Milestones of personal computers (home computer/home computer)

Basics of computer history. Brief introduction to the history of electronic information processing

From the 1940s onwards, there are the first real electronic calculators. From the mainframes, mini-computers become, followed by micro-computers.

Electronic circuits were built with discrete components, i.e. with single transistors, diodes, etc. This changed with the advent of integrated circuits and especially with the transistor transistor logic (TTL) and the logic building blocks of the 74 series.

1971

Kenbak-1, the first personal computer (home computer), without CPU, built from TTL chips, appears.

In the same year: IBM introduces the first 8-inch floppy with 79.75 kB storage capacity.

1973

The Alto from Xerox PARC appeared as the first computer with a graphical user interface and mouse. It uses the Texas Instruments 74181 arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which is an ALU on a chip rather than a complete CPU.

History: In November 1971 there is the first microprocessor in series, the 4-bit CPU Intel 4004. A year later the first 8-bit CPU follows with the Intel 8008. In 1974 the greatly improved successor appears: Intel 8080 (approx. 360 USD). Competitors with new developments quickly follow: Motorola 6800 (August 1974, USD 175), MOS Technology 6502 (1975, USD 25), Zilog Z80 (1976). MOS 6502 (and variant 6510) spread quickly because of the low price.

With the new low-cost processors, the personal computers in the home area start the triumphal march.

The Micral N appeared in France in early 1973. It uses an Intel 8008 CPU running at 500 kHz. The complete “personal computer”, requiring no assembly, went on sale for the equivalent of EUR 1750. This was still too expensive for home use but a bargain compared with conventional minicomputers. In this sense, France had invented the home computer.

8-bit home computer

1974

In March, a small ad in the amateur radio magazine QST draws attention to the first self-building computer, the SCELBI (Scientific ELectronic BIological, spoken “sell-bee”). The computer uses an Intel 8008 CPU. Even though the advertising promised “Kit prices for the new Scelbi-8H mini-computer start as low as $440!”, the computer with 1 KiB RAM cost around 500 USD. Later, ads appeared in Radio-Electronics and BYTE magazine. Perhaps the computer would have appeared earlier if the developer, Nat Wadsworth, had not suffered a heart attack at the age of 30 due to the stress. Wadsworth had a second heart attack after the release of the SCELBI — about 200 were sold — and wrote the machine language book “Machine Language Programming for the 8008 (and Similar Microcomputers)” in the hospital, which sold much more frequently than his computer and later, together with other documentation and software, made good profits.

With the Mark-8 Minicomputer the second self-built computer with Intel 8008 CPU will be released on the cover of the electronic magazine Radio Electronics in July. The assembly is difficult, few devices are really built, it is considered a real hobby computer.

During the year, MITS developed the Altair 8800, a home computer based on the Intel 8080, the successor to the Intel 8008 CPU. At Christmas, it comes on sale for 395 USD as a kit, fully stocked it is 100 USD more expensive. The company Micro-Soft (early spelling) distributes its first BASIC for the Altair; with so little memory Bill Gates had to be very creative.

1975

The SWTPC 6800 Microcomputer System is released in November and is one of the few systems with a Motorola 6800 CPU. As a kit, it cost around $400; the microcomputer system is known by advertisements and sells well.

In the same year: CP/M is the first diskette-based operating system for 8080. Business software is created.

The IMSAI 8080 followed in December 1975 as the first, and improved, Altair clone.

1976

Apple Computer announced the Apple I in June, based on the 6502 CPU. A few hundred devices are sold.

In December, the sale of the Sol-20 Personal Computer begins, based on the Intel 8080. With 10,000 units sold, the computer is much more popular than the Apple-1.

In the same year: Electric Pencil is the first word processing for micro computers. In December it first appeared for the Altair, it became popular for the Sol-20. The developer of the software lost the desire to program and WordStar became popular for CP/M and DOS from 1978.

In the collection: MOS Technology KIM-1

1977

Commodore introduced the PET-2001 in January, the first micro-computer (personal computer) with built-in screen. However, the company only supplies the first computers in October. With the sale, others are faster: The Apple II will be released on June 10th and is also the first home computer with color graphics. On August 3rd, the TRS-80 from Radio Shack will be available for around 600 USD including a monitor. All devices are in complete equipment for the first time, i.e. housing, power supply, keyboard, slots for extensions, connection for mass storage. The three computers presented for the first time in the USA are called the BYTE magazine “1977 Trinity”.

