> On Mon, 23 Sep 2002, Lawrence Walker wrote:
> > An interesting early CPM computer, complete with monitor and fdds. AES is
> > Automatic Electronic Systems, a Montreal company that was founded by
> > Stephen Dorsey who then sold the company and went on to found Micom.
> > He put out a remarkable Word Processor/computer called the MICOM 2000
> > before the Apple got out of Woz's garage. AES must have mfrd. this after
> > Dorsey sold it. No date given but likely pre 80. Wish I could afford it.
> > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2056611909
>
> Well, if he claims to be pre-Apple, then I certainly hope that it is
> pre-80!
>
> Is this the "Lanier"?
>
> Wait until you check out the disk format and/or try to transfer files to
> or from. :-)
>
Nope MICOM Data Systems, which was bought out by Philips in 79. Mine uses a
Shugart 8" SS. There are several companies that do conversion of MICOM files,
Shaftstall Corp, among others. Interestingly they also do AES and Lanier.
NASA had a couple of hundred of the MICOM 2000s.
Don't know the date that AES brought out the box for sale on E-pay
but it was certainly after Dorsey sold the firm.
This wasn't Dorsey's "claim". I got it from :
TIMELINE OF MICROCOMPUTER HISTORY................Poulsson
1972
Intel introduces its 200-KHz 8008 chip, the first 8-bit microprocessor.
Atari is founded and ships Pong, the first commercial video game.
Canada's Automatic Electronic Systems introduces the world's first programmable
word processor with a video screen, the AES 90. The computer system uses
magnetic disks for storage, and a custom-built microprocessor. [615.94]
Bill Gates and Paul Allen form the Traf-O-Data company.
5.25 inch diskettes first appear.
Xerox decides to build a personal computer to be used for research. Project
"Alto" begins. [263.58]
March (75)
Fred Moore and Gordon French hold the first meeting of a new microcomputer
hobbyist's club in French's garage, in Menlo Park, California. 32 people meet,
including Bob Albrect, Steve Dompier, Lee Felsenstein, Bob Marsh, Tom Pittman,
Marty Spergel, Alan Baum, and Steven Wozniak. Bob Albrect shows off an Altair,
and Steve Dompier reports on MITS, and how they had 4000 orders for the Altair.
[185.110] [266.104] [301.55] [346.18] [353.200] [346.257] (April [208.67] 266.39)
Stephen Dorsey, founder of Automatic Electronic Systems, sells his 25% of the
company for $135,000. [615.98]
Stephen Dorsey and Louis Miller found Micom Data Systems, in Canada.
[615.90]
July (75)
Bill Gates and Paul Allen sign a licensing agreement with MITS, for their
implementation of the BASIC language. [299.8]
Bill Gates and Paul Allen ship 4K and 8K version of BASIC v2.0. [123]
Dick Heiser opens Arrow Head Computer Company, subtitled "The Computer
Store", in Los Angeles, selling assembled Altairs, boards, peripherals, and
magazines. This is the first retail computer store in the USA. [266.185] [684.41]
Micom Data Systems ships its first product, the Micom 2000 word processing
computer. [615.99]
September (75)
The first issue of Byte magazine is published. [9] [266.159]
March (76)
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs finish work on a computer circuit board, that they
call the Apple I computer. [46]
By the end of its first year in business, Micom Data Systems ships 180 Micom
2000 computers, worth $2 million. [615.99]
( Poulssen's source was : [615] Knights of the New Technology - The Inside Story
of Canada's Computer Elite, by David Thomas, 1983.)
Lawrence
lgwalker_at_mts.net
bigwalk_ca_at_yahoo.com
Received on Tue Sep 24 2002 - 07:23:00 BST