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AE5ME > TECH 10.04.16 05:32l 42 Lines 1824 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : EHARV6WBG09N
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re:Kenbak Computer
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<N6RME<N0KFQ<AE5ME
Sent: 160410/0313Z 35323@AE5ME.#NEOK.OK.USA.NOAM BPQ1.4.64
If memory serves me right, the Intel 4004 came out in November of 1971. Good example of being "too early" of an adopter and not being able to monetize a concept. Timing is everything. Can't be too late, but can't be too early.
--Jeff AE5ME
----- Message from kf5jrv@kb0wsa.mo.usa.na sent 2016/04/09 03:35 -----
Message ID: 1222_KF5JRV
Date: 2016/04/09 03:35
From: kf5jrv@kb0wsa.mo.usa.na
To: tech@ww
Source: AE5ME
Subject: Kenbak Computer
R:160409/0335Z 35244@AE5ME.#NEOK.OK.USA.NOAM BPQ1.4.64
R:160409/0132Z 90041@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.65
R:160409/0132Z 1222@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQK1.4.65
First Personal Stored Program Computer
In 1970 John Blankenbaker of Kenbak Corporation, Northridge, California
designed and produced the Kenbak-1. The machines, of which only forty
were ever built, were designed as educational tools and offered for sale
in Scientific American and Computerworld for $750 in 1971. The company
closed in 1973.
Unlike many earlier machines and calculating engines, the Kenbak-1 was
a true stored-program computer that offered 256 bytes of memory, a wide
variety of operations and a speed equivalent to nearly 1MHz. It was thus
the first stored-program personal computer.
"Since the Kenbak-1 was invented before the first microprocessor, the
machine didn't have a one-chip CPU but instead was based purely on discrete
TTL chips. The 8-bit machine offered 256 bytes of memory. The instruction
cycle time was 1 microsecond (equivalent to an instruction clock speed of
1 MHz), but actual execution speed averaged below 1000 instructions per
second due to architectural constraints such as slow access to serial
memory.
"To use the machine, one had to program it with a series of buttons and
switches, using pure machine code. Output consisted of a series of lights"
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