
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"date": "2022-12-15"
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}
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}
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0679_apple_s1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> Released in June 1979 and retailing for $1,195 (over $100 less than the original Apple II), the II plus was essentially an extension of the Apple II. It came with 48 KB RAM, a new floating-point Basic interpreter in ROM written by Microsoft, and a new auto-start ROM for easier start-up and screen editing. <br/><br/> Despite these rather minor changes, the II+ instantly became a great success for 3 main reasons:<br/> • It was the first personal computer to offer an affordable and reliable floppy disk unit and an easy-to-use operating system, DOS 3.1<br/> • It was also the first serious personal business machine thanks to the new <b>VisiCalc</b> spreadsheet program which was first released on the Apple II+ before any other systems.<br/> • Instead of restricting its advertising campaign to computer enthusiasts and technical magazines, Apple was the first computer Company to advertise in popular magazines, emphasizing the usefulness of a personal computer at home, for business, education and entertainment. <br/><br/> A few months later, a special version of the II+, called <b>II Europlus</b>, was launched in Europe. Special escape sequences allowed users to type all the specific European characters, and the video interface was also adapted to the European PAL standard. <br/><br/> The first release of the Floppy drive OS was called 3.1 instead of the usual 1.0, simply because one of the OS developers updated a revision counter every time he recompiled the source code. The counter had reached 3.1 when the final version was released. The marketing department of Apple also felt that 3.1 sounded like a more advanced and debugged version than a standard 1.0. By the time of the launch of the Apple II+, the DOS version was up to 3.2.1 <br/><br/> More than 2,000,000 Apple II+'s were sold between 1979 and 1983, not counting the numerous clones from south America, Asia, and also from the USA. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0679_apple_s2.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "APPLE DISK II, THE APPLE II SECOND BIRTH",
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"date": "1978-01-01",
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"years": [
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"1978"
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"topics": [
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"Hardware"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "JANUARY 1978",
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"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0178_diskii_1.jpg",
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"oc_id": 11,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=11",
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"date": "2022-12-15"
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0178_diskii_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>Apple Disk II, the most inexpensive, easy to use floppy drive ever made was introduced in January at Winter Consumer Electronic Show. First deliveries will occur in July 1978 at $495, including the controller card. <br/><br/> At the time the Apple II was sold for about six months. Most users had connected their television as a colour monitor, and a cassette recorder to store their programs. A couple of weeks before, Apple had introduced a floating point BASIC (made by Microsoft) and a printer interface card. Sadly, the Apple II cassette interface wasn't reliable and needed very accurate volume and tone adjustments, preventing owners from using the computer as a professional system. <br/><br/> Actually, the disk interface shown at CES was just a prototype. Final version of the Disk II interface board will be finalized a few weeks later by <b>Steve Wozniak</b>, and the First DOS 3 version, written by <b>Randy Wigginton</b>, appeared un June. The disk II suddenly transformed the Apple II from an expensive hobbyist's toy to an efficient tool everyone could afford for home and business uses. In marketing terms, the Disk II launch can be considered as the Apple II second birth. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0178_diskii_2.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "APPLE II, FIRST DELIVERIES",
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"date": "1977-05-01",
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"topics": [
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"Hardware"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "MAY 1977",
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"image": "/media/history/images/twosteve.jpg",
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"oc_id": 35,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=35",
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"date": "2022-12-15"
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/twosteve.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>The <b>Apple</b> II system is really available and delivered for $1295. The system was introduced in April at the West Coast Computer Fair, just after the Apple Computer Company was incorporated and Apple employees move from Jobs' garage to an office in Cupertino, California. <br/><br/> Apple logo is designed by Rob Janoff. The first Apple II advert is designed too (picture). Apple Computers wil be the first company to advertise for a personal computer in general public magazines. <br/><br/> The <b>Apple 1</b> production is stopped ten months after its introduction. 175 Apple 1 kits had been sold for $549 each to only one customer, Paul Terrell, manager of the Byte Shop chain, who sold them for $666. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/apple_ii_advertd_3.jpg"/>
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{
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"title": "ARCNET, THE FIRST LOCAL AREA NETWORK",
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"date": "1977-09-01",
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"years": [
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"1977"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Hardware",
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"Videogames"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "SEPTEMBER 1977",
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"image": "/media/history/images/history_arcnet_2.jpg",
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"oc_id": 23,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=23",
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"date": "2022-12-15"
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}
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}
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<img src="/media/history/images/history_arcnet_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In September 1977, the world's first commercially available local area network was first put into service at Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, as a beta-site. <br/><br/> Short for Attached Resource Computer network, ARCnet was developed by Datapoint Corporation in San Antonio, Texas. It was defined as a group of nodes that communicates to one another over a geographically-limited area usually within one building or a campus of buildings. <br/><br/> It was the simplest, and least expensive type of local-area network. It used a token-ring architecture, supported data rates of 2.5 Mbps, and connected up to 255 computers. A special advantage of ARCnet is that it permitted various types of transmission media to be mixed on the same network: twisted-pair wire (Max. extension 150 meters), coaxial cable (650 m.) and fibre optic cable (2.000 m.) <br/><br/> Today, ARCnet is still alive in numerous companies all over the world and has more than seven million installed nodes.<br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/history_arcnet_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <b>Comment from Chris Piggott</b>:<br/> This is not so much a correction but more of a comment from the users point of view. <br/><br/> I worked for Chase Manhattan Bank from 1976 until 1986 and was one of the first to use the ARC in live commercial environment. I remember Gordon Peterson, Johnathan Schmidt and others at Datapoint well. ARC allowed Datapoint to 'punch far above its weight' when compared to the IBM, DEC & Wang alternatives at the time. Not bad considering its eight bit architecture. The first system we developed using ARC was a funds transfer system connected to the New York Clearing House, processing thousands of transactions per day, worth Tens of Billions dollars. At its peak, Chase had scores of individual networks installed, some with 20 or more linked processors. <br/><br/> Such a pity that Datapoint didn't licence the ARC technology, rather than keeping it as a proprietory product. <br/><br/> One additional piece of information. Chase used Infrared transmission equipment, supplied by Datapoint, to link its ARCnet between its buildings in lower Manhattan in addition to the other methods mentioned.
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{
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"title": "ATARI REVEALS ITS NEW VCS VIDEO GAME CONSOLE",
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"date": "1977-07-01",
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"years": [
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"1977"
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],
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"topics": [
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"Hardware"
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],
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"params": {
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"when": "JULY 1977",
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"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0777_atari_1.jpg",
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"oc_id": 28,
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"source": {
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"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20230214150613/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=28",
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"date": "2023-02-14"
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}
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}
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}
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|
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0777_atari_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>A new generation of games was born in the summer of 1977, a new concept revolutionizing leisure will let small leading and foreseeing companies make billions of dollars. <br/><br/> Although the <b>Atari VCS</b> is not the first video game console ever, it will become a star while beginning in November of 1977. Millions of young players will hold it as mankind’s best invention ever. The first console idea was developed in 1975 by <b>Atari</b> and <b>Warner Bros</b>, its parent company. <br/><br/> Initially the console was set to come with an integrated ROM game, but at the last minute, Atari preferred a cartridge version. This game was “Combat”. Most importantly, this first cartridge will allow console owners to wait a few months for the release of new games. A first series of 8 will be followed later by many, among them, the famous <b>“Space Invaders”</b>, a title giving Atari global success and will cash in more then $100 millions. <br/><br/> In two years, Atari sold more than <b>25 million</b> consoles and earn $5 billion in sales, mostly from cartridges and optional accessories. Many third companies will also encounter success, such as Namco and its <b>“Pacman”</b>. <br/><br/> In 1982, the VCS becomes <b>“2600”</b> until Atari is sold in 1984, followed by new versions “5200” and “7800”. However, the 2600 continued to be produced and new games will appear until 1991. The VCS/2600 console thus lived for 14 years, a record longevity never equaled since by any console or computer. <br/><br/> Thanks to the <a href="http://users.knoware.nl/users/stuurmn/index.htm">Albert's Museum</a> for the picture. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0777_atari_3.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "ATARI UNVEILS ITS 400 AND 800 HOME COMPUTERS",
|
||||
"date": "1978-12-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "DECEMBER 1978",
|
||||
"oc_id": 46,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=46",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1278_atari_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In December, 1978, Atari was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warner Communication. <b>Nolan Bushnell</b>, who funded Atari in 1972 sold the company for $28 million in 1976 but still kept a position of responsibility up to October 1978. <br/><br/> The idea of a home computer able to compete with the first Apple, Commodore and Tandy systems came in 1977 from <b>Raymond Kassar</b>, the new manager of Atari. The Home Computer Division was created the same year. <br/><br/> The project took shape in 1978. Two computers code-named <b>Candy</b> and <b>Colleen</b> were designed simultaneously, based on three custom chips specially designed to handle graphics, sound and communication. <br/><br/> Although the Atari 400 and 800 were announced in December 1978, the first prototypes were shown at the Winter CES in January 1979. The production started in October 1979 and the first sales occurred just before Christmas period. <br/><br/> The design of these machines remains an amazing exploit to date. In one year, the teams of Atari (among them <b>Jay Miner</b>) succeeded in finalizing two really astonishing machines, as well as several concepts which are still largely used nowadays: The custom dedicated chips, the Serial I/O bus where all sorts of peripherals could be connected, is very close to our USB bus. Hardware scrolling, hardware sprites, video mode mixing, multivoice synthesizer are all concepts invented by Atari engineers and commonly used in our actual computers. <br/><br/> One can also mention the efficient Basic interpreter in ROM, written by Shepardson Microsystems, Inc (SMI), and a very well designed operating system. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1278_atari_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "BALLY PROFESSIONAL ARCADE IS ANNOUNCED",
|
||||
"date": "1977-09-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "SEPTEMBER 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/history_astrocade_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 22,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=22",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/history_astrocade_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In September 1977, Bally, the famous pinball tables manufacturer, announced shortly after the Atari 2600, the <b>Bally Professional Arcade</b>. The first versions were shipped in early 1978 for $299. <br/><br/> This video game system featured a Z80 processor, three built-in games (Gunfight, Checkmate, Scribbler), a calculator with numeric keypad and up to four controllers that were a unique combination of joystick and paddle, which resembled the grip of a revolver. <br/><br/> Furthermore, a BASIC cartridge gave this system the ability to save programs to a cassette tape. For about 6 months, it was thus the world's cheapest computer. <br/><br/> Even though is was slightly superior to the competition (Atari VCS), the unit was too expensive and the sales remainded at a low level. In 1982, Bally withdrew the system and sold the rights to Astrovision Inc., a group of users who had enjoyed the system. The console was then reintroduced as the <b>Bally Computer System</b>. The same year, the company changed its name - and the system name - to <b>Astrocade</b>. <br/><br/> After that, Astrocade tried to keep the system alive and marketed it as a video game console for several years. In 1985, the game consoles market crashed and finally, the Astrocade company closed their doors and the Astrocade system disappeared. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/history_astrocade_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "BBS, THE WORLD WIDE WEB FATHER",
