website/content/museum/microcomputer-associates-inc-jolt.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
MICROCOMPUTER ASSOCIATES INC. Jolt	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1975	Mos Technology 6502	name image company company_name specs forum_thread oc_id source Jolt /media/museum/photos/microcomputers-associates_jolt_1.jpg /companies/microcomputer-associates-inc MICROCOMPUTER ASSOCIATES INC. label value NAME Jolt label value MANUFACTURER Microcomputer Associates Inc. label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR November 1975 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1978 label value KEYBOARD none (V.24, teletype connection) label value CPU Mos Technology 6502 label value SPEED 1 MHz label value RAM 512 bytes (expandable up to 4 KB) label value VRAM None label value ROM 1 KB label value SOUND None label value I/O PORTS Terminal Interface (TTY or EIA) label value OS DEMON(TM) machine language monitor/debugger label value POWER SUPPLY Power supply. +5, +12 or -10(?) volts (sold seperately) label value PRICE $249 (1975, U.S.A.) 856 875 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230607064545/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=875 2023-06-07

On December 1975, the coveted inside-front-cover of Byte magazine contained a two-page advertisement for "the world's lowest cost computer system". This was perhaps the first non-MOS Technology 6502 based computer system to come to market, behind only the TIM and possibly KIM-1. The computer was named Jolt, and it was marketed by Microcomputer Associates Inc. as both a kit for $249, or fully assembled and tested for $348 (Dec. 1975 Byte).

Microcomputer Associates also sold add-ons for the basic system. They included 4 kilobytes for $265, an I/O card for $96, and a power supply for $145.

The Jolt is somewhat famous for the part it played in the development of the prototype Atari 2600 VCS, which was assembled using the Jolt computer board.

Jolt was designed and developed by Raymond M. Holt, Founder and Executive Vice-President of Microcomputer Associates. Holt went on to design the SYM-1 single-board computer, a KIM-1 clone. In the late 1990's Holt was finally given government permission to discuss his role in the development of the F-14 Tomcat. Holt claims he designed and developed the worlds first microprocessor one year before Intel.

Manny Lemas was the co-founder of Microcomputer Associates, Inc. Ray Holt was the hardware side and he was the software side of the business. He wrote the DEMON (Debugger/Monitor) software for the JOLT.
This software was actually developed for MOS Technology for use in the TIM chip and the KIM-1 single board computer. M.A. was granted rights to its own version of the software for use in the JOLT.

Part of text and picture provided by Brian Bagnall.

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.