At the end of last semester I ended up with a bunch of time to kill on campus so I went to the Library to see what I could find to interest me. I have no idea how, but I ended up in the microfilm room looking through Time magazine archive from 1983, 84 and 85. I also looked through a lot of the old Macworlds. It was kinda weird to be reading those articles, like the one from Time about how Apple was making a new computer called the Macintosh due out 'in about a year' that would be so revolutionary. The things they were talking about in this article cracked me up, it ruled
The Apple Computer. A truly complete microcomputer system on a single PC board. Based on the MOS Technologies 6502 microprocessor, the Apple also has a built-in video terminal and sockets from 8K bytes of on-board RAM memory.
The Apple Computer. A truly complete microcomputer system on a single PC board. Based on the MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, the Apple also has a built-in video terminal and sockets for 8K bytes of onboard RAM memory. With the addition of a keyboard and video monitor, you'll have an extremely powerful computer system that can be used for anything from developing programs to playing games or running BASIC.
Combining the computer, video terminal and dynamic memory on a single board has resulted in a large reduction in chip count, which means more reliability and lowered cost. Since the Apple comes fully assembled, tested & burned in and has a complete power supply on-board, initial set-up is essentially "hassle free" and you can be running within minutes. At $666.66 (including 4K bytes RAM!) it opens many new possibilities for users and systems manufacuterers.
You Don't Need an Expensive Teletype.
Using the built-in video terminal and keyboard interface, you avoid all the expense, noice and maintenance associated with a teletype. And the Apple video terminal is six times faster than a teletype, which means more throughput and less waiting. The Apple connects directly to a video monitor (or home TV with an inexpensive RF modulator) and displays 960 easy to read characters in 24 rows of 40 characters per line with automatic scrolling. The video display section contains its own 1K bytes of memory, so all the RAM memory is available for user programs. And the Keyboard Interface lets you use al most any ASCII-encoded keyboard.
The Apple Computer makes it possible for many people with limited budgets to step up to a video terminal as an I/O device for their computer.
No More Switches, No More Lights.
Compared to switches and LED's, a video terminal can display vast amounts of information simultaneously. The Apple video terminal can display the contents of 192 memory locations at once on the screen. And the firmware in PROMS enables you to enter, display and debug programs (all in hex) from the keyboard rendering a front panel unnecessary. The firmware also allows your programs to print characters on the display, and since you'll be looking at letters and numbers instead of just LED's, the door is open to all kinds of alphanumeric software (i.e., Games and BASIC).
8K Bytes RAM in 16 Chips!
The Apple Computer uses the new 16-pin 4K dynamic memory chips. They are faster and take 1/4 the space and power of even the low power 2102's (the memory chip that everyone else uses). That means 8K bytes in sixteen chips. It also means no more 28 amp power supplies.
The system i fully expandable to 65K via an edge connector which carries both the address and data busses power supplies and all timing signals. All dynamic memory refreshing for both on and off-board memory is done automatically. Also, the Apple Computer can be upgraded to use the 16K chips when they become available. That's 32K bytes on-based RAM in 16 IC's -- the equivalent of 256 2102's!
Comments
edit: ooops i said Apple instead of Atari...
The Apple Computer. A truly complete microcomputer system on a single PC board. Based on the MOS Technologies 6502 microprocessor, the Apple also has a built-in video terminal and sockets from 8K bytes of on-board RAM memory.
Microcomputer System with a Video Terminal and
8K Bytes of RAM on a Single PC Card.
The Apple Computer. A truly complete microcomputer system on a single PC board. Based on the MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, the Apple also has a built-in video terminal and sockets for 8K bytes of onboard RAM memory. With the addition of a keyboard and video monitor, you'll have an extremely powerful computer system that can be used for anything from developing programs to playing games or running BASIC.
Combining the computer, video terminal and dynamic memory on a single board has resulted in a large reduction in chip count, which means more reliability and lowered cost. Since the Apple comes fully assembled, tested & burned in and has a complete power supply on-board, initial set-up is essentially "hassle free" and you can be running within minutes. At $666.66 (including 4K bytes RAM!) it opens many new possibilities for users and systems manufacuterers.
You Don't Need an Expensive Teletype.
Using the built-in video terminal and keyboard interface, you avoid all the expense, noice and maintenance associated with a teletype. And the Apple video terminal is six times faster than a teletype, which means more throughput and less waiting. The Apple connects directly to a video monitor (or home TV with an inexpensive RF modulator) and displays 960 easy to read characters in 24 rows of 40 characters per line with automatic scrolling. The video display section contains its own 1K bytes of memory, so all the RAM memory is available for user programs. And the Keyboard Interface lets you use al most any ASCII-encoded keyboard.
The Apple Computer makes it possible for many people with limited budgets to step up to a video terminal as an I/O device for their computer.
No More Switches, No More Lights.
Compared to switches and LED's, a video terminal can display vast amounts of information simultaneously. The Apple video terminal can display the contents of 192 memory locations at once on the screen. And the firmware in PROMS enables you to enter, display and debug programs (all in hex) from the keyboard rendering a front panel unnecessary. The firmware also allows your programs to print characters on the display, and since you'll be looking at letters and numbers instead of just LED's, the door is open to all kinds of alphanumeric software (i.e., Games and BASIC).
8K Bytes RAM in 16 Chips!
The Apple Computer uses the new 16-pin 4K dynamic memory chips. They are faster and take 1/4 the space and power of even the low power 2102's (the memory chip that everyone else uses). That means 8K bytes in sixteen chips. It also means no more 28 amp power supplies.
The system i fully expandable to 65K via an edge connector which carries both the address and data busses power supplies and all timing signals. All dynamic memory refreshing for both on and off-board memory is done automatically. Also, the Apple Computer can be upgraded to use the 16K chips when they become available. That's 32K bytes on-based RAM in 16 IC's -- the equivalent of 256 2102's!
whew!!
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~bwsmith/images/apple-one.jpg
Ease of setup: Check.
Attention to interface detail at all levels. Check.
Board design based on small number of ASICs. Check.
Gorgeous board layout. Check.
Dedicated RAM for video, and a general aversion to shared memory of any kind. Check.
The main difference is that the integration has gotten better and all the numbers have gotten much, much bigger.
Originally posted by Brad
Apple Introduces the First Low Cost
Microcomputer System with a Video Terminal and
8K Bytes of RAM on a Single PC Card.
You're insane if you typed all that
Once activated, it's just option apple +.
Brad just has a heart of gold I guess...except when he suspended my account