http://computerworld.com/action/article.do...ticleId=9111341Forgotten PC history: The true origins of the personal computer
The PC's back story involves a little-known Texas connection
By Lamont Wood
August 8, 2008 (Computerworld) This year marks an almost forgotten 40th anniversary: the conception of the device that ultimately became the PC. And no, it did not happen in California.
For decades, histories have traced the PC's x86 lineage back to 1972, with Intel Corp.'s introduction of the 8008 chip, the 8-bit follow-on to the 4-bit 4004, itself introduced in 1971 and remembered as the world's first microprocessor (download PDF).
But the full story was not that simple. For one thing, the x86's lineage can be traced back four additional years, to 1968, and it was born at a now-defunct firm in San Antonio. The x86 was originally conceived by an all-but-forgotten engineer, Austin O. "Gus" Roche, who was obsessed with making a personal computer. For another thing, Intel got involved reluctantly, and the 8008 was not actually derived from the 4004 -- they were separate projects.
I read that artical on PCWorld.com
I read that artical on PCWorld.com
So what did you think of it ?
Ancient history ? Valuable ?
I think maybe both.
davey
NostalgiaSo what did you think of it ?Ancient history ? Valuable ?
I think maybe both.
davey
I was fortunate to be in the support area for the hardware of the then new IBM Personal Computer and we received a nice new system complete with 2 5.25in floppy drives 16K RAM 13in green text only screen and DOS 1.0 to support the customers that needed support. I learned that it cost about $5000.00
I still have, stuck away in some dusty corner of my shed, an XT from 1984, I think. Only one 5.25 floppy and a 40 mb disk, can't remember the ram or the DOS version. I remember coding the snake game on it. I am waiting for it to appreciate in value!
I had an HP Vectra in my attic that ran Windows 3 and Dos