|
||||
"date": "1978-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JANUARY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0178_fidonet_3.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 10,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=10",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0178_fidonet_3.jpg"/><br/><br/> <p>In January 1978, two guys from Chicago, <b>Ward Christensen</b> and <b>Randy Suess</b>, decided to devise a simple communication system between two computers, through a telephone line. They used the first generation of 110-baud Hayes modems that appeared first en April 1977. Christensen, who wrote the first binary file transfer protocol in August 1977 (MODEM.ASM, then XMODEM), developed the software, and Suess designed the hardware. <br/><br/> One month later, their system was running. They called it the <b>C</b>omputerized <b>B</b>ulletin <b>B</b>oard <b>S</b>ystem (CBBS). After several months of tests and improvements, CBBS finally went online to the public in 1979. It was the first electronic message-posting network (except time sharing systems) where participants could post messages to a public "board", read and respond to other ones and thus participate to virtual discussions. Few months later, virtual bulletin boards began popping up around the country, mainly intended to computer hobbyists and scientists. <br/><br/> At the first time, BBSs were painfully slow as the transmission speed didn't exceed 300 bauds (30 to 40 chars. per sec.). Only ASCII codes and ANSI escape sequences were used. Later, when 1200 and 2400 baud modems were launched, the speed became acceptable. <br/><br/> BBSs were very popular during the 80s and early 90s. They greatly declined in popularity when commercial Internet access became common. However, they were in many ways a precursor to the modern form of the World Wide Web and many aspects of the Internet. <br/><br/> <b>M. Simon</b>, who designed the <b>S-100 I/O board</b> used in the world's first BBS, adds: <br/><br/> When I had a shop on Chicago on 2053 N. Sheffield they came over all the time to get advice on how to get the Master I/O Board up and running. I used the 8251 serial chip and there was no way other than a hard reset to determine the state of the chip. I think they did a cut and a jump on the board to the on board 8255 for a hardware reset. <br/><br/> They told me what they were planning and I wondered why any one would do something so crazy! <br/><br/> I made one or two visits to their basement to help out and see what was going on. We all belonged to the <b>CACHE</b> club in those days.<b> C</b>hicago <b>A</b>rea <b>C</b>omputer <b>H</b>obbyist <b>E</b>xchange. My wife silk screened bumper stickers for the club. We also sold T-shirts with "<i>Support the Revolution, Buy a Computer</i>" for a slogan. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0178_fidonet_4.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "BSD UNIX",
|
||||
"date": "1978-03-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "MARCH 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0378_bsddaemon.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 6,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=6",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0378_bsddaemon.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In March 1978, <b>Bill Joy</b>, who studied at the University of California at Berkeley, released the first free version of UNIX operating system which is now known as <b>BSD UNIX</b>. (<b>B</b>erkeley <b>S</b>oftware <b>D</b>istribution) <br/><br/> The history of UNIX starts back in 1969, when <b>Ken Thompson</b>, <b>Dennis Ritchie</b> and others started working on a Digital Equipment PDP-7 computer at Bell Labs. The first edition was launched in 1971 and was mainly used for text processing. It had a kernel, an assembler for the DEC PDP-11/20, a file system and some vital tools, including the 'ed' (editor for mortals) text editor written by Bill Joy. <br/><br/> Two years later, the Fourth Edition was totally rewritten in C language with multi-platform support in mind, allowing it to be used on a wide range of computers. In 1975, the Sixth Version, widely known as 'Version 6' was the first UNIX version really available outside the Bell Labs. The first BSD version was derived from this V6. <br/><br/> The second BSD version was launched a few months later with the full kernel source codes. This version became the backbone of the Internet and introduced the "open source" concept.<br/> From this time, the various flavours of UNIX were divided in two different families, the BSD based types and those derived from the SYSTEM V.<br/> The Berkeley version of UNIX became the standard in education and research and was notable for introducing using TCP/IP to UNIX (later Bill Joy will be nicknamed the "Edison of the Internet"). BSD was widely distributed in source form so that others could learn from it and improve it. <br/><br/> After having been involved in the BSD project, Bill Joy co-founded <b>Sun Microsystems</b> in 1982 and led technical strategy of the company. He designed Sun's Network File System (NFS), parts of the SPARC microprocessor architecture as well as basic pipeline used in all of Sun's SPARC microprocessors.<br/> Later, he was the co-author of the specification for the <b>Java</b> programming language.<br/> In 1998, Bill was appointed as Chief Scientist of the company. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0378_billjoy.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "BUILDING ITS OWN S-100 BUS BASED SYSTEM",
|
||||
"date": "1977-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "month unknown 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_11-77_s100_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 19,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=19",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_11-77_s100_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In this end of year 1977, when a computer fanatic wished to build himself a powerful and evolutional computer, he'd only have pactically one choice: to purchase a S-100 Bus based system, assembled or in kit form.<br/> Several manufacturers were selling spare parts allowing to assemble progressively and at low cost a basic system. <br/><br/> The first step consisted in acquiring a box with a power supply and a bus card.<br/> One had to choose then amongst several CPU cards available: Motorola 6800, MOS 6502, Intel 8080 and 8085 or Zilog Z80. The cards were provided assembled or in kit form. One had then to solder the components on the card.<br/> A third essential part, the RAM card. It was composed of 2 to 64 Kb of static or dynamic memory chip. <br/><br/> At this stage, the computer was able to operate... providing that one could communicate with it! A teletype or video terminal plugged in the computer's serial port was then necessary.<br/> After a few days of operation, the user noticed that he would most probably need to buy a backup system to save his programs. For a few hundred $ more, he would rapidly buy a card punch or a cassette recorder with the additional interface card. <br/><br/> Though his computer was working correctly and that our fanatic already spent approximately $1500, he's not yet acquainted that he'll have to spend approximately twice the price in the next months to purchase more memory, communication cards, one or two floppy drives, a printer, a modem... <br/><br/> In 1977, when one would like to acquire a real computer, one had to be passionate, very handy... and rich! <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_11-77_s100_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "CLICK AND SPELL",
|
||||
"date": "1978-06-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JUNE 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0678_clickspell_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 36,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20211208043342/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=36",
|
||||
"date": "2021-12-08"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0678_clickspell_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In 1976, after having conquered a major part of the calculators market, the consumer products group at Texas Instruments was searching for another mountain to climb. First time the idea of a Speak and Spell product for children came up, TI management didn't take it seriously. However, Richard Wiggins, an engineer who was brand-new to TI at the time, took a look at the idea and said: "I think we can do it.". And they did: in june 1978, the speaking bright coloured box was launched. Six months later, the product was a Christmas season hit, and the same sentence resounded in every American toys stores: <br/><br/> <i>Hello! I am Speak & Spell, the electronic learning aid, that challenges you with random questions stored in my brain.</i> <br/><br/> Its popularity with its target audience was given a further boost when a certain adorable alien used it to help him "phone home" in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Both parents and educators appreciated its value as a teaching tool, and their combined seals of approval made Speak & Spell a common sight in homes and schools alike. Its popularity also led to sequel electronic games for other areas of learning like Speak & Math and Speak & Read. <br/><br/> The technology behind the toy was a result of Texas Instruments early investigations into speech synthesis. The result was the TMS5110/5220 series, first low cost mass produced DSP chips. They allowed speech data to be stored in a highly compressed format, which was very important in the days when ROM space was expensive; and synthesized speech using a method know as Linear-Predictive Coding (LPC). More than 100 seconds of linguistic sounds could be stored into a 128 KB ROM chip. Same chips were used in the TI 99/4 Home Computer Voice module. <br/><br/> Nowadays, DSP technology is everywhere. People can now send voice as well as live video over a cellular phone. In 2000, the programmable DSP market generated more than $6 billion in sales. Texas Instruments claimed 48 percent of that market. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0678_clickspell_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "COMMODORE INTERNATIONAL IS FOUNDED",
|
||||
"date": "1954-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1954"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "month unknown 1954",
|
||||
"oc_id": 66,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220429214058/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=66",
|
||||
"date": "2022-04-29"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<p>In 1954, Commodore International was founded by Jack Tramiel, an Auschwitz survivor, and Manfred Kapp, as a typewriter-repair service.</p> <p>Tramiel was born on December 13, 1927 in Lodz in Poland and spent the years from 1940 to 1945 in a German concentration camp. Other sources indicate that his name was originally Kaufmann Idek Tramiel or Tramielski and that he was born on September 13, 1927 or December 13, 1928. He appears to have entered the United States in 1947 and to have been in the United States Army from 1948 to 1950 when he was a cook and for less than a year in 1951-2 when he was a typewriter repair man. Between his tours of duty in the army and for a time after his second tour, he worked for a company called Ace Typewriter Repair Company. Between 1952 and 1954, he drove a taxicab in the New York City. Tramiel first met Manfred Kapp in 1952 or 1953 when they were fellow-employees at the Ace Typewriter Repair Company.</p>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "COMMODORE INTRODUCES THE PET",
|
||||
"date": "1977-06-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JUNE 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/commodore_pet_system_3.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 31,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=31",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/commodore_pet_system_3.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>The PET 2001 (Personal Electronic Transactor) was the first computer unit ready to plug in to a mains supply and use. This concept, added to a futuristic design, caused an enormous sensation at The 1977 Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. In fact, a first PET model was presented during the January CES, but it never worked properly.<br/><br/> The PET was the first computer sold by Jack Tramiel. A legend says that, one day, Chuck Peddle, the designer of the 6502 microprocessor, accosted him in a corridor and asked him to forget hand held calculators and think about a desktop computer. Tramiel said, "Build it" and Chuck built the PET computer based on the 6502 microprocessor! <br/><br/> The PET name would be used only until the 4000 series as Philips, the owner of the registered PET name, would require Commodore to use a different name. Commodore would choose the CBM logo for the later systems. <br/><br/> Original sale price of the 4 KB PET was $495. Several hundred orders later, the price would go to $595 for the 4 KB version and $795 for the 8 KB. Several thousand orders later Jack Tramiel decided to double the price and to market the computer in Europe. The sales won't weaken.<br/><br/> Within a few months, many dealers wanted to sell the PET. But Tramiel dictated his terms: To pay cash on order and wait for the computers for about five months, to have a clean credit history and good retail and service departments.<br/><br/> While being very demanding with the dealer network, Tramiel approached the big retail chain stores, and within a few weeks, the dealers were in direct competition with the household names.<br/><br/> The PET system would become the father of a large family of PET/CBM computers including the 2000, 4000, 8000 series, then the 500, 600 and 700 series in 1983.<br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/commodore_history_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "COMMODORE PET VS SHARP MZ-80K",
|
||||
"date": "1979-03-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "MARCH 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 50,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=50",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0379_cbmmz_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In early 1979, Commodore introduced the first revision of its PET computer. The most visible change was the large mechanical keyboard that replaced the first "chicklet" style one. As there was no more room for it, the internal tape drive was removed. <br/><br/> Internally, the machine offered 8 to 32 KB of RAM and a new version 1.2 of the Basic interpreter which corrected several bugs of the version 1 and allowed the use of the new 2040 floppy drive unit. <br/><br/> Same versions were sold in Europe a few months later under the name CBM 3008, 3016 and 3032. The 2040 FD unit was also renamed CBM 3040. <br/><br/> At the same time, Sharp started to sell in Japan its first home computer, the MZ-80K, with the intention of competing with the PET and Tandy TRS systems. <br/><br/> Although its appearance was pretty PET like, its internal design was rather different: a Z80 CPU instead of a 6502, no Basic in ROM, only a 2 KB monitor and a mechanical keyboard, better than the first Pet keyboard, but less convenient than the new version. <br/><br/> The MZ-80K was launched in various European countries in late 1979. Due to its specific features and permanent lack of software, it never presented a real threat to the major US manufacturers. This is probably the reason why Sharp did not launch the MZ-80 series on the U.S. market. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0379_cbmmz_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "COMPUTERS - SOME HISTORY AND BACKGROUND #1",
