I met with my latest VCF2 speaker, Ray Holt, today, and boy does he have
some stories to tell. The guy is amazing.
His first commercial work was with AMI, which made microprocessors and
custom logic back in the early 70's. Ray was responsible for the AMI 7200
and 7300 processors. AMI decided to drop their microprocessor line in the
1973 timeframe saying, according to Ray, that "there was no future in
general purpose microprocessors, and everyone was moving towards custom
controllers." :)
Ray joined a consulting firm called Compata, Inc., and for a while he was
working for Intel as a subcontractor with his soon-to-be business partner,
Manuel Lemas, training engineers in different high-tech companies how to
use the Intellec-4 (based on the Intel 4004). I only just learned that
there was indeed an Intellec-4 from some material Ray gave me. Neat.
He then went on to start his own company with Manny Lemas called
Microcomputer Associates Inc. There he created the JOLT computer and
later the Super JOLT. The JOLT was 6502 based and had a current loop and
RS-232 interface. It also featured a ROM called the "DEMON"
(DEbugger/MONitor). Tens of thousands were produced, and the JOLT is
still in production today(!) used in embedded controller applications.
Ray brought along the original JOLT prototype to show me. Two amazing
things about this computer. It was made in the early-mid 1975 timeframe
(very soon after the Altair hit the streets) and included a complete
computer (CPU, RAM, ROM, current-loop/serial interface) on a PCB about
4"x8"! This is amazing for that timeframe. It could be expanded up to
64K with add-on RAM boards that piggy-backed to the main computer, and he
also made Peripheral Interface Adapter (PIA) cards for it, as well as a
cassette controller card that could control up to three data recorders on
one board! The system he showed me had the interface board and two extra
4K RAM boards stacked with the main computer board.
He also had a good story to tell. One day some guy named Steve Wozniak
came by and bought a JOLT from him. A few months later he heard about the
Apple 1, and then the Apple ][. Interesting, no?
Ray later designed a computer called the VIM-1 (Versatile Interface
Module). The VIM-1 was Ray's answer to the Mostek KIM-1. His company was
then acquired by Synertek, and the VIM-1 was changed to the SYM-1. Ray
brought along the 25,000th SYM-1 which was given to him as a token of
achievement by Synertek. All the traces were etched with gold. Ray said
there were about 50,000 SYM-1's produced (there was also a SYM-2) before
Synertek folded. The story behind that is Synertek was bought by
Honeywell, and Honeywell, through poor management, ran the Synertek
division into the ground. Ray said there is still a guy running a company
in San Jose with a name that has "SYM" in it (SYMCOM?) who still produces
or maintains SYM-1 boards for the many, many clients who still have them
in use.
50,000 units is a huge number, and this just makes me laugh harder when I
hear about "collectors" paying $405 for a SYM-1 on eBay.
PS. I ended up with an original copy of the SYM-1 schematics.
Ray then told me his remarkable version of the origins of the TRS-80 Model
1. Ray's company was approached by Radio Shack to build a computer for
them that they wanted to market. Ray put together a working prototype in
about a week from scratch that included Micro-Soft BASIC, 4K RAM, an
integrated monitor, and an integrated keyboard. He and Manny then flew to
Texas to demonstrate the unit. The RS folks were thrilled, and asked if
they could hold onto the unit for a few days to look it over. Without
signing anything, Ray and Manny agreed and went back home. A few days
passed and they hadn't heard anything from RS, so they called them up but
were told to chill. More time had passed with no response from RS and
they started getting anxious. Finally, after a month of calling to find
out when they would get their computer back, a box arrived one day in the
mail. In it was the remains of their prototype, hacked to pieces. It was
obvious that it had been reverse engineered. A short while later, Ray
found out that the computer RS decided to release as their TRS-80 Model 1
was based on the design Ray had come up with! They went to a lawyer but
were told that there was nothing that could be done since they didn't even
have a receipt for their plane ride to Texas signed-off by Radio Shack
(they paid for the plane tickets themselves). Ray said he later learned
that the project manager who Ray and Manny had dealt with took credit for
the TRS-80 design! The guy took Ray's design and passed it on to
corporate as his own!
Comments from you RS-heads? Allison? Ward?
Ray's had a very fruitful career, and is responsible for at least 3 of the
true classics we collectors seek out. But of what I've told you here, it
pales in comparison to the work Ray Holt did prior to his days at AMI. Of
course this is a teaser. We're saving that for VCF2. So if you want to
hear it first, make plans to come to VCF2. Otherwise, read about it in
the papers. :)
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar_at_siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2
See
http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
[Last web page update: 05/11/98]
Received on Sun May 24 1998 - 00:36:57 BST