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WOW!! - "8-bit machine offered 256 bytes memory. Switches keyed the input and lights displayed the output"

 

6th November 2015 

By Bill Wilson Business reporter, BBC News                                            http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/1501E/production/_86364068_07ffc2a1-a0f5-4b7b-850f-6205fabf2cd3.jpg When the definitive history of the personal computer is written, familiar and historic names such as Olivetti, Apple, IBM, will all be given recognition for their innovations of the 1960s and 1970s.

 

But will future generations remember visionary John Blankenbaker, and his ground-breaking invention, the Kenbak-1 Digital Computer?

 

It was a machine which first went on sale in 1971 and is considered to have been the world's first "commercially available personal computer", coming on to the market some five years before Apple 1.

 

Full Article
I remember hearing about this one whilst I was trying to program an Elliot 803 Autocode machine, whilst at school...and it seemed like science fiction at the time.

 

Baldrick
I really do not know which came in which order, but the first computer I had any real access to was the Timex-Sinclair ZX81.  It came in a box of parts: my Dad went the 'cheap' route and purchased the DIY kit that he had to put together.  It was also available pre-assembled, but that of course cost more.

 

Ours started out with a full 2 Kb of memory.  Previous versions only had 1Kb.  We REALLY felt we were in the BIG TIME when Dad go the 16 Kb expansion! (That 16 Kb pack was a large brick that plugged into the back of the unit.. not installed internally.  )

 

For such a simple machine it was actually pretty impressive what it could do.
Hi David

 

The Kenbak-1 came way before the Sinclair ZX-81. Sinclair first release the Cambridge MK14 in 1977, then in 1980 the ZX-80 and that was followed by the ZX-81...in 1981, of course...to be followed by his last, but greatest...the ZX Spectrum.

 

I owned a ZX-81 and then a ZX Spectrum...and have fond memories (no pun intended ;)) of getting to understand 'computers' and programming, even if it was just in BASIC.

 

Boy, am I old...:(
Youe are no older than I feel tonight Baldrick 😉
Oh, I am sure that I am and I probably feel older tonight than I actually am...having driven close to 300 miles (there and back) today...LOL
@ wrote:

Hi David

 

The Kenbak-1 came way before the Sinclair ZX-81. Sinclair first release the Cambridge MK14 in 1977, then in 1980 the ZX-80 and that was followed by the ZX-81...in 1981, of course...to be followed by his last, but greatest...the ZX Spectrum.

 

I owned a ZX-81 and then a ZX Spectrum...and have fond memories (no pun intended ;)) of getting to understand 'computers' and programming, even if it was just in BASIC.

 

Boy, am I old...:(

I am plenty old too LOL.  My Dad used to use machine language on the old thing.  I was not able to write in machine, I was only 11 or 12 when we got it, but I did play around a decent amount with Basic.

 

My Dad also had a 'cookbook' which had a number of fun programs (printed code... you had to type it all in yourself).  That is how I learned some basic Basic.  I used some of the machine language items too, but I had no clue just what I was typing in LOL
I know what you mean Baldrick and I hope everything is OK.

I even had to ask  my wife to help me with a pair of socks tonight 😃

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