|
||||
"date": "1915-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1915"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "month unknown 1915",
|
||||
"oc_id": 60,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20230627150853/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=60",
|
||||
"date": "2023-06-27"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<p> By <b> Darwyn F. Kelley</b><br/> Computer Historian</p> <p><br/> What is the difference between a Computer and a Calculator? One the most satisfactory definition states, "<i>An automatic computer is a machine that manipulates symbols in accordance with given rules in a predetermined and self-directed manner..</i>"<br/> The most significant word here undoubtedly is "<i>self directed</i>". Any calculating device whether it be an abacus or an adding machine must be other-directed, that is, man directed.<br/> <sup><img height="378" src="/media/history/images/compengine.jpg" width="250"/></sup><br/> An automatic computer, however has the ability to accept data and then work upon that data according to a preset program without human intervention, although human beings must, of course, devise the program which controls the automatic manipulation of the data. Regardless whether the computer is one of the special-purpose types for solving engineering and scientific problems or a general-purpose computer manufactured in large quantities, the principle remains the same.<br/> <br/> How did computers come into being and why did anyone want to build one in the first place? Starting from crude methods of piling stones to represent numbers and proceeding hrough such ingenious devices as the abacus, he has long been in pursuit of improved calculating methods. He has always been limited however, by the state of technology in the times in which he lived. As long ago as the 1820's Charles Babbage, in England made a "difference engine"., which was sound in principle, but which unfortunately was very unreliable due to the availability of only crudely machined parts. <br/> <br/> The first true computer to be manufactured in any quantities was <b> Ford Instrument Computer</b> in <b>1915</b>. A mechanical analog device. The Ford Computer was a marvel of gear trains, linkages, and differentials. It was difficult to keep in adjustment and very complicated to manufacture, but it did the job it was intended to do- find and keep the range for naval guns.<br/> <br/> In <b>1930</b>, the first general-purpose computer was built at MIT under the direction of <b> Dr. Vannever Bush</b>. It to was a mechanical monster, but it could be disconnected and reconnected to solve different equations.<br/> All of these devices were analog. That is they operated on real inputs such as voltages or the rotation of gears and they produced real outputs, such as training of the guns of a main battery. <br/> <br/> Analog computers have both advantages and disadvantages. They produce almost instantaneous output, but since they act upon analogies to numbers rather than on numbers themselves, their output is never perfectly accurate. They can be used to train a gun but not to calculate a payroll.<br/> <br/> In <b>1939</b>, a major breakthrough occurred when <b> Dr. Howard Aiken</b> of Harvard completed the basic plans for a <b> sequential, digital, electromechanical computer</b>. This computer was an unwieldy conglomeration of office calculating devices, but it embodied two impo<img height="385" src="/media/history/images/mark1a.jpg" width="250"/>rtant concepts. First, it operated on real numbers, rather than on analogs of numbers, and, second it had the ability to make decisions. That is, it could compare two numbers when a partial result had been obtained and then follow one of two paths for further computation, depending upon the result of the comparison. All computers operate on this principle today.<br/> Dr. Aiken's machine was still an electromechanical device and naturally was subject to failure through wear and tear and had such commonplace troubles as simply getting dirty. Also there were obvious physical limitation on the speeds which it could be operated.<br/> <br/> The next major breakthrough came in <b>1946</b>, when the first all-electronic, digital sequential computer was delivered. It was many times faster and far more reliable than any mechanical computer could be. It was an invention of <b> J. Presper Eckert</b> and <b> Dr. John Mauchly</b>, who later formed a company which eventually became, the UNIVAC Division of Sperry Rand. The name of this first Electronic Computer was <b>ENIAC</b>. (Acronym for :Electronic Numeric Integrated Automatic Computer). It was the father of all modern electronic computers.<br/> <br/> Next, in rapid succession came <b>BINAC</b>, the first computer with serial logic; <b> Univac I</b> , the first commercial computer, the Univac 1103A, the first computer to use core storage, the Univac Solid State, the first all Solid State Computer to be offered commercially, The Univac LARC, the world's most powerful computer at that time. </p> <p><a href="/history/computers-some-history-and-background-2/"><img height="15" src="/media/history/images/next_button.gif" width="54"/></a></p>
|
||||
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|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "COMPUTERS - SOME HISTORY AND BACKGROUND #2",
|
||||
"date": "1915-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1915"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "month unknown 1915",
|
||||
"oc_id": 61,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=61",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<p> By <b> Darwyn F. Kelley</b><br/> Computer Historian</p> <p><br/> <br/> <b> ENIAC <br/> The World's First Electronic Computer <br/> </b><br/> <img src="/media/history/images/eniac.jpg"/></p> <p>The ENIAC computer, pictured above was installed ,at Aberdeen Proving Grounds , Aberdeen, Maryland. It weighed nearly 30 tons and occupied 15,000 square feet of floor space.<br/> ENIAC contained more than <b> 19,000 vacuum tubes</b> which were used to perform <b> 5,000 additions per second</b>. .As one might expect, making ENIAC function was a tedious task. Operators used plug boards and wires to program the desires operations and entered the numbers used in calculations by turning a series of dials until they corresponded to the correct digits.<br/> By today's standards, ENIAC was slow, but it was 60 times faster than the mechanical differential analyzer which it replaced and at that time this was a large advance. ENIAC led the computer field during the period <b> 1949</b> through <b> 1952</b> when it served as the main computer workhouse for the solution of scientific problems of the Nation. It was the major instrument for the computation of all ballistic tables for the U.S. Army and Air Force.<br/> <br/> As a Sperry Univac, Senior System Engineer, assigned to the Univac installation at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in <b>1957</b>. ENIAC was delivered to the Ballistics Research Laboratory, (BRL) in <b>1946</b>, therefore I missed this installation but did have many discussions with the personnel that used to work on this first amazing computer. It actually was not used to solve "Knotty Nuclear Problems" , but actually computed firing tables for the White Sands missile range.<br/> BRL also had many firsts., <b> EDVAC</b> and <b> ORDVAC</b> Computers were very powerful military computers which replaced ENIAC. Around <b> 1958/1959</b> BRL decided to build a very advanced Scientific Computer. <b>BRLESC</b>. (BRL Electronic Scientific Computer). This was a very expensive and powerful computer but it did contain vacuum tubes at the time when all commercial computers were switching to solid state devices. This computer was made obsolete by Solid State Technology.<img src="/media/history/images/binac.jpg"/></p> <p><b> BINAC</b></p> <p>The next machine produced by the Eckert & Mauchly team was Binac, special-purpose computer, Only one was built. Binac embodied four important advances, however: it used serial instead of parallel logic; it was the first computer to be internally programmed; it was the first computer to use magnetic tape; and it was the first computer to use solid state elements. Internal programming eliminated the time-consuming and tedious task of changing a problem by connecting external cables. </p> <p>In parallel-logic systems, if one wishes to add two 3 digit numbers, one provides three add circuits, one for each column. In a serial machine, the columns are added one at a time, sequentially. This arrangement eliminates many parts and, of course, when the number of parts goes down so does the cost.<br/> Binac's use of Magnetic tape was limited to small reels. Small as it was, however, this 2 inch reel was the forerunner of the complex tape input and storage systems.<br/> In part, Binac achieved the speed necessary to the successful operation of a serial machine by the use of crystal diodes instead of vacuum tubes for switches. <br/> <img src="/media/history/images/mercurymem.jpg"/> All sequential machines really are giant switching networks. Vacuum tubes still were used for amplification, but this first use of crystal diodes, as long ago as <b>1948</b>, foreshadowed today's all solid-state machines with their greatly increased speeds and greatly reduced size, power and cooling requirements, and costs. A solid state component uses the flow of electrons through a solid material. </p> <p>After Binac, new developments came thick and fast. The memory utilized in Binac was <b> mercury tank memory</b>. The design of this storage device was based on the very simple fact that an electrical pulse could be converted to a sound pulse (by means of piezo-electric quartz crystal and that this sound crystal would travel at relative low speed through a body of mercury. When it came out the other end, it could be reconverted to an electrical pulse by another crystal, amplified, and sent back into the tank. The net result was that the "bit" of information kept circulating until such time until called for by the computers circuitry. Mercury Delay Memory was also utilized in the Univac I Computer. </p> <p><a href="/history/computers-some-history-and-background-3/"><img height="15" src="/media/history/images/next_button.gif" width="54"/></a></p>
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||||
{
|
||||
"title": "DAN BRICKLIN AND BOB FRANKSTON FORM SOFTWARE ARTS CORPORATION.",
|
||||
"date": "1979-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JANUARY 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 47,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=47",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0179_brickfrank.gif"/> <br/><br/><p> In 1978, Daniel Bricklin, who was then a masters student in business administration, came up with the idea of an interactive visible calculator and programmed the first working prototype of his concept on an Apple II in Basic. <br/><br/> As the program wasn't really powerful, he asked his friend Bob Frankston who had been working with computers for 15 years, to improve and expand the program. They founded Software Arts Corp. in January 2, 1979 and Frankston turned the Bricklin idea into a powerful and compact spreadsheet program they named <b>VisiCalc</b>, for Visible Calculator. <br/><br/> In October 1979, the first Apple II versions appeared in the computer stores at $100 and VisiCalc became an instant success. About 1 million copies were sold within four years, Software Arts grew from 2 employees to 125, and many businessmen bought an Apple II just to run VisiCalc on. Although Atari, Tandy Commodore and later IBM versions were also launched, Visicalc widely contributed to the commercial success of the Apple II and further Apple systems. <br/><br/> It was said that VisiCalc was the first computer spreadsheet program. However the 'Spreadsheet' term was fist used in 1952, and the first computerized version of an accounting matrix appeared in mid 1960's, programmed in Fortran language. However, at the time, the only way to use such a program was to rent calculation time on a shared system or run it on a mainframe. Both options were cost prohibitive.<br/> Visicalc was in fact the first 'democratic' productivity software which turned first generation of personal computers from toys or game consoles into real business assistants. <br/><br/> VisiCalc was sold to Lotus Development Corporation in 1983 and became the <b>Lotus 1-2-3</b> spreadsheet for the IBM-PC. Other major sequels of Visicalc were <b>SuperCalc</b> for CP/M systems and <b>Quattro Pro</b> from Borland. The first <b>Excel</b> version appeared in 1985 for the Apple Macintosh. <br/><br/> For a complete information about VisiCalc history, don't miss the <a href="http://www.bricklin.com/visicalc.htm">Dan Bricklin Web site</a>. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0179_visicalc.jpg"/>
|
||||
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|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "DAVID PACKARD AND WILLIAM HEWLETT",
|
||||
"date": "1978-02-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"People"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "FEBRUARY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0278_hp_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 8,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=8",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0278_hp_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>Mr. David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett Packard Company, Inc., retires from active duty in his company. He is replaced with Mr. John Young as Chief Executive Officer. At this time, the sale revenue was close to $ 2 billions, and HP Company employed more than 42,000 persons. <br/><br/> 48 years earlier, in the 1930s, <b>William Hewlett</b> and <b>David Packard</b> met when they were students at Stanford University. They launched their business partnership in 1939 with $538 in capital. Packard and his wife Lucile provided the humble garage where the Hewlett-Packard Company began, in Palo Alto, California. This garage is now regarded as the Birthplace of Silicon Valley. <br/><br/> As their first big contract, the partners built 8 audio oscillators called <b>HP200B</b> for the Walt Disney Studio. They were used for building the soundtrack of the film "Fantasia". Why 200B? To make customers think that this device was one of many produced by HP Company. <br/><br/> During World War II, Packard ran the firm while Hewlett did Army duty. The company produced radio, sonar, radar, and nautical and aviation devices. It grew rapidly and had 250 employees at the war conclusion. <br/><br/> In 1969, H.P. produces the first scientific pocket calculator, and enters by this way in the new world of computers. However, Hewlett Packard not only pioneered in technology. David Packard introduced a new management philosophy which came to be known as the <b>"HP Way"</b>, providing medical insurance, allowing flex time for workers and profit-sharing for all employees. <br/><br/> These two men who shared talent, ideas and a generous spirit built then Hewlett-Packard into one of the world's most innovative and respected companies. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0278_hp_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
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|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "DICK HEISER OPENS THE FIRST COMPUTER STORE, ARROWHEAD COMPUTERS",
|
||||
"date": "1976-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1976"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"People"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "month unknown 1976",
|
||||
"oc_id": 70,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=70",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
Dick Heiser opens the first Computer Store, Arrowhead computers
|
||||
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|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "DIGITAL VT-100",
|
||||
"date": "1978-11-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "NOVEMBER 1978",
|
||||
