Geekery

Big, bad and obsolete: Computers of the 70s

Posted on 11. Feb, 2010 by Jake in Unusual

THE ALTAIR 8800 (1975)
If you were around in 1975, and happened to purchase this baby, all of your friends would be crowding around your desk, going ‘oooh’ and being jealous. While it may look a bit like your sound system’s amplifier, the Altair 8800 is considered by many to be the first mass produced personal computer, although it was known as a micro-computer at the time, since they were formerly about the size of an entire lounge. The device came as a kit which had to be assembled, a process that only technological wiz-kids would have attempted.

As oldcomputers.net explains:
“Since no keyboard or monitor was necessary, or cheaply available, users flipped switches on the front panel, writing their own programs in machine language, and watching the LEDs on the panel light up in response to their commands. Bill Gates and Paul Allen saw an opportunity and wrote Altair BASIC, a true programming language, and the first commercial Microsoft computer product. Monte Davidoff contributed maths routines, including the floating-point routines for Altair 4K BASIC”.

The IMSAI 8080 (1975)
The IMSAI 8080, with its appealing blue and red switches, was one of the first consumer computers available. And, while there were earlier ones available, the IMSAI was the first to be available ready assembled, not to mention the sexiest and best looking micro-computer so far. The machine inspired interest in computers as well as the launch of Byte Magazine, in 1975, who’s first front cover declared “Computers: The worlds greatest toy!”. But the world didn’t agree, not yet anyway, and when much more user friendly computers became available just a couple years later, IMSAI filed for bankruptcy.


Let’s hear from oldcomputers.net again: 
“In its simplest configuration with only a CPU (Central Processing Unit) card, you enter your program using the front panel switches, while reading the results on the LED indicator lights. No keyboard or other display is necessary. This type of programming is very slow and tedious – any mistake could corrupt the system and you’d have to start over again. Only true hackers were successful at efficiently operating an IMSAI 8080”.

THE IBM (5100) (1975)
This, IBM’s first microcomputer (it had only produced mainframes before) is often called the first portable computer, although, weighing in at 55 pounds, it was hardly a laptop (unless you have an unusually large lap). It took the technology to the next level. It was a complete system with a built in monitor (on of the first examples of this), keyboard and data storage. It was designed for professional scientists, not businessmen or casual users.

The Apple 1 (1976)
Even PC users would have to concede that Apple have come a long way when it comes to making machines. Their first computer was made by Steve Wozniack becaause he couldn’t afford one and wanted one. Also, he wanted to impress his friends, which he did at the Homebrew Computer Club, where Steve Jobs loved it so much he decided to try and sell some. The first Apple was sold as a kit which had to be assembled, and only 200 were made. It was only with the Apple 2, the following year, that the brand came, so named because Jobs once worked in an Apple orchard, came into its own.

The Apple 2 (1977)
While containing the same processor and running at the same speed as the Apple 1, the Apple 2’s improvements, which mainly made it more accessible to the average computer user and more aesthetically pleasing, made it one of the most popular early computers. It featured major innovations including a color display, eight internal expansion slots, and, wait for it… a case with a keyboard. Yes, back in the 70s this was by no means a standard feature. It ran Basic, the ‘Windows’ of the time, and this programming language made it the most user-friendly machine yet. But what made it popular was VisiCalc, a spread-sheet programme that was the Xcel of its time and made it incredibly useful for accountants. It was released on Apple because of the Apple 2’s superior memory – it supported a whopping 48K or Ram.

The Atari 400 and 800 (1979)
While most people remember Atari for their gaming consoles, the 70s saw them attempt to produce home computers as well. The Atari 400 was meant to be kiddy-friendly, and the 800 was its ‘big sister’. The machine would boot up into ‘notepad’, the only installed application. Everything else, including Basic, would run from a cartridge. As one would expect, the machine had an emphasis on gaming, and one could insert cartridges and play a range of arcade copies (Pacman and Donkey Kong included) and original games. Apparently, the machines were purposefully designed to look like typewriters, as users found these more ‘friendly’ than computers at the time.

Stay tuned for Part Two: Still Big, Slightly Better and Also Obsolete: Computers of the Eighties.

Tags: Altair 8800, ancient computers, Apple 1, Apple 2, Apple II, Atari 400, Atari 800, Imsai 8080, obsolete, The IBM 5100