40 Years

[ClausB]

ago BYTE covered a new type of microcomputer they called "appliance computers." This compilation from 3 issues in 1977 covers the new Apple II:

 

Apple from 1977 BYTE.pdf

[BassGuitari]

I actually live literally minutes away from the Appleton Ave, Milwaukee address of one of the authorized Apple dealers listed in there.

It's a Chinese takeout joint now, but the building looks like it's got to be the exact same one Team Electronics occupied in 1977...only shittier now...

[ClausB]

ago BYTE estimated its total readership owned 370 MB of RAM. That's barely enough to hold 3 PDFs of that issue.

 

Pages from 1977 BYTE 02-05.pdf

Edited February 13, 2017 by ClausB

[ClausB]

Recompilation with 2 more issues about the new Apple II:

 

Apple from 1977-8 BYTE.pdf

Edited February 14, 2017 by ClausB

[ClausB]

The next "appliance computer", the PET 2001:

 

PET from 1977-8 BYTE.pdf

[ClausB]

Another "appliance computer" (or rather a "furniture computer") which did not make it big:

 

Noval from 1977 BYTE.pdf

[ClausB]

This "appliance computer" did succeed, because it was available in every Radio Shack:

 

TRS-80 from 1977-8 BYTE.pdf

Edited February 16, 2017 by ClausB

[carlsson]

I like those "appliance computers". Here are a few terms that were used in Sweden during the early years:

 

Hobbydatorer (hobbyist computers)

Mikrodatorer (Micro computers)

Privatdatorer (Private computers)

Smådatorer (Small computers, mainly Luxor ABC-80 and 800 series)

Kontorsdatorer (Office computers, mainly Scandia Metric which sold ABC computers under a different label)

Bordsdatorer (Table computers, mainly the to me unknown brand Cornix - perhaps related to Corvus?)

Infomats (TRS-80 specifically)

Machines and appliances for calculation, accounting and controlling

 

The term "persondatorer" (personal computers, literally) didn't become popular until the IBM PC which probably is true elsewhere as well.

[jhd]

This "appliance computer" did succeed, because it was available in every Radio Shack:

 

TRS-80 from 1977-8 BYTE.pdf

 

Thank-you for posting this! I have not seen these really early issues of Byte before.

 

Looking at the expansion module pictured on page 46 of the November 1977 issue, was that ever released? It looks to be significantly smaller (and more streamlined) than what eventually reached the market.

http://www.vintage-computer.com/trs80mod1.shtml

 

I'm also loving the wallpaper in the background of the photo. It looks like the picture was taken in someone's kitchen...

[ClausB]

That's likely hotel ballroom wallpaper since the unveiling happened in a New York hotel. I'm guessing the expansion interface and disk drive were mock-ups, perhaps just empty Radio Shack project boxes.

[ClausB]

40 years ago, Popular Electronics published Don Lancaster's TVT-6, a software-driven version of his famous TV Typewriter. It cleverly uses CPU instruction fetches to drive a video display, similarly to how the Sinclair ZX80 did it years later. The technique vastly reduces the amount of hardware required, at the cost of stealing CPU time whenever the display is active. And when the CPU is busy with other tasks, the display disappears. Sinclair innovated a little further, using the Z80's refresh cycle to fetch character pixels from the program ROM, instead of Lancaster's separate character ROM.

 

http://www.tinaja.com/glib/pop_elec/tvt6_video_dis1+2_7_77.pdf