"oc_id": 45,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=45",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1178_vt100_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> Quickly After being introduced in August 1978, the Digital VT-100 terminal rapidly enjoyed great popularity and soon became the most widely imitated asynchronous terminal. <br/><br/> The VT-100 featured lots of innovations including control by an Intel 8085 microprocessor (rather than custom discrete logic), scrolling regions, different character sizes (regular, compressed, double-wide, double-high-and-wide), smooth scrolling and so on. Its control codes and escape sequences still form the basis of the <b>xterm</b> set and of the <b>ANSI</b> or <b>IBM PC</b> standards. <br/><br/> VT100 compatibility is still provided by most terminal emulators. All terminals that came after the VT100 (various VT1xx models as well as numerous competitors models) were able to emulate their ancestor, although they offered new features in addition to what the VT100 could do. <br/><br/> In 1982, DEC launched the VT-180. It was a VT-100 terminal with a Z80 extra board and an external floppy drive unit allowing to run CP/M OS and programs. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1178_vt100_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
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|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "EXIDY ANNOUNCES ITS SORCERER",
|
||||
"date": "1978-04-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "APRIL 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0478_sorcerer_2.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 3,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20211018201426/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=3",
|
||||
"date": "2021-10-18"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0478_sorcerer_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>Exidy, Incorporated, was founded in 1974 by <b>H.R. Kaufman</b> at Sunnyvale, California, and became a leading manufacturer of arcade type video games.<br/> Their first release was TV Pinball, followed by Mouse Trap or Boulder Dash which became worldwide hits when licensed to Coleco. <br/><br/> While developing the Sorcerer hardware, Exidy designers closely examined all-in-one competitor systems released a few months earlier, the Commodore PET and Tandy TRS-80. The Sorcerer was thus a combination of best features they offered plus an innovative idea, the software ROM cartridge called <b>ROM PAC</b>, making the Sorcerer the first Home Computer to support ROM cartridge use, even if these ROM PAC's were enclosed into 8-track audio housings! <br/><br/> In spite of marketing and production problems, first sales occurred in the USA about 5 months after the machine was announced. The Sorcerer was then introduced in Europe and in Australia by <b>Dick Smith Electronics</b> making it the first personal computer available in this country. <br/><br/> In Holland, <b>Compudata</b> produced the Sorcerer under licence for several years, and sold a lot of them to educational market with several hardware and software improvements: CP/M operating system, S-100 bus support allowing various mass storage systems - including hard discs - to be connected. <br/><br/> Despite obvious qualities, the Sorcerer - and the Sorcerer II launched in 1980 - never met a real success. Exidy ceased production and closed its doors in 1982, but the CompuData version was still produced in Europe until 1984. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0478_sorcerer_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
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|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "FIRST SMILEYS",
|
||||
"date": "1979-04-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"People"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "APRIL 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 53,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=53",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0479_smileys_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> On April 12 1979, Kevin McKenzie of Arpanet's MsgGroup made the following suggestion: <br/><br/><tt> Perhaps we could extend the set of punctuation we use, i.e.: If I wish to indicate that a particular sentence is meant with tongue-in-cheek, I would write it so:<br/> "Of course you know I agree with all the current administration's policies -)."<br/> The '-)' indicates tongue-in-cheek. <br/><br/></tt> At that time, the initial response was less than enthusiastic and the idea sank into oblivion.<br/> Two years later, Scott Fahlman, a professor from the University of Carnegie Mellon (Pittsburgh) sent this message: <br/><br/><tt> 9-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman<br/> From: Scott E Fahlman <fahlman><br/> I propose the following character sequence for joke markers:<br/> :-)<br/> Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark things that are NOT jokes, given current trends. For this, use<br/> :-( <br/><br/></fahlman></tt> From the Fahlman message, the phenomenon expanded at great speed. First, it propagated to other universities and research laboratories, then worldwide. A few months later, tens of variants began to appear in messages, becoming more and more elaborate. <br/><br/> However, not everybody agreed that Scott or McKenzie were the true inventors of this system. Some chronologies assure that <b>PLATO</b> educational system users began using smiley characters probably as early as 1972. <br/><br/> The main problem was that the original messages in which the smiley was invented had been lost... until September 2002. After a significant effort to locate it, the original post made by Fahlman on the CMU CS general Bboard was retrieved by Jeff Baird from an October 1982 Vax backup tape. The McKenzie message was also retrieved, here are the relevant <a href="http://jerz.setonhill.edu/resources/clippings/smiley/emoticon.txt">entries</a>. <br/><br/> Nowadays, books have been published listing and describing hundreds of types of smileys, but in actual practice, only a few are widely used. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0479_smileys_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
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|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "FIRST TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI-57 SALES",
|
||||
"date": "1977-07-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JULY 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/texas_ti57_system_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 29,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220322023408/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=29",
|
||||
"date": "2022-03-22"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/texas_ti57_system_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>The <b>TI-57</b>, <b>TI-58</b> and <b>TI-59</b> programmable calculators were revealed to the public in May of 1977. Sales of the TI-57 started in July, and in August for the TI-58 and 59 (as we will see next month). <br/><br/> It will become the most sold programmable calculator in the world. Though inexpensive ($80), the TI-57 is a technological prowess. It is the only programmable calculator with all functions centralized in a single integrated circuit. <br/><br/> A low consumption MOS/LSI circuit does the work of 30,000 transistors. It features a 4 bits microprocessor, 50 program steps in RAM and a ROM command software. A new coding method allows to save in one programming step up to three keys entries (as in : Inv-2nd-cos). <br/><br/> All these characteristics are largely inspired by Hewlett Packard's latest products, HP being Texas Instrument's largest competitor in this area. <br/><br/> The TI-57 will also be sold through <b>Radio Shack</b> under the name of <b>EC-4000</b>.<br/> TI-57 production will end in 1982. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/texas_ti57_ic_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "FORTRAN, MICROSOFT'S SECOND PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE",
|
||||
"date": "1977-08-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "AUGUST 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0877_fortran.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 26,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=26",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0877_fortran.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) was first used in 1957. It was a popular programming language designed specifically to solve scientific, mathematical and engineering problems. Its development started in 1954 with <b>John Backus</b> and some IBM designers. It was first featured with IBM 704 computers. <br/><br/> For several years, FORTRAN was the only high level language available and the only alternative to machine-level or assembly language programming. <br/><br/> FORTRAN was the first programming language Bill Gates used in his high school years. His school wanted him to write a class scheduling program on a Digital computer. Bill wrote it in FORTRAN, and designed a special version to put him in classes with no other boys and all the girls he thought were cute! <br/><br/> After BASIC interpreter, FORTRAN was the second software sold by the new Microsoft Company. It was partly written by Bill Gates and ran under the CP/M operating system. The high quality of the software and its documentation placed Microsoft among the first serious suppliers in an emergent professional software industry. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0877_johnbackus.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "FRENCH LOGABAX LX-500 LAUNCHED",
|
||||
"date": "1978-05-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "MAY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0578_logabax_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 16,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=16",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0578_logabax_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>Logabax, a French computer manufacturer specialized in small and medium size computers aimed at private and state-owned companies, launched its fist microcomputer. <br/><br/> It was a strange looking small plastic box containing a single multifunction Z80 based card and two 90 KB 5.25" floppy drives. A serial port allowed the Logabax video terminal to be connected. The system ran Logabax DOS and a flavour of CP/M Operating System. <br/><br/> In fact, due to its very expensive price for the time (about 4000 Euros) the LX-500 never met success near private companies despite Logabax efforts in setting up a European dealers network. <br/><br/> However, at this time French ministry of education sought French computers to equip thousands of high schools. Only two French manufacturers were able to provide such small systems: R2E and Logabax. Thus Logabax got more than half the ministry contract, even though the system was far to meet reliability and ease of use requested in educational environment. <br/><br/> Despite Logabax had priviliged access to procurement contracts with French state, the company met serious cash shortage problems. After several vain attempts from French government to refloat the company, Logabax was eventually sold in 1981 to Olivetti, the first Italian computers company. After some common ventures (Olivetti-Logabax Persona PC systems), Logabax finally disappeared for good. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0578_logabax_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "HEATHKIT PRESENTS ITS FIRST COMPUTER",
|
||||
"date": "1977-09-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "SEPTEMBER 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/history_h8_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 24,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=24",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/history_h8_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>When Heathkit launched its first computer in kit form, the Benton Harbor, Michigan company was the biggest electronic kits maker. <br/><br/> 59 years before, in 1926, <b>Ed Heath</b> sold the first Heath kit, an airplane. Sadly, he died a short time later while testing a new airplane model. After the World War II, the company really found its way selling low-cost electronic kits made of U.S. Army surplus parts. <br/><br/> When a customer ordered the H8 kit, for $375, he received a bunch of circuit boards, various chips and passive components, a case, a power supply, and clear and progressive assembly instructions. After several hours or several weeks, the system was assembled, tested and ready to run. To run what? Only programs keyed in on the keypad and read on the Led display. The basic version didn't include any monitor display, ASCII keyboard and tape backup. When the computer was turned off, all the programmer work was gone and had to be typed again. <br/><br/> Hopefully, Heathkit immediately provided a set of essential software including the first version of the <b>Benton Harbor BASIC</b>, a text editor, an assembly language, and some simple games. <br/><br/> The first peripheral was the well-known <b>H-10</b> paper tape puncher/reader, followed by the <b>H-17</b> disk drives unit, <b>H-9</b> video terminal and modem also sold in kit form. One year after it was launched, the H8 could run various operating systems including HDOS (Heath operating system) and CP/M. <br/><br/> When HEATH Company was sold to <b>ZENITH</b> Data Systems in November 1979, the H8 got the ZENITH logo. It was still manufactured until Heath closed down their kit business in the mid-80's. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/history_h8_3.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "IBM ''YELLOWSTONE''",
|
||||
"date": "1978-01-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JANUARY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0178_ibm5110_2.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 9,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=9",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0178_ibm5110_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>"Yellowstone" was the code name for IBM's new revolutionary computer, the <b>IBM 5110</b>. <br/><br/> About two years earlier, IBM announced its smallest and first portable computer (If you consider a 28 Kgs. computer portable, that is), the <b>IBM 5100</b>, no bigger than one of IBM's typewriters. Developed in Rochester, it used the same operating system as IBM's /370 line of main frames. Thus it could accommodate the same APL interpreter, permitting the use of APL programs. However, it was a very primitive machine that was largely unsuccessful due to its high price tag (basic version costed $10,975) and limited expansion capabilities. <br/><br/> The new IBM 5110 was designed to provide much faster internal performance as well as many additional features. It supported full screen editing, 64 KB of RAM, the use of 8" disk drives and lower case characters. <br/><br/> The 5110 was later replaced by the <b>5120</b>, an integrated system also known as the 5110 model 3. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0178_ibm5110_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "INTEL INTRODUCES THE 8086 MICROPROCESSOR",
|
||||
"date": "1978-04-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "APRIL 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0478_intel8086_2.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 4,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220607022500/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=4",
|
||||
