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> Apple-1 was the start of the personal computer industry > Prior to that, there were other computers. They were kits. They mostly didn't work when you got them
by dariosalvi78 5y ago
> Apple-1 was the start of the personal computer industry
> Prior to that, there were other computers. They were kits. They mostly didn't work when you got them
no, it was not, the Olivetti Programma 101 was sold in thousands already in the 60s and was a pretty finite product
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_personal_computers#The_beginnings_of_the_personal_computer_industry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_personal_computers#...
- schleck8 5y agoApple fans in shambles
- pc86 5y agoPlease don't post low-effort garbage like this here
- HappyMans 5y agoPlease don’t be rude. Your post is as much out of place with its rudeness as theirs is with its low-effortness.
- one_off_comment 5y agolength ≠ effort
- dariosalvi78 5y agoschleck8 has a point: most media (and people) love to highlight how Apple was the first at this or at that, like it's the only company that matters in the world. Truth is, notwithstanding all Apple's merits, they have rarely been the "first ones".
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- Someone 5y agoThe Programma 101 was a programmable calculator. Even though it could do more, out of the box, than many of those kits (built-in printer and card reader), I wouldn’t call it a personal computer. But then I barely would call the Apple-1 that, either. You bought a PCB, optionally pre-assembled that booted into a system monitor. Even though you could directly connect a keyboard and a television (huge improvements; competing products still had toggle switches and indicator lights) that’s not something you could sell to ‘normal’ people. The Apple II added a power supply, a keyboard (meaning buyers didn’t need to go to some dump to find a keyboard that worked or could be made to work with the system), a case and Basic in ROM. That, for me, made it a personal computer. If you bought it, you could go home, plug it in, and start tinkering.
- jhallenworld 5y agoI would argue that the TRS-80 model 1 was more significant as the first home computer: $400 instead of $1300. Like the Apple-][ it also was usable out of the box, it just lacked color. http://www.trs-80.org/was-the-trs-80-once-the-top-selling-computer/ http://www.trs-80.org/was-the-trs-80-once-the-top-selling-co...
- Someone 5y agoThat’s possibly changing the subject from personal computer to home computer (IMO, there’s a subtle difference, but I doubt one can give a good definition of that difference) If you think these are synonyms, the TRS-80 may have been more significant, but it wasn’t the first. The race was close, though. Apple II in June, TRS-80 in August, PET in December 1977. And of course, the ideal first would be the Honeywell Kitchen Computer from 1969, but unfortunately none of them seem to have been sold, if the product even existed for real (https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=927 https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=927). Now, _that_ would be a collectors item.
- one_off_comment 5y agoWhat is a computer if not a very fancy programmable calculator?
- 5y ago
- Accujack 5y agoNot really... the OP101 was priced at about $26k in 2021 dollars. The Apple I was priced at about $3250, which meant it was affordable for hobbyist purposes. It was also mostly complete out of the box, didn't need to be programmed via switches on the front panel, and could be used for actual tasks right away. Its combination of low cost, high feature count, and out of the box usefulness is why it usually gets referred to as the start of the personal computer industry.