In the same year, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple.

In the same year: Xerox-PARC patents Ethernet.

In the collection: Heathkit H8, MCS ALPHA-1, OSI Challenger, Rockwell AIM 65, TRS-80

1978

Atari 400 and Atari 800 are presented, but are not sold until 1979. With a large range of 256 colors, 8 sprites, four (mono) channels, 4 joystick ports, the computers become a great commercial success and there are a lot of games.

In the same year: The 16-bit Intel 8086 appears, the father of the 80x86 family. An extended version with 8-bit data bus is the Intel 8088 and appears in 1979 for about 125 USD.

In the collection: ABC 80, Sharp MZ-80

1979

With the TI-99/4, Texas Instruments presents the first home computer with a 16-bit CPU (TMS9900), which only appears in 1980. In the USA, the computer had a large market share. 32 sprites bring joy to game developers.

In the same year: Motorola released the 16/32-bit processor MC68000. The popular CISC CPU can be found initially in workstations (Sun-1, 24.2.1982), later in many personal computers (Lisa, Macintosh, Amiga, Atari ST) and game consoles (Sega Mega Drive, Neo Geo).

In the same year, VisiCalc appeared as the first spreadsheet program. It was initially released for Apple II computers, followed by TRS-80 versions in 1980 and later by an IBM PC version. Lotus 1-2-3 appeared in 1983 and overtook VisiCalc at a stroke.

In the collection: Atari 400, Nascom 2

1980

Commodore introduces the VC-20 (for popular computers, called VIC-20 in the USA). He’s the first computer to be sold over a million times. The new Apple III could not compete on the market. On the other hand, Sinclair ZX80 is very successful on the British home market, it costs less than 100 British pounds, but is technically weak.

In the collection: Acorn Atom, Philips P2033, TRS-80 Model III

1981

Sinclair will present the ZX81 on March 5th. Technically still weak, the £69.95-priced device still sells excellently – it is a computer for everyone and often cloned. In the same year, the Osborne 1 appears as the first portable computer; batteries do not contain the 11 kg device.

The IBM Personal Computer (i.e. IBM-PC), model 5150, will be launched on August 12th and is the prototype of today’s PCs. IBM-compatible computers followed from the unofficial industry standard. The machine with the Intel 8088 CPU cost about 3000 USD, in Germany about 8500 DM.

In the same year: 1981 National Semiconductor offers the first 32-bit CPU family 32000. Despite one of the most extensive command sets the CISC CPU does not get through due to many errors.

In the collection: Commodore VC 20 (VIC 20), BBC Micro, Video Genie System EG 3003, TI-99/4A, Sinclair ZX81

1982

The Commodore 64 is sold in August and, with more than 12 million units sold, is the best selling home computer in history. In England BBC Model A appears, almost unknown in Germany.

In order to standardize the different configurations of home computers, the ASCII Corporation and Microsoft Japan set up the MSX standard. Outside Japan and the Netherlands, MSX devices are almost unknown.

In the same year, Lotus Development introduced its Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet. At the end of 1982, AutoDesk presented AutoCAD 1.0, running under DOS. This first CAD program pushed the Intel 80286 processor, introduced on 1 February, to its limits.

In the collection: Dragon 32, Camputers LYNX, Commodore 64, Commodore MAX-04 (Ultimax), Colour Genie (EG2000), Jupiter ACE, Sord CGL M5, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Thomson TO7

The 32-bit generation, a new age is coming

1983

The Apple Lisa was the first personal computer with a graphical user interface and mouse. It uses an MC68000 processor. Its $10,000 price deterred many buyers; it disappeared just a year later and was reborn as the Macintosh.

In the same year, computers have arrived in the middle of society; in the January issue, TIME magazine dispenses with the “Man of the Year” and instead headlines Machine of the Year.

In the same year: In November 1983, Turbo Pascal from Borland released the first complete development environment for MS-DOS and CP/M. Pascal settles between BASIC and C because of its performance and low price.

