[vcf-midatlantic] our new museum -- micro exhibit -- pick 28!

[Evan Koblentz]

Aaarrrgghhh -- Chris' message arrived here as an .eml attachment. WTF is 
causing that and how do we fix it!!??

Anyway, Chris said this:

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Whats missing:

Atari 400/800.. Why? I can argue that this computer is the one that 
pushed home users from game machines to computers. Atari designed these 
machines for non-hobbyist home users by putting in cartridge ports and 
having composite output. They sold these through SEARS. I think these 
are engineering marvels for the time and are very under appreciated.

I know that the PET/Apple II came out earlier, but they were not 
targeted to home users. Yes some people purchased them for the home. 
They were not designed that way.

The Apple II was a $1200 just for the machine and over $2000 complete. I 
would argue that is not targeting the Home Computer Market.

The Ti99/4 came out before the Atari but at $1,150 it was not targeted 
at the home market.. The TI99/4a in 1981 was at $525.

VIC-20 First million sold, ushered in a lot of adoption

Next Workstation  Ahead of it's time, HTTPd developed, Web Developed @ CERN

So I think these can be removed KIM-1, Should be part of a CPU 
collection, which I think the museum should have.

IBM PC Jr., I don't see the significance

HP-85B, I don't see the significance

Our homebrewed "Dudley" PDP-8 clone. N

Apple Mac Portable, there were earlier laptops SWTPC 6800

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My comments:

 >> Atari 400/800 ... They sold these through SEARS.

Good point.


 >> I know that the PET/Apple II came out earlier, but they were not 
targeted to home users. Yes some people purchased them for the home. 
They were not designed that way.

So? Exhibit isn't just about home computers. Nothing will convince us to 
remove the PET and Apple II. :)


 >> The Apple II was a $1200 just for the machine and over $2000 
complete. I would argue that is not targeting the Home Computer Market.

Schools, my friend!!! Apple II dominated.


 >> Next Workstation Ahead of it's time

We don't have one.


 >> So I think these can be removed KIM-1, Should be part of a CPU 
collection, which I think the museum should have.

Eventually. There won't be room for that exhibit in stage one.


 >> IBM PC Jr., I don't see the significance

Big Blue's entry into home computing.


 >> HP-85B, I don't see the significance

HP was a big player in engineering micros, while the home users were 
building Altairs and playing with BASIC .... I think we should teach 
this. Too many history books teach people that homebrew and hobby 
systems were the ONLY small computers back then.


Our homebrewed "Dudley" PDP-8 clone. N

As previously explained -- this is our best example, albeit technically 
a mini, of a desktop-sized homemade system. Got to show at least one 
such thing.


Apple Mac Portable, there were earlier laptops

Of course, I wrote a book about that. :)  Maybe show something that was 
more of a commodity, such as (any) run-of-the-mill mid/late-1980s laptop.