"date": "2022-06-07"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0478_intel8086_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In April 1978, Intel introduced its first 16 bit microprocessor. Production started in May, eventually, the 8086 was officially released on June 8. <br/><br/> The chip had a 28.6 mm² size, was manufactured in NMOS process with 3µm linewidths and contained <b>29,000 transistors</b>. This was nearly 5x the number of transistors in the earlier 8080, but 200x less than the 5.5 million transistors in a Pentium Pro! <br/><br/> In fact, since the first Intel 4004 processor, the number of transistors in a single chip has been doubling every eighteen months. This exponential rate predicted by Gordon Moore, Intel’s co-founder, is known as the <b>Moore’s law</b> <br/><br/> The 8086 implemented a Complex Instruction Set Computer (<b>CISC</b>) design methodology, and, to improve performance, included a six-byte prefetch queue that was considered a primitive form of pipelining. <br/> It featured twenty address lines giving a total address space of one megabyte. Actually, development team led by <b>Bill Pohlman</b> never suspected anyone would ever need more than one megabyte of RAM. However, the 8086 defines the base architecture of Intel's x86 family which is still in use in actual Intel processors. <br/><br/> The chip also featured a 16 bit data bus allowing a 16 bit value to be read or write in one clock pulse. However, this first version was too expensive to implement in small business computers of the time, so Intel developed an 8 bit data bus compatible version, the <b>8088</b>. This version was chosen by IBM for the first IBM PC and made Intel the leader of a multi-million dollar industry. <br/> In designing the 8086/8088, Intel chosen to keep an ascending compatibility with its previous 8080 processor, so the memory was not seen as a linear address space, but through <b>16 segments</b> of 64 KB. This bank-switched architecture will have many negative impacts on PC hardware and software design. <br/> When IBM designed their PC, they assigned ten segments for RAM and the remaining six to other system functions. IBM only started using the true 16 bit 8086 version in the <b>PS/2</b> model 25 and model 30, in 1987. <br/><br/> First clones of the 8088 and 8086 were respectively the <b>NEC V20</b> and <b>V30</b>. They had a more efficient design and were slightly faster and efficient, including instructions Intel will later use in its <b>80186</b> version. <br/><br/> Intel also released an expensive <b>8087</b> math coprocessor which really improved calculation speed for the few programs that supported it. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0478_intel8086_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "K&R FIRST EDITION",
|
||||
"date": "1978-05-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "MAY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0578_kern_richie.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 17,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=17",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0578_kern_richie.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>Although the C programming language was developed in the early 70's, there was no description of it published for several years, until the famous K&R. K&R was the summary for Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie the authors of "The C programming Language" which is still considered as the basic reference book for any programmer wishing to learn basis of the C language. <br/><br/> First edition appeared in 1978. It was the first official definition of the language and marked the real expansion of the Unix Operating System and its main language near professional and amateur users. <br/><br/> About this book, Dennis Ritchie wrote:<br/> In 1978 Brian Kernighan and I published The C Programming Language [Kernighan 78]. Although it did not describe some additions that soon became common, this book served as the language reference until a formal standard was adopted more than ten years later. Although we worked closely together on this book, there was a clear division of labor: Kernighan wrote almost all the expository material, while I was responsible for the appendix containing the reference manual and the chapter on interfacing with the Unix system. <br/><br/> A second edition appeared about ten years later. It was completely rewritten with additional examples and problem sets to clarify the implementation of difficult language constructs. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0578_kreditions.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "LEAR-SIEGLER INTRODUCES THE ADM-3A VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINAL (VDT)",
|
||||
"date": "1977-06-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JUNE 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/learsiegler_adm3a_system_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 32,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=32",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/learsiegler_adm3a_system_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>Did you know each time you visit the Old-computers home page, you see a Lear-Siegler ADM-3A terminal... displaying a READY message and a blinking cursor...<br/><br/> The ADM-3A was one of the first affordable serial display terminals manufactered by Lear-Siegler, Inc of Anaheim California.<br/><br/> Why ADM? Nobody knows, maybe <i>American Dream Machine</i> or <i>Awful Dumb Monitor</i> or <i>Advanced Display Module</i> or, more seriously, <i>Anaheim Division, Manufacturing</i>...<br/> Why 3A? We know... Because this version quickly replaced a previous one, called ADM-3, which only displayed upper-case letters. The 3A version did not display upper-case letters, but an optional chip set allows them to be displayed <br/><br/> The product was originally sold in assembled form for $1,195. A kit version would appear few months later, at $995. It could be ordered with a white, green, or amber tube background colour.<br/><br/> The ADM-3A quickly met with great success thanks to its reliability and low price.<br/><br/> Some models were also manufactured with a graphics add-on card of about the same size as its motherboard. With that card installed, the terminal emulated Tectronix 4014 graphics quite well. <br/><br/> The setup of this 'Dumb machine' (as Lear Siegler advertised) was done using... 32 dip switches (!) located at the left of the keyboard. Among them, 11 was used for the communication rate (from 75 to 19200 bauds), others for parity, display configuration, character set, etc.<br/><br/> Thanks to Sebastien Richter and his <a href="http://vauteh.de"> website</a> for the system image. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/learsiegler_adm3a_advert_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "MICROPRO'S FIRST WORD PROCESSOR SOFTWARE",
|
||||
"date": "1978-09-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "SEPTEMBER 1978",
|
||||
"oc_id": 41,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=41",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0978_wordstar_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> <b>SuperSort</b> and <b>WordMaster</b> were the first products sold by MicroPro International in September 1978. The company was formed by two employees of IMS Associates, a computer manufacturer which designed the IMSAI computer. <br/><br/> When <b>Seymour Rubenstein</b> was director of marketing for IMS, he started developing an early version of a word processor for the IMSAI 8080 computer. He convinced <b>Rob Barnaby</b>, a genius software programmer, to also leave IMS and join him at MicroPro adventure. <br/><br/> Barnaby wrote the first version of <b>WordStar</b> in September 1978. The program was entirely written in assembly language. Six months later, the commercial version was ready and first sales started in ComputerLand stores. <br/><br/> WordStar was then the best selling software program of the early eighties. Paradoxically, one of the main reasons of its commercial success was that it has also been the most pirated software in the world for several years. Much more books and WordStar manuals were sold than the software itself. <br/><br/> WordStar was designed to run on any CP/M machine. At the time, most of them used a serial video terminal as display device, with no editing and arrow keys. All the editing functions were thus performed through various combinations of <b>Ctrl+letter</b> keys. When the user got used to make the most of Control keys, typing and editing tasks were performed very quickly and WordStar was a very efficient tool. <br/><br/> From 1978 to 1984, sales jumped from $100,000 to $70 million. Wordstar, <b>CalcStar</b> and <b>DataStar</b> (first office suite) were ported to CP/M86 and PC/MS-DOS. In 1984, Micropro was the largest software company in the USA. <br/><br/> However, turnover curve started to reverse when several word processors were launched and began to compete with WordStar. Two of them will eventually supplant it, <b>WordPerfect</b> and later the first version of <b>Microsoft Word</b>. In 1985, Micropro released a new version called <b>WordStar 2000</b>, but it was rejected by users. WordStar source code was then sold to successive companies and the mythical word processor of the 80's sank gradually into oblivion. <br/><br/> More information and a detailed history of MicroPro and WordStar are available at <a href="http://www.wordstar.org/wordstar/history/history.htm">www.wordstar.org</a> <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0978_wordstar_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "MICROSOFT COBOL-80 RELEASED",
|
||||
"date": "1978-04-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "APRIL 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0478_cobol_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 5,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=5",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0478_cobol_1.jpg"/> In April 1978, Microsoft Corp. shipped first version of COBOL-80 its third computer language product after <b>BASIC-80</b> and <b>FORTRAN</b>. <br/><br/> Although quite unknown by individual and small business computers users, COBOL (for <b>C</b>ommon <b>B</b>usiness <b>O</b>riented <b>L</b>anguage) was, and is still used by huge business companies (finance, assurance) in critical areas. <br/><br/> The story of COBOL started in 1959, in a small corner of the Pentagon where <b>Grace Hopper</b> and a team of specialists coming from the computer industry, universities and Department of Defense started to work on initial specifications of a new language intended to be a business problem oriented, machine independent and capable of continuous change and development. <br/> The initial specifications for COBOL were presented in April of 1960. <br/><br/> Since, COBOL has undergone considerable updates and improvements. It has emerged as the leading data processing language in the business world. Several revisions and standard forms of the language appeared in 1968, 1974, 1985. The latest revision has been completed in 2002. <br/><br/> Is COBOL still used? Let us give you this surprising information: <br/> • In 1997 there were about <b>300 billion</b> lines of computer business code in use in the world. Of that about 80% were in COBOL and 20% were written in all the other computer languages, including C and C++.<br/> • In 2000, <b>95%</b> of finance / insurance data was processed with COBOL. The Y2K scare was a big reason that a hoard of new COBOL programmers came out of school in the mid to late 90's. COBOL was probably the largest codebase that needed fixing.<br/> • Through 2004-2005 15% of all new applications (5 billion lines) will be developed in COBOL. <br/><br/> Why such a success? Because COBOL is simple, structured and strong. It can handle very large applications (more than 1,000,000 lines of code). Last version includes object technology, IDE and graphical interfaces as well as integration with the World Wide Web. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0478_cobol_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "MITS - ALTAIR COMPANY IS SOLD TO PERTEC",
|
||||
"date": "1977-05-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Companies"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "MAY 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/altair_8800b_system_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 34,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20210308133905/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=34",
|
||||
"date": "2021-03-08"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/altair_8800b_system_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>MITS (<b>M</b>icro <b>I</b>nstrumentation and <b>T</b>elemetry <b>S</b>ystems) was founded in 1968 by <b>Ed Roberts</b> and two friends. MITS first made radio control devices, then calculators and in 1975 the <b>Altair 8800</b> and <b>8800a</b> microcomputer kits. <br/><br/> The 8800 system was sold for $397, a very attractive price. It is now considered by many to be the first real personal microcomputer any computer hobbyist could buy and use at home. Therefore, MITS and the Altair truly created the personal computer industry and changed the way many people live and work. <br/><br/> The Altair 8800 was also the first computer using a built-in Basic interpreter written by two guys working at MITS and called <b>Bill Gates</b> and <b>Paul Allen</b>. <br/><br/> Though the company maintained its lead as the primary seller, in 1976 MITS was in trouble. The company had grown too big too fast and had too many projects going on at the same time. Computers hardware quality was not good, products were failing, and customers were complaining. Communication within the company began to deteriorate. Paul Allen and Bill Gates both left MITS to develop their own company, Micro-Soft. Many manufacturers copied the Altair concept and one's heard about modern easy-to-use computers called Apple or Commodore. <br/><br/> In May 1977, Ed Roberts decided to sell MITS to Pertec for $6 million, a larger company that manufactured disks and tape drives for minicomputers and mainframe computers. Sadly, the sale of the company did not solve problems. The Pertec management team came in with new ideas and a new way of working and MITS people began to leave the company. Even Roberts became fed up with Pertec and left too. Pertec continued making Altairs small business System for about a year after the acquisition, moving away from the "Hobbyist Computer" image of the 8800. Computer production ceased definitively in July 1978. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/mits_mark8_system_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "NEC PC-8001, THE BIRTH OF THE JAPANESE HOME COMPUTER INDUSTRY",
|
||||
"date": "1979-02-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "FEBRUARY 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 48,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220429214058/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=48",
|
||||
"date": "2022-04-29"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0279_nec8001_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In 1977, <b>Kazuhiko Nishi</b>, the founder of ASCII Corporation and publisher of I/O, the first Japanese magazine dedicated to home computers, convinced NEC Corporation executive Kazuya Watanbe to build the first home computer in Japan. <br/><br/> Kazuhiko Nishi was also a friend of Bill Gates who started Microsoft two years earlier and wanted to work closely with Japanese hardware manufacturers in the development of microcomputers. He introduced him to NEC in 1978. <br/><br/> The NEC PC-8001 was released in Japan in 1979 with a Microsoft operating system and Basic interpreter in ROM. Although it was not the very first Japanese home computer - The Sharp MZ80K and the Hitachi Basic Master MB-6880 were released in 1978 - it was by far the best selling 8-bit machine for two years in the Japanese domestic market. Up to 1983, about 150,000 machines were sold and a wide range of software was developed for the 8001, from games to management programs. <br/><br/> Although a few thousands machines were sold world-wide, NEC, like all of the Japanese computer manufacturers at the time, never made big efforts to promote its computer apart from its domestic market. If the PC-8001 had been launched in USA and Europe along with a real marketing support, it would have been a very serious competitor to the first Apple, Commodore and Tandy home computers. <br/><br/> The 8001 also marked the beginning of a close collaboration between Microsoft and almost all the Japanese manufacturers, up to the birth of the first MSX machine, in 1983. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0279_nec8001_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "NORTH STAR HORIZON ANNOUNCED",
