This is a list of early microcomputers sold to hobbyists and developers. These microcomputers were often sold as "DIY" kits or pre-built machines in relatively small numbers in the mid-1970s. These systems were primarily used for teaching the use of microprocessors and supporting peripheral devices, and unlike home computers were rarely used with pre-written application software. Most early micros came without alphanumeric keyboards or displays, which had to be provided by the user. RAM was quite small in the unexpanded systems (a few hundred bytes to a few kilobytes). By 1976 the number of pre-assembled machines was growing, and the 1977 introduction of the "trinity" of Commodore PET, TRS-80 and Apple II generally marks the end of the "early" microcomputer era, and the advent of the consumer home computer era that followed.
Discrete logic Before the advent of microprocessors, it was possible to build small computers using small-scale integrated circuits (ICs), where each IC contained only a few logic gates or flip-flops.
The Kenbak-1 (1971) used small-scale integration transistor–transistor logic (TTL) ICs and had 256 bytes of memory. It was priced at USD 750 and sold only 40 units. Datapoint 2200 (shipped 1971) was the first machine designed to use a microprocessor, but when Intel could not deliver the 8008 in time, the machine was released using discrete logic. The EDUC-8 (1975) was an Electronics Australia magazine project describing a computer built from TTL ICs.
Test, single-board and development machines As microprocessors were developed, companies often released simple development systems to bootstrap the use of the processor. These systems were often converted by hobbyists into complete computer systems. Intel's Intellec computers were a series of early microcomputers Intel produced starting in the 1970s as a development platform for their processors.
Kits Many early microcomputers were available in electronic kit form. Machines were sold in small numbers, with final assembly by the user. Kits took advantage of this by offering the system at a low price point. Kits were popular, beginning in 1975, with the introduction of the famous Altair 8800, but as sales volumes increased, kits became less common. The introduction of useful fully assembled machines in 1977 led to the rapid disappearance of kit systems for most users. The ZX81 was one of the last systems commonly available in both kit and assembled form. Some magazines published plans and printed circuit board layouts from which a reader could in principle duplicate the project, although usually commercially made boards could be ordered to expedite assembly. Other kits varied from etched, drilled, printed circuit boards and a parts list to packages containing cases, power supplies, and all interconnections. All kits required significant assembly by the user.
Complete microcomputers A number of complete microcomputers were offered even before kits became popular, dating to as far back as 1972. For some time there was a major market for assembled versions of the Altair 8800, a market that grew significantly through the late 1970s and into the early 1980s. The introduction of three computers aimed at personal users in 1977, the Radio Shack TRS-80, Apple II, and Commodore PET, significantly changed the American microcomputer market and led to the home computer revolution.
See also List of home computers List of home computers by video hardware Microprocessor development board Microcomputer Associates, Incorporated
References
Notes
External links Obsolete technology website — Information about many old computers.