In the collection: Apple Lisa 2/5, Apple IIe, MicroBee 32/64, Atari 600XL/800XL, Bandai RX-78 Gundam, Commodore SX-64, Hitachi MB 6892, Jupiter ACE 4000, Mattel Aquarius, Memotech MTX500, Oric-1, Sega SC-3000, Spectravideo SV-318 MK II, TRS-80 Color Computer 2, Tomy Tutor, VTech Laser 1x0/2x0, Toshiba HX-10, Yeno SC 3000/SC 3000H

1984

On 24 January, Steve Jobs introduced the Apple Macintosh at 2495 USD. A graphical interface, mouse and floppy disk drive reached the mass market, but sales were slow.

Amstrad/Schneider released the CPC 464 (Colour Personal Computer) in April as a complete system with computer, keyboard, external storage and monitor. Its modern BASIC makes graphics and stereo sound easy to generate; only pixel-by-pixel scrolling is missing from this Z80 machine. The computer became very popular in Europe.

In the GDR a number of home computers are created, first the HC900 (KC 85/2) and Z9001 (KC85/1), followed by KC85/2-4. The processor U880 is a copy of the 8-bit Z80 microprocessor.

In the collection: Commodore 116, Commodore Plus/4, Goldstar FC-200, Oric Atmos, Philips VG 5000, Amstrad/Schneider CPC464, TRS-80 Micro Color Computer Model MC-10, Thomson MO5/MO5 E, VEB Microelectronics KC 85/2, ZX Spectrum+, Sinclair QL

1985

The Commodore 128 is the last 8-bit computer from Commodore, it appears in January. In addition to almost complete compatibility with the Commodore 64, it offers a CP/M mode with an additional Z80 CPU.

With the Atari ST, Atari Corporation enters the market in June with a 16/32-bit computer. For a price of 800 USD, buyers get a powerful computer with graphical interface and MIDI interface. The successors are Atari STE, Atari TT, Atari MEGA STE and Falcon.

The Commodore Amiga 1000 will be released in July and offers enormous graphical and sound capabilities on an MC 68000. In Germany it first arrives on the CeBit in 1986, a short time later it can be bought for about 3200 DM – not a cheap computer. The best-selling Amiga computer, the inexpensive Amiga 500 with 1100 DM, is shown on the CeBit in 1987.

In the same year: November 20, 1985, the release of Windows 1.0 will begin. The operating system announced Bill Gates almost two years earlier.

In the collection: Amstrad PCW 8256/8512, Apple IIc, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE, Atari 260ST, Atari 520ST, Commodore 16, Commodore 128, Amiga 1000/1500, Enterprise 64/128, HomeLab 3, Amstrad/Schneider CPC6128, Laser 50/500/700, ZX Spectrum 128, Tesla PMD-85

1986

In the same year, Brain is considered the first (harmless) computer virus/rootkit. He attacks MS-DOS systems and writes to the boot sector.

In the collection: BBC Master Compact, Macintosh Plus, MicroBee 256TC, VEB Microelectronics KC 85/3, Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2

1987

The Archimedes 305/310 from Acorn is the first personal computer with an ARM processor, a RISC technology. (Acorn develops the ARM1 as early as 1985.) With the Acorn A4000, Acorn withdraws from the computer business in 1992. In addition to the Amiga 500, Commodore produces the first PC model, the PC 10 with 8088 CPU.

In the collection: Macintosh SE, Atari Mega ST2, Amiga 500, Amiga 2000, Bruc 100

1988

In the collection: Laser 128/128EX

1989

Miles Gordon Technology (MGT) launches its own home computer with the SAM Coupé, advertised as Sinclair ZX Spectrum Update. It is based on a Z80 CPU clocked to 6 MHz.

In the same year: Apple loses a patent dispute with Microsoft.

In the collection: Acorn A3000, Atari 1040 STE, VEB Mikroelektronik KC 85/4

1990

In the collection: Amstrad 464plus, Amstrad 6128plus

1991

In the collection: Commodore 65

1992

In the collection: Acorn Archimedes A3010, Atari Falcon 030, Amiga 600, Amiga 4000

1995

In the collection: Amiga 1200 AMIGA MAGIC

It starts the Windows age with IBM-compatible PCs and the end of classic home computers.