|
||||
"date": "1977-11-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "NOVEMBER 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_10-77_northstar_2.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 18,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20211018195727/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=18",
|
||||
"date": "2021-10-18"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_10-77_northstar_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In November 1977, Byte magazine said:<br/><br/> North Star Computers Inc. has announced the new North Star Horizon computer which uses a full speed (4 Mhz.) Z80 microprocessor and includes 16 KB of memory, a disk controller with one or two Shugart minifloppy disk drives and full extended disk basic. A serial I/O port is also provided. <br/><br/> Options include additional disk drives, hardware floating point arithmetic board, 24 lines by 80 character upper and lower case video display controller board, and 16 KB memory board with parity check. The video display board, when used in conjunction with the 16 KB memory board will display high resolution (480 by 250 points) graphics on a video monitor. The Horizon computer uses the Altair S-100 bus. <br/><br/> The single drive is $1599 in kit form and $1899 assembled. The dual drive is $1999 in kit form and $2349 assembled. <br/><br/> In fact, Horizon computers started to be sold several months before this press release was printed. At the time, North Star argued that the Horizon was the fist 'personal computer' that could load or save a 10 Kb disk program in less than 2 seconds. <br/><br/> The Horizon was one of the first business computers that was successfully introduced into small and medium size companies thanks to its robust construction and its efficient and easy-to-use software package. <br/><br/> The first issue of the Horizon newsletter is dated August 1977. It was then periodically mailed to all North Star product users and offered new products advertising, hardware and software updates, communication and software exchanges between users. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_10-77_northstar_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "OUTER SPACE!",
|
||||
"date": "1961-07-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1961"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Network",
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JULY 1961",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0761_outerspace_s1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 58,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=58",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<p> <b>The story of a $120,000 worth calculator used for implementing one of the first videogame in the computing history...</b> <br/><br/><b>The DEC PDP-1</b><br/> <br/> <img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0761_outerspace_s1.jpg"/></p> <p><br/> Yup, it costed $120,000 but the second of them produced was given free to the MIT Labs (Thanks DEC) <br/><br/> It was simply revolutionary. It occupied the room of three big refrigerators, it had a CRT and the usual Flexowriter for input/output and most important it didn't need air conditioning and used conventional 110 Volt supply!<br/> It used words of 18 bits and a basic setup had memory (core magnetic type) for up to 4096 words and expandable to 65536 The Flexowriter could read and write paper tapes used for storing programs. <br/><br/> As the PDP-1 arrived at the MIT Labs those hackers saw it as a further step that might have taken their dream closer to reality. <br/><br/> <b>The Hackers</b> <br/><br/> Who were these guys? They were a bunch of students and professors at MIT (namely Peter Samson, Alan Kotok, John McCarthy, Slug Russell, and others…)<br/> They were interested in systems. It could be a model railway track or a phone system or whatever else. They studied and experimented with them endlessy, maybe not going to the classes and never got graduated but that was not the point. The point was to hack more!<br/> <br/> They had a sort of unwritten manifesto that can be resumed here: (from Hackers written by S.Levy)<br/> <i>Access to computers should be unlimited and total!<br/> All information should be free.<br/> Mistrust authority - Promote Decentralization.<br/> Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degree, age, race or position.<br/> You can create art and beauty on a computer.</i><br/> <br/> But above all…<br/> <i>Computer can change your life for the better.</i><br/> <br/> At the labs they fight for access on a computer, moved by the 'hands on' imperative. They coded hard with those first microcomputers (?!) and the will to improve their results every time was astounding. <br/> <br/> No matter how many hours they worked they liked to give the system a new feature. So if you gave a project to a hacker it would always be a work in progress...<br/> <br/> <b>...and the Spacewar</b></p> <p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0761_outerspace_s2.jpg"/></p> <p><br/> Slug Russell thought about some cool demo to program on this beauty, the PDP-1. <br/> <br/> The CRT was then a great feature of the PDP-1 as it was easily programmable. The PDP-1 had also been used to produce music already. Hackers had also written a new assembler in about a weekend of work replacing the standard factory version, which they thought it wasn't efficient enough!<br/> <br/> So Slug thought about a game, a game about duel in an outer space between two ships! A graphic algorithm developed by prof. Minsky called ‘Three Position Display’ initially inspired him. Alan Kotok provided another piece with some routines for tracing the ships positions on screen.<br/> <br/> Then after some coding Slug defined some elements of its game. He decided the shapes of the two ships and the controls for them: clockwise turn, counter-clockwise turn, accelerate and fire torpedo. He finished a first version and demoed it to the others.<br/> What you would expect? The hackers started to improve it! <br/> <br/> In a totally free environment every contribution was added to the game. Someone corrected the trajectory for the torpedoes, Peter Samson defined a new map for the sky background (now it represented a map with all the real constellations, not just a random dotted screen), and then a central sun was added and simulated a gravity effect as the ship could orbit around it or burn into it if too close. Even a rudimental joystick was built then as using the PDP-1 front panel switches was rather painful...<br/> The greatest feature was the hyperspace launch. Sometimes when you got in trouble you could fly into the nth space and your ship would appear in another (random) point of the screen, maybe next to the central sun :)<br/> <br/> This work was made available totally free on the usual paper tapes. Some one argued maybe some dollars could be made out of it but that wasn't the point then. Actually the game was well spread in the country already so it was impossible to control! Even at DEC at some time they used to demo and test the machine at the factory!<br/> <br/> So if you play to one of those arcade shooting game remember where all come from…from a university lab! <br/><br/>Thanks to <b>Marco Chrappan</b> for information and pictures. </p>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "SINCLAIR MK-14",
|
||||
"date": "1978-07-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JULY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0778_mk14_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 37,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=37",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0778_mk14_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p> In 1978 was born the <b>MK-14</b>, the first computer made by the Sinclair company (called at the time <b>Science of Cambridge</b> because Sinclair name was used by another company). <br/><br/> The MK-14 was a training board sold in kit form costing around £40 and featuring a National Semiconductor SC/MP 8-bit processor, 256 bytes of RAM, 512 bytes of ROM holding a monitor, calculator keyboard and display, and some I/O ports. <br/><br/> In fact, Clive Sinclair was not very enthusiastic about a personal computer project. The MK-14 project was thus managed by <b>Chris Curry</b> and produced by National Semiconductor. As the system was five times cheaper than its closest competitor, the Compukit UK-101, about 20,000 MK-14 boards were sold in the U.K. <br/><br/> Chris Curry, who believed much more than Clive Sinclair in the future of such computers, left the company in 1978, founded <b>Acorn Computers</b> with Herman Hauser and built its fist computer kit, the <b>System 1</b>. A few months later, Sir Sinclair decided that computers were a good way to raise money and started a new project: a complete computer for less than £100. <br/><br/> Meantime, the MK-14 grew into a modular system and several additional cards allowed to expand the system: cassette interface, text and graphics video module and Eprom programmer. 128 and 256 bytes RAM expansion modules could also be added up to a total of 640 bytes, Yes...640 BYTES... <br/><br/> If the MK-14 had not been launched, Clive Sinclair wouldn't probably think so soon of its ZX-80 and the world personal computer scene would have been very different. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0778_mk14_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "SOFTSIDE, FIRST ISSUE RELEASED",
|
||||
"date": "1978-10-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Companies"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "OCTOBER 1978",
|
||||
"oc_id": 42,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=42",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0978_softside_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In October 1978, the first issue of <b>SoftSide magazine</b> was released. Managed by Roger Robitaille, it became quickly the leading type-it-in-yourself magazine for the Tandy TRS-80 and later Apple II, IBM-PC and Atari computers. At the time all computer fans were continuously seeking new programs for their machine and the cheaper way was to type them from a computer magazine. <br/><br/> In late 70s and early 80s, computer publications were amazingly valuable sources of information. They covered everything, from complete adventure games or useful machine language subroutines to undocumented operating system features to the occasional hardware hack. <br/><br/> The first publication devoted to personal computing was the <b>Amateur Computer Society (ACS) newsletter</b>. Issue 1 appeared in August 1966. The first one dedicated to a specific computer was the <b>Micro-8</b> newsletter, published in 1974. Many others will follow in USA, among them:<br/> • <b>Creative Computing</b> in December 1974,<br/> • <b>Byte</b>, the small systems journal, in September 1975,<br/> • <b>Dr. Dobb's Journal</b> in January 1976,<br/> • <b>Personal Computing</b> Magazine in January 1977,<br/> • <b>Call Apple</b> and <b>Nibble</b> in 1980, dedicated to the Apple II. <br/><br/> More than one Thousand magazines were released around the world between 1975 and 1980. The first and most significant one outside USA was <b>ASCII</b>, a Japanese magazine created by Akio Gunji and Kazuhiko Nishi in 1977. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0978_softside_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "SOFTWARE RECORDS, A BAD IDEA...",
|
||||
"date": "1977-07-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Companies",
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JULY 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_vinylad_2.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 30,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=30",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_vinylad_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>In July 1977, Software Records launched the first issue of its BASIC software collection recorded on a 12" vinyl record. User could directly transfer programs from its record player to its computer or tape a copy. Sadly, as soon as the vinyl record had a tiny scratch, recorded programs were unreadable. <br/><br/> The first advert (left) was optimistic: "If everybody who read this ad would order one, we would be sold out!" <br/><br/> The second advert came out three months later, it was like a S.O.S.: "If we don't sell a bunch of our BASIC Software Volume 1 albums quick, we'll get fired!". <br/><br/> Were they fired? One thing for sure: Basic Software Volume 2 never came to life... </p>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "SPACE INVADERS",
|
||||
"date": "1978-02-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "FEBRUARY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0278_spaceinv_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 1,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=1",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<div><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0278_spaceinv_1.jpg"/></div> <br/><br/> In February 1978, a programmer called <b>Toshihiro Nishikado</b> finalized a primitive spaceship shoot'em up video game. Originally, the player had to shoot down soldiers who tried to cross the screen but, at the time, it was politically unwise to encourage killing humans, the soldiers were then replaced with an alien invasion. <br/><br/> Four month later, Taito, a company that sold video games since 1971, launched the first <b>Space Invaders</b> coin operated cabinet. The game became immediately a national passion. It was so popular in Japan that it caused a severe shortage of the 100-Yen coins needed to play the game, until the coins production was quadrupled. Beside arcades shops which featured nothing but Space Invader machines, one found Space Invaders cabinets everywhere in Japan: restaurants, ice cream and pizza shops, laundries... <br/><br/> In 1980, the game was licensed from Taito by <b>Midway</b> for production and use in the United States. The mania wasn’t quite as intense - no quarter shortage - but Space Invaders was still a phenomenal success.<br/> The same year, it was released on the <b>Atari 2600</b>, making it the first ever home conversion of an arcade game. Several dozen thousands 2600 consoles were then sold only for playing Space Invaders. <br/><br/> This game was probably the first game to manifest "repetitive motion injuries" and "near-epileptic seizures" in children - something that disturbed medical and childhood development professionals that wanted it banned. <br/><br/> 500,000 machines were sold worldwide, 350,000 of which were sold in Japan alone. Literally billions of dollars and yens in coins were pumped into the machine from 1978 to 1980. The original Space Invaders brought in over $500 million in revenue for Taito, making it, even today, one of the most profitable and successful games of all time. Of course, Space Invaders was followed by numerous imitators such as Space Invaders II, Invaders Revenge or Galaxian. <br/><br/> Later, Activision, Inc. acquired the rights to develop and produce interactive games based on Space Invaders for the PC, PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo Gameboy systems worldwide, excluding Japan, making Space Invader still alive more than 20 years after it was launched. <br/><br/> <div><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0278_spaceinv_2.jpg"/></div>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "STAN VEIT OPENS COMPUTER MART OF NEW YORK",
|
||||
"date": "1976-02-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1976"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"People"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "FEBRUARY 1976",
|
||||
"oc_id": 71,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=71",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
Stan Veit opens Computer Mart of New York, second computer store and first to sell more thas one brand of computers.
