Tech Rumors/Legends?

From: Paul Braun <nerdware_at_laidbak.com>
Date: Thu Jun 1 23:19:19 2000

I also got this from not only Bob Cringely when I read his book and
interviewed him , but also when I interviewed Forrest Mims, who
was one of the co-founders of MITS and has also written a boatload
of magazine articles and ton of project books for Radio Shack.

Forrest also said that his first impression of the Microsoft Children
was that they were loud and spoiled and complained a lot. Doesn't
sound like much has changed......

The Altair on the cover of the Jan 75 PE is a mockup....just a case
with the front panel that was cobbled together in a hurry after the
original was lost so that they would have something to photograph.

BTW....how many of us have that issue? I have both Jan and Feb,
and also the Altair 6800 issue. Tried several years ago at Comdex
to get Billy G to sign one of the later ones that offered MITS
BASIC, but the man has more layers of "people" who treat him like
God than the President does.....


Date sent: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 15:25:30 -0700
To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
Subject: Re: Tech Rumors/Legends?
Send reply to: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org

> At 05:56 PM 6/1/00 -0400, you wrote:
> > > My version goes that the Altair that was sent to Popular Electronics
> > > was the only prototype and it got lost in the mail when it was
> > > returned. MITS was forced to recreate large portions of the design
> > > from scratch and thus delayed first shipments.
> >
> >Not to pick on you, Chuck, but what's the source for your version. The
> >only documented story I'm familiar with is in Stan Veit's book, but that
> >is second-hand.
>
> Second hand as well, it was from the guy who started the first computer
> club in Las Vegas when I was but a young lad (1977). I did however buy a
> Digital Group Z80 system with my own money and became the youngest member
> with a system in the club. (I've got the Review-Journal newspaper article
> to prove it! :-) He had tried to order an Altair when he read about it and
> was given the above excuse as to why it wouldn't be available for a while.
>
> --Chuck
>
>





Paul Braun
NerdWare -- The History of the PC and the Nerds who brought it to you.
nerdware_at_laidbak.com
www.laidbak.com/nerdware
Received on Thu Jun 01 2000 - 23:19:19 BST