The "FIRST PC" and personal timelines (Was: And what were the 80s

From: Derek Peschel <dpeschel_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Fri Apr 23 04:43:29 1999

Eric Smith wrote:
> > The Apple-][ most certainly did come with built-in Video. That's just about
> > all that was built-in.

> Strange. Several of my friends bought them back in 1977, and they only
> got a computer with an RS170A-compatible (roughly) output on an RCA jack,
> which was intended for connection to a TV or monitor that was NOT supplied.
>
> My point was that the PDP-8/e with VT8-E that I had brought up earlier had
> every bit as "real" a video output as the later systems that Lawrence wants
> to designate as "first".

Whose message are you replying to? Richard Erlacher's, or someone else's?
Just making sure.

You two seem to be confusing built-in video signal generation capabilities
with a built-in video screen. The Apple has the signal capabilities. As
you said, there was no monitor as part of the main unit (and Apple didn't
aggressively put its name on external monitors, at least not before the
//e).

It sounds like the VT8E has the signal capabilities and the monitor. I'm
not sure about that.

Some computers, of course, have neither monitor nor signal generation (e.g.,
"card cage" machines like the S-100 machines, or machines with only a serial
port for a terminal). And some OTOH have built-in monitors (e.g., the
TRS-80 Model III, some HP machines, and the IBM 5100 -- all of which are
from roughly the era of the Apple ][).

Personally, I think that whether the monitor is physically attached or
external is not very important. It's the presence/absense of the built-in
monitor _controller_ that is the distinction worth making. And I am NOT
going to make any specific statements about how that relates to the category
of "personal computer".

-- Derek
Received on Fri Apr 23 1999 - 04:43:29 BST