Whats wrong with chip collecting? (SOL-20)

From: Hans Franke <Hans.Franke_at_mch20.sbs.de>
Date: Tue Nov 19 06:11:28 2002

> "In response to several inquiries, the microprocessor on the first CPU
> card is indeed a C8080 with no suffix (please see photo below). For
> those of you who are not familiar with it, the C8080 was the earliest
> version of this microprocessor and is the most sought after and valuable
> of all the early Intel microprocessors. A C8080 chip alone can sell for
> $700-$1000 depending on condition"

> "However, it has been brought to my attention that the chip shown below
> is an early production version of the 8080, made in 1973 at an Intel
> subcontractor's assembly plant in Tijuana, Mexico. It is a very rare
> chip, which might be worth 1.5x the value of a more typical C8080."

> "I would like to thank Steve of The Antique Chip Collector's Page
> (http://www.antiquetech.com) for his help in researching the background
> of this chip."

> I was considering bidding on this until the price reached the
> stratosphere. I'd be willing to bet that the buyer can find a chip
> collector to take that C8080 off his hands for at least $1,500. On the
> other side of lunacy I'd be willing to pay the winner something
> substantially less then that for the Computer Notes that are part of the
> auction.

Well... now let's try this:
As I see a CPU gets more valuable as earlier it is - right?
So, now I happen to own a KIM which I belive is the real #1
board. The CPU is a MOS MCS 6502 dated 4675, white ceramic.
As such it is from the very first batch of 6502s, of course
includeing the infamous ROR bug (no, Intel wasn't the first
to sell buggy CPUs :). It ends not just there, but it might
even bee THE first 6502 - or at least the first to be used
in a manufactured computer.

Now this chip might for shure be of some value to collectors,
just if I'd take the CPU out of the board and replace it by
a later, bug free 6502 (which has been done to a lot of CPUs
back then), I'd still have the #1 KIM, in a beliveable and
usable configuration. The classic computer value will still
be the same (*1).

On the other hand, the CPU in it self, although still a quite
early date, and maybe *RARE*, suddenly lost any proof to be
that special, it is even less worth than a NOS version, since
it is unsoldered.

Anybody here to help the chip collectors out of this dilemma ?

Gruss
H.

(*1) I have no idea about a 'value' to assign to this unit,
especialy since the only valid way to do so would be to sell
it ... na, never :) - the same is true for a first series 6502.


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Received on Tue Nov 19 2002 - 06:11:28 GMT

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