Vintage Computer Advertisements from the late 1970s

The Sol20 built by Processor Technology was probably the first PC to incorporate a keyboard , cassette recorder storage, and a b/w monitor with an 8080A chip, 64KRAM and 8K memory boards on the S100 buss in 1976. The ROM "personality modules" enabled start-up when powered on (previous computers had toggle switches or paper tape).

I have all issues of Personal Computing magazine from September 1977, a real source of pioneer home computer history.

"We'll deliver a PDP-9 computer in 90 days. Seriously."
8K core memory, 1usec, expandable to 32K. 18 bit word. 200 nanosec adder. High Speed control memory. Real time clock. . . ..
No price given unfortunately, but there was a phone number for Digital and I'm sure they would hook you up with that.

I have this on my office wall - it was a choice find.

Imagine your interested in a computer, so you mailed a postcard to Apple, or IBM.
We did!

Dear Ron Whittaker,

You wrote on TechRepublic.com:

"I have all issues of Personal Computing magazine from September 1977, a real source of pioneer home computer history. "

I was the editor-in-chief of Personal Computing magazine in 1982 and 1983. All my issues during my tenure were lost during an interstate move. In an early 1983 issue, I think it was, my editor's memo put forward the idea that personal computers would personalize the cognitive revolution in the same way that the internal combustion engine personalized the industrial revolution.

If you could locate that page in your store of issues and send me a copy in some way I would be most grateful. Scan and e-mail perhaps or photocopy and snail mail, whatever is easiest. I'll reimburse you, of course, for any costs.

This 84-y-o guy has fond memories of those pioneer days of personal computing and brush-ups with such characters as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

Paul Kellam
kellam@digital.net
820 Renner Ave.
Melbourne, FL 32935-3048

Archive computer dual Z80's running an early version of DBase with a 5MByte hard disk 1979. the owner actually set up a database for people to phone in and find where and who had particular items for sale. Unfortunately before it's time.
Had a Lisa 1983 was a magic machine with a 10 MByte hard drive SCSI, dual twiggy floppy drives and a daisy wheel printer to print graphics, multiple strikes of the period. Cost more than Gold but worth every penny. The Lisa was a revelation in the world of PC's. Also had a Wang word processor with dual 8" hard sectored floppies and an industrial strength daisy wheel printer. Not to mention all the rest, TRS 80, Apple I, Apple II, Apple GS (still going), Atari, Commodore 64 with colour screen, Tandy colour II 16KBytes,Tandy II, Tandy III, BBC, Macs, not to mention all the Olivetti's, Adler's, PDP's, the list just keeps getting longer.
In the 70's used to maintain a PDP-8/E at a mine site underground 3 monthly. So much grit and rubbish had to pull everything out of the case and high pressure water clean the boards and floppy drives, also had a 12" hard disk fully sealed 1 MByte I think, rinse with DM water and oven dry for 48 hours @ 60 deg C, before reassembly. Never failed to restart. A miracle. In service for 10 years before upgrade.

i still have my old amiga 1000 minus kickstart