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

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Fri Apr 23 10:31:22 1999

Yes, you're right, but the "video" is the stuff that comes out of the
RS170A-compatible, and if you mean the "A" standard, then VERY roughly,
indeed. It was more common to see the Apple-][ with a non-Apple monitor for
a number of reasons. First, it's likely the monitor was an Apple
afterthought. Second, what I remember seeing most was a small (often a
Sanyo 9") monitor sitting atop the Apple computer, next to two floppy drives
one atop the other. In any case the Apple monitor was too big for that
application and it made the Apple not unlike the TRS-80, in that it
consisted of too many pieces and took up too much desktop.

Nevertheless, monitor or none, the VIDEO was "in there."

Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, April 23, 1999 3:31 AM
Subject: Re: The "FIRST PC" and personal timelines (Was: And what were the
80s


>> 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".
>
>> BTW, I just gave away one which had an APPLE brand
>> monitor with it.
>
>Sure, but there weren't any Apple brand monitors in 1977. Apple didn't
>even resell another brand of monitor at that time.
>
>I stand by my assertion that the PDP-8/e with VT8-E was a personal computer
>with raster graphics. It was designed for use by one person, and was
>inexpensive enough that a determined but not fabulously wealthy person
could
>buy one. A few people did.
>
>The VT05 that Allison mentioned was a raster display terminal, but did not
>have graphics capabilities (even as an option). I've got one. I don't
have
>a VT8-E; since I can't seem to find one, I'd at least like to get some
prints
>and build one.
Received on Fri Apr 23 1999 - 10:31:22 BST