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "TANDY ANNOUNCES THE TRS-80 MODEL II",
|
||||
"date": "1979-05-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "MAY 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 57,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=57",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0579_tandyii_s1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In May 1979, Tandy introduced the Model II which was first shipped in October. The Model II was not an upgrade of the Model I, but an entirely different system whose size, weight, equipment and price ($3450 for the 32 KB version) show that it was clearly intended for the small business market. <br/><br/> Internally, the Model II featured a passive backplane able to support up to 8 logic cards. The basic system used 4 slots, and shipped with a 12" green display, a detachable keyboard and a single Shugart single-sided, double-density 8" floppy drive that would reliably store up to 475 KB of programs and data. At that time, this was an enormous amount for personal desktop computers, compared to the 80 - 100 KB the newer 5.25 shugart drives could store. <br/><br/> Furthermore, the Model II had provision for plugging in an expansion chassis which allowed up to 3 more floppy drives to be added. Totalling 2 MB, this storage capacity allowed the Model II to do things that were impossible with most other systems of the time, and made it very popular for accounting systems and large database management. Tandy also offered additional chained 5 MB and 10 MB hard drives. <br/><br/> When the machine was launched, Tandy only supported its TRS-DOS Operating System through versions 1.1, 1.2 and 2.0. Interestingly enough, these OSs were Y2K compliant, whereas further Model III and IV OSs didn't recognise dates beyond 1987! Several languages were available: BASIC interpreter and compiler, FORTRAN IV, COBOL and PASCAL, as well as a strange but efficient word processor called Scripsit. Fortunately, several third-party developers quickly adapted the CP/M 2.2 OS which became an important part of the sales pitch, and allowed standard business programs like WordStar word processor or the new VisiCalc spreasheet to be run, along with enabling the exchange of data with other CP/M systems. Options for the machine also included a 6 MHz 68000 board with extra memory so it could run XENIX. <br/><br/> The Model II was on sale for four years. It was replaced in 1983 by the more advanced <b>Mod. 12</b> and <b>Mod. 16</b> in which a dual 5.25" 1.2 MB drive took the place of the old 8" drive. A smaller version of the Model II was also released, with an upgraded video display, and 5.25" floppies. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0579_tandyii_s2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "TCP/IP",
|
||||
"date": "1978-07-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JULY 1978",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0778_tcp-ip_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 38,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=38",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0778_tcp-ip_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In 1978, The Xerox Corporation created an Internet Protocol called IP. A few months later, <b>IP</b>, combined with the <b>TCP</b> protocol would be known as the <b>TCP/IP</b>, a standard system for information exchange in large networks and later the World Wide Web. <br/><br/> Back in the 60's, the U.S. government’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), searched a way to keep academic and military computers talking with each other in the event of an international conflict. They founded <b>ARPAnet</b>, the first decentralized network allowing a part of the network to keep working even if another one was unable to work. ARPAnet began operating in 1969, based on a protocol called <b>NCP</b>. <br/><br/> As the ARPAnet grew larger, it became clear that NCP was not robust enough to handle the huge amount of data transferred between computers. In 1974, a team of computer scientists supervised by <b>Vint Cerf</b> implements a new protocol called Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). TCP was faster, easier to use, more flexible and reliable. It was introduced in 1977 for cross-network connections, and slowly began to replace NCP within the original ARPAnet. <br/><br/> IP was thus added to TCP in 1978. TCP handled the correct transmission of data packets and error checking, IP took care of connecting the server and client computers to the various networks necessary to send data across the Internet. On January 1st 1983, every machine connected to ARPAnet switched from NCP to TCP/IP which became the core Internet protocol. The Internet Activities Board (IAB) was created. The University of Wisconsin created Domain Name System (DNS). Internet gradually became more 'user friendly'... You know the following of the Internet story! <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0778_tcp-ip_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI-99/4, FIRST 16-BIT HOME COMPUTER",
|
||||
"date": "1979-06-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JUNE 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 54,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=54",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0679_ti99_s1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> When Texas Instruments announced its new personal computer at the Consumer Electronics Show, other players in the home computer market started shaking. Texas was the world's major chip manufacturer, it was also well known to the general public for its watches and calculators. Moreover, the new machine would be the first home computer to use a 16-bit microprocessor. <br/><br/> In fact, the TI-99/4 didn't meet US radio frequency regulations, so it was only really released in quantity in early 1980 along with a specific T.I. colour monitor. It was a robust machine, well-manufactured, enclosed in a nice plastic and metal case. However, it suffered from three major faults:<br/> • Its "chicklet-like" keyboard did not allowed fast typing, <br/> • Its BASIC, not written in assembly language, was very slow, <br/> • Its price, $1150, was practically the same as the new Apple II+. <br/><br/> Although T.I. also released several original peripherals - a floppy disc interface, a serial interface, a speech Synthesizer, a thermal printer and joysticks - along with much software on solid-state cartridges, the TI-99/4 was a commercial flop, mainly because of the price war with Commodore and its VIC-20. T.I. tried to sell the machine in the European market, but it arrived too late, about the same time as the TI-99/4A was lauched in the USA, so very few models were sold. <br/><br/> In 1982, the price was dropped from $1150 to $500, and T.I. launched the <b>TI-99/4A</b> which resolved all of the major problems of the original model, better keyboard and faster Basic. But in the meantime, other manufacturers, including some Far East companies, had launched cheap machines and T.I was obliged to sell its TI-99 at a loss. Moreover, due to the specific microprocessor and hardware configuration, very few third-party companies wrote software and designed peripherals for the TI-99. <br/><br/> T.I. still sold the TI-99 for a further two years. A third version with a beige plastic case was even launched. In 1984, T.I. finally decided to withdraw for good from the home computer business. Last TI-99's were sold for about $100 by second-hand dealers. <br/></p>_______________________<br/><p> Pictures, courtesy of the excellent site <a href="http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fabrice.montupet/ti99fam.htm">TI-99 Forever!</a> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0679_ti99_s2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "THE 8088, FIRST INTEL'S REALLY SUCCESSFUL CPU",
|
||||
"date": "1979-06-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware",
|
||||
"People"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "JUNE 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 56,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220429214219/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=56",
|
||||
"date": "2022-04-29"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0679_8088_s1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> One year after having announced the <b>8086</b> (see April 1978 in the history section), Intel released the 8088 which was basically the same microprocessor. It ran at the same clock speed and had the same capacity for memory addressing, but its 8-bit data bus was half the size of its predecessor. All internal instructions were executed with 16-bit registers but a 16-bit data transfer needed two clock cycles to be performed. <br/><br/> Although this made the 8088 less efficient than the 8086, it was less expensive and allowed computer manufacturers to design and make cheaper 8-bit bus computers. <br/><br/> The 8088 became Intel's first really successful CPU when it was adopted, in 1981, by IBM for their IBM PC and XT and by most XT-class clones. <br/><br/> All of the following processors made by Intel kept the 8088 instruction set, up to the Pentium 4 which, 25 years later, can execute any piece of code that ran on the original 8088, but about 5,000 times faster! <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0679_8088_s2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "THE FIRST VERSION OF FLIGHT SIMULATOR IS LAUNCHED",
|
||||
"date": "1979-02-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Network",
|
||||
"Software"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "FEBRUARY 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 49,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220429214339/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=49",
|
||||
"date": "2022-04-29"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0279_flightsim_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> The story of Flight Simulator started in 1977, when <b>Bruce Artwick</b> formed his own company, <b>SubLogic</b>. Artwick had two passions, computer graphics and flying. The idea of simulating an aeroplane on a personal computer started to take form the same year on one of the first Apple II computer with a 10 KB assembly program. <br/><br/> Artwick also wrote articles about this idea in several magazines. As numerous readers wanted to buy the program, he launched the first official release of Flight Simulator on January 31st 1979. First sales occurred in February. The program became an instant success. <br/><br/> The program used very simple graphics, just a few lines on the screen to indicate the instrument readings and the terrain; but the illusion was realistic and powerful. In a few hours, any budding pilot was able to take off, fly circles around objects, find the airport again, and land without seeing "Crash!" <br/><br/> Several improved versions were soon developed for the Tandy TRS-80, the Commodore 64, and the Atari 800, they featured 18 instruments including Oil pressure and Temperature, Fuel, Tachometer, and even a radar display. <br/><br/> In 1981, Microsoft bought the rights of Flight Simulator. One year later, the IBM-PC version was released and became the first successful game program for the PC and compatible systems.<br/> From then on, and until 2004, 9 major updates were released by Microsoft, millions of units were sold all over the world and quite an industry has grown up providing utilities as well as aircrafts, flight panels and sceneries to use with the main software. To date, Flight Simulator is still the most popular entertainment title ever produced for the personal computer. <br/><br/> For more information, see this very detailed <a href="http://simflight.com/~fshistory/fsh/index.htm">site</a> about Flight Simulator history. <br/><br/> <a href="http://www.FlightSimBooks.com">FlightSimBooks.com</a> provides full text of eleven classic flight simulation books. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0279_flightsim_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "THE MOTHER OF ALL DEMOS",
|
||||
"date": "1968-12-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1968"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware",
|
||||
"People",
|
||||
"Software",
|
||||
"Videogames"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "DECEMBER 1968",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_1268_motherdemo_s1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 59,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134358/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=59",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1268_motherdemo_s1.jpg"/></p> <p><br/> Back in 1968, one man had a vision. This vision regarded sharing informations. The computer revolution gave the user a massive strength but very little was done to help people to work together.<br/> <br/> Mouse, hyperlinks and email where shown that day by <b> Doug Engelbart</b> and his researchers at Stanford during a 90 minute presentation. <br/> <br/> But most of all the desire for open exchange of informations fueled the demonstration. And that desire is still alive today as it needs to be fulfilled. <br/> <br/> Internet and the Open Source movement embodies part of what he wanted to demonstrate.<br/> <br/> Many GUI's concept were shown, as the mouse pointer, copy and paste functions, hierarchical organization of data. We can say that many Xerox PARC studies start probably from here...<br/> <br/> Still that day he talked about the ARPAnet project in which a few computers<br/> were linked on a network and that with a certain bandwidth he might present his demo from another town (yes net conference!)</p> <p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1268_doug_s1.jpg"/></p> <br/><br/> <b>The demo itself:</b>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "THE Z80-A BECOMES AVAILABLE IN PRODUCTION QUANTITIES",
|
||||
"date": "1977-05-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "MAY 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/proocessors_z80_inside_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 33,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20230423040406/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=33",
|
||||
"date": "2023-04-23"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/proocessors_z80_inside_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>At its new manufacturing facilities in Cupertino, Zilog announced the manufacture of the Z80-A in February 24 1977. The Z80-A has a standard clock rate of 4 Mhz. which is made possible by a new technology developped by Zilog. Single quantity prices are $65 for the ceramic package and $59 for the plastic version. According to Zilog, the Z80-A is considered to be the fastest standard microprocessor. Its instructions cycle is 1 µs, and its throughput is 60% above the one of the Z80.<br/><br/> From now, it becomes available in production quantities for computer manufacturers. The standard Z80 at a clock rate of 2.5 Mhz. wil be continued at a reduced price. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/zilog_z80_series_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "TI LAUNCHES A NEW EPROM CHIP",
|
||||
"date": "1977-10-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "OCTOBER 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_eprom2716_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 21,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=21",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_eprom2716_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>The first <b>2716 EPROM</b> was launched in October 1977 by Texas Instruments. <br/><br/> An EPROM (<b>E</b>rasable <b>P</b>rogrammable <b>R</b>ead <b>O</b>nly <b>M</b>emory) can be programmed and then erased enabling it to be re-used about 1000 times. Programming is accomplished through a device called Eprom programmer (or EPROM burner), erasure uses an Ultra Violet light source that shines through a quartz erasing window. <br/><br/> At the time, EPROM's were widely used to store boot-up programs in small systems or saving user's programs in computers that didn't featured tape recorder or floppy drive interface. Two types of EPROM chip were already used in 1977: <b>2704</b> (512 bytes) and <b>2708</b> (1 KB), but then users and computer manufacturers were requiring higher capacity chips. So came the 2716, wich was able to store 2 KB. The first TMS 2716 is actually a rarity because the chip needed 3 different voltages to run it, which was different than the 2716 Intel's and all others that manufacturers made later. So, TI quickly built a new Intel compatible chip, called it TMS2516 to differenciate it from the first version and sold hundred thousands of pieces. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_eprom2716_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "TRS-80 MODEL 1 NOW AVAILABLE",
|
||||
"date": "1977-08-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "AUGUST 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_0877_tandy_1.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 27,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=27",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0877_tandy_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>The TRS-80 availability was announced at a press conference held in New-York city on August 3, 1977. Deliveries started two weeks later. Two versions were initially sold: the keyboard/computer alone for $399 or the full version with display and cassette storage unit for $599. The system featured a 4 KB Level 1 Basic and 4 KB of RAM. <br/><br/> Radio Shack managers were very cautious about the most expensive item they never sold. They planed to sell about 600 to 1000 systems in the first year... but they received more than 10,000 orders in the first month! <br/><br/> The systems have been manufactured in Fort Worth and Austin factories. As several bugs weren't solved when the first machines were delivered, the TRS-80 was nicknamed "Trash 80".<br/> Despite these birth problems, the TRS-80 became instantly a great success thanks to the Radio Shack strong distribution channel and to the 56 service centers. <br/><br/> <b>Steve Leininger</b> and <b>Don French</b>, the inventors of the TRS-80 quickly replaced the poor Level I Basic (that didn't allowed to save a program on tape!) with a 12 KB level 2 version. They also released memory extensions, an expansion interface and a floppy disc unit... Actually, every Level 1/4K owners upgraded their system to a Level 2/16K+ version. <br/><br/> The Model 1 became the ancestor of a large family of TRS computers. It was discontinued in 1981 because it never met the American FCC's Radio Frequency Interference rules. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0877_tandy_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "UNIVERSITY COMPUTER LAB IN 1978",
|
||||
"date": "1978-08-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "AUGUST 1978",
|
||||
"oc_id": 40,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=40",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0878_hp2000_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> Want to save your 8 KB program? Please, wait between 30 mn and 3 hours... This was one of the various difficulties encountered in the daily use of computers in an Academic Computer Lab, in 1978. <br/><br/> At the time, <b>Jerald W. Burnett</b> was the computer lab manager of Cameron University of Lawton, Oklahoma. He recalls: <br/><br/> My memory of the Computer Lab in Burch Hall 1978 is still fairly vivid. I had just graduated from Cameron with a BS in Business Administration and had experience in electronics from my 4 year Navy Enlistment. At that time electronics experience was valued as the Lab Manager did troubleshooting and maintenance on various equipment. In particular, the ADM3 terminals were very susceptible to damage during lightning storms. It was not unusual to replace the 'line driver' chips in several terminals after storms. <br/><br/> Equipment in the Computer Lab in 1978: 12 IBM 029 keypunch machines 3 ADM3 Lear Siegler Video Terminals 1 Line Printer 1 Card Reader 1 HP2000 Computer 1 Paper Tape "Flyreader" 1 Teletype Machine <br/><br/> In July of 1978 the Academic Computer Lab was in a little room in the basement of Burch hall and had three Adm3 video terminals, about 12 IBM029 Keypunch machines, a card read and a line printer that were connected to an HP2000MX that emulated an interactive session on the HP3000. The HP2000MX was an 'interesting' device. The way we were set up, it had to be loaded daily (sometimes more often) from a paper tape. <br/><br/> We had an old <b>teletype machine</b> that would duplicate the paper tapes from a master copy and could also be used to read the tape and load the program from it into memory. I think it ran at 110 baud! We also had a 'flyreader' that would read the paper tape at a speed of 600 baud. Students would write their programs, key their programs on the 80 column punch cards and then put them at the back of the card tray. A student worker would closely monitor the card reader and add jobs to it from the front of the card tray. On a good day, you might get a run in as little as 30 minutes. Around the end of the semester? Sometimes around 3 hours. Thorough desk checking was encouraged to minimize the number of re-runs. <br/><br/> Those <b>keypunch machines</b> were a persistent source of problems. Someone would get a card jammed and it could take 30 minutes or more to get all the little pieces of it cleaned out. First you attempt to pull it out in one piece. Then, you get the little spring-steel device that has a hook on one side and saw teeth on the other and do what you can with it to dig out the rest. If that is not successful, you start removing pieces from around the card path to provide better access. As a last resort, it's time to call the IBM repairman. We saw him on a pretty regular basis for one reason or another - all dealing with the keypunch machines. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0878_punchcard_1.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "VAX 11/780, THE FIRST VAX SYSTEM",
|
||||
"date": "1977-10-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1977"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "OCTOBER 1977",
|
||||
"image": "/media/history/images/timeline_vax780_2.jpg",
|
||||
"oc_id": 20,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20220408001423/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=20",
|
||||
"date": "2022-04-08"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_vax780_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/> <p>The <b>VAX 11/780</b> was introduced on October 25, 1977 at the Digital Equipment Corporation's Annual Meeting of Shareholders. It was the first member of the VAX computer family, the first commercially available 32-bit computer and the first <b>one MIPS</b> (one million instructions per second) machine. <br/><br/> The computer and its operating system (VMS) were designed both from scratch. The result was a really reliable, powerful and user-friendly system. The affordable price level allowed many institutions and universities to acquire it. <br/><br/> In a VAX, one finds the basic architecture of the previous <b>Digital PDP-11</b>. Both systems were partially hardware and software compatible. However, the <b>V</b>irtual <b>A</b>ddress e<b>X</b>tension (VAX) allowed the use of 32-bit addressing, the number of the processor general registers has been doubled (16 instead of 8) and the instructions set deeply improved. The systeme bus, called LSI-11 then Q-Bus was the same as the PDP-11's. The Vax 11/780 was UNIBUS based system (16 bits). <br/><br/> For many years, VAX 11/780 remained the base system every computer speed benchmarks refered to. Several programming languages could be used, such as Fortran-77, Cobol, Bliss-32, PL/I, BASIC, PASCAL, CORAL 66, and a netware software called DecNet. <br/><br/> The VAX 11 series was sold until 1988. A dual processor version has been launched in 1981 (11/782) as well as various systems, from the small VAXstation 1 up to the VAX 9000 mainframe. The VMS operating system is still sold by Digital (bought by Compaq in 1999) and it seems that a few of VAX 11/780 were still in use in the year 2000. <br/><br/> The photo below is of Proto Type 15, the first Vax to have cabinet skins, taken in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, about 1977. <br/><br/> </p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_vax780_3.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "XEROX ALTO",
|
||||
"date": "1978-11-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1978"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "NOVEMBER 1978",
|
||||
"oc_id": 44,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=44",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1178_xerox_1.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> In 1978, Xerox donated fifty Altos to Stanford, Carnegie-Mellon, and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). These machines featured a revolutionary concept called <b>WIMP</b> for <b>W</b>indow <b>I</b>con <b>M</b>ouse <b>P</b>ointer which wil become, a few years later, a universal standard for all of our modern computers. <br/><br/> The idea of a graphical interface was born 5 years earlier at Xerox <b>PARC</b> (Palo Alto Research Centre) as a part of an "automated office of the future" project. Within two years, engineers invented all the basic concepts of a new Human-Computer interface: the <b>G</b>raphical <b>U</b>ser <b>I</b>nterface with a bitmap screen display, windows, icons and drop-down menu bars, the mouse, but also Ethernet protocols for local area networks, the Smalltalk programming language and a software productivity suite with a word processor, paint program, and even email. <br/><br/> The first technical achievement was the Alto, a 64K machine which featured all of the above concepts. It was launched in 1974 but didn't meet success because of its $40.000 high price. Remember that at this time, none of the well known first personal computers (Imsai, Apple, Tandy, Commodore...) existed. <br/><br/> In 1981, Xerox presented the successor of the Alto. The <b>Star</b> was a 512K machine dedicated to groups working together with integrated and interconnected components that shared mail, printing and filing. However nobody knew what that meant! Sharing information and communicating were foreign to the IBM-PC culture. Thus Xerox gave up on the project. The Alto-Star designers left the company and joined Apple or Microsoft. <br/><br/> In 1979 Steve Jobs saw the Alto and realized it was the future of computing. Many of the ideas in the Alto showed up two years later in the Apple <b>Lisa</b>, and finally made it to market in the Apple <b>Macintosh</b>. <br/><br/> In 1983, the first (and later) version of Microsoft <b>Windows</b> was also strongly inspired from the Alto concepts. <br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_1178_xerox_2.jpg"/>
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"title": "ZILOG Z8000",
|
||||
"date": "1979-04-01",
|
||||
"years": [
|
||||
"1979"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"topics": [
|
||||
"Hardware"
|
||||
],
|
||||
"params": {
|
||||
"when": "APRIL 1979",
|
||||
"oc_id": 52,
|
||||
"source": {
|
||||
"url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=52",
|
||||
"date": "2022-12-15"
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
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<img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0479_z8000_2.jpg"/> <br/><br/><p> The Z8000 CPU series was introduced in early 1979, between the launch of the Intel <b>8086</b> (April 1978) and the Motorola <b>68000</b> (September 1979). <br/><br/> Two versions were released, the <b>Z8001</b> capable of addressing 8 MB of memory via segment registers, and the <b>Z8002</b> which could only address 64 KB. Like the Zilog Z80, the Z8000 included built-in DRAM refresh circuitry. An optional <b>Z8010</b> MMU (Memory Management Unit) co-processor allowed up 48 MB of memory to be addressed. <br/><br/> Internally the Z8000 chip held 17500 transistors in NMOS design, and it had sixteen 16 bit registers which could be extremely flexibly used. The programmer could see them as 16 8-bit, 16 16-bit, 8 32-Bit, or 4 64-bit registers. All registers were general-purpose registers, although registers 14 and 15 were usually used as stack segment and pointer. Among its 110 instructions and 13 addressing modes, the Z8000 also offered 32-bit multiplication and division instructions. <br/><br/> There was both a user mode, for programs, and a supervisor mode, for the operating system. The user mode prevented access to potentially dangerous things such as interrupt handling. <br/><br/> Despite these attractive features the Z8000 was not very fast and suffered from some internal bugs. It was thus never very popular and was surpassed a few months later by the Motorola 68000 and later, by the Intel 286. <br/><br/> The Z8000 can be found in some rare but well-known computers though, such as the Olivetti M20 and M40, and the Unix-based Commodore 900. Some third parties also manufactured the Z8000 including AMD, Hitachi and Sharp. <br/><br/> The Z8000 was followed in 1986 by the <b>Z80000</b>, an amazing 32 bit processor whose features (pipeline, cache memory) would not appear until six years later in Intel processors. <br/> The Z8000 is still alive nowadays with the Z16C00, a CMOS version mainly used in embedded applications. <br/></p>_______________________<br/><p> <b>Mike Throm's</b> memories:<br/> I worked in Zilog's system division for 6 years. The primary goal was to design systems using Zilog processors. One of the notable leaders of Zilog's system engineering group was <b>Judy Estrin</b> who lead the effort to develop an ethernet like LAN product for Zilog, who then went on to other ventures like Bridge Communications (acquired by 3Com), NCD, and Precept.<br/> Zilog also designed a UNIX "supermicro" system called the S8000 initally based on the Z8000, then the Z80000 with a UNIX based OS called Zeus.<br/> Like most silicon valley firms of the time, we took pride in what we did and spent long hours to develop products. 60 - 80 hours per week during peak development cycles were common. Also, because almost all of us were under 30, weekend parties and "beer busts" were also common between development cycles.<br/> Many S8000 units were sold to the IRS; however, the system side of the business never took off and was eventually closed down around 1985. <br/><br/> <b>Peter Sandilands</b> adds:<br/> The Z8000 was used in a quite successful line of computers from Onyx Inc (California). Originally built for AT&T they ran Unix V7 and Interactive Systems IS/1.<br/> The architecture continued into the mid '80s and ran Sys III. Sold as general purpose business computers they had the option of a number of bundled business packages using software such as Quadratron word processor. New Onyx C8002s were still being sold in 1986!<br/><br/></p><img src="/media/history/images/timeline_0479_z8000_1.jpg"/>
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