click on the home button to go to the home page

1974

4 January 1974, INTEL introduces the 8080 microprocessor, an improved 8 bit version. This chip has a price tag of "just" 360 U$. The processor contains a Kernel of 75 instructions, the so called micro code. It is ten times as fast as the 8008 with 2Mhz. It addresses a memory of 64.000 bytes. There are 6.000 transistors (3micron) mounted on this chip. (23)
The designers and marketing people are thinking they have given the final solution to the still rising demand for computing power (64Kb address). This monumental mistake will have catastrophic results towards further development of better(faster) chips and software development for the next few decades.

October: Xerox introduces a new text-editing product.

Digital's first Large Scale Integration processor, the MPS, is introduced. Digital also announces LA36 DECwriter II which will become the market standard.(24)

The CP/M⁽²³⁾ (Control Program/Monitor also: Control Program for Microcomputers) will be designed by Digital Research /John Torode and Gary Kildall⁽²⁴⁾ for the 8080 chip. In fact it will be the first operating system for that particular micro processor. Many manufacturers of micro computers adopt this system. it has all characteristics of a well designed program in it: it is small and compact, relatively fast and above all stable. The first operating system to run (almost) independent of a platform.

The  Z-80, 8 bit processor is designed by Zilog Corp. Zilog is founded by former Intel employees that did not get the play room to follow up on their own ideas. The Z-80 is a good alternative for the Intel 8080 and offers various new advantages.

The March 1974, "QST" magazine, contained the first formally advertised personal computer: the Scelbi 8H computer based on a microprocessor: Intel's 8008. 
Scelbi Computer Consulting - Nat Wardsworth and Robert Findley at Milford Connecticut (USA) - start to sell the first micro computer that is based entirely on a CPU:, de Scelbi 8-H, it uses the Intel 8008 chip. Scelbi aimed the 8H, available both in kit form and fully assembled, at scientific, electronic, and biological applications. Sales price US$ 565 with 1 Kb of internal memory and a cassette tape, with both teletype and oscilloscope interfaces. An additional 15 Kb is available for US$ 2760.

But the customer base is small and due to health problems of the designer the Scelbi never will be a success. But the Scelbi has at least the honor to have been one of the first PC's⁽²⁵⁾. The company sold about 200 machines, losing $500 per unit until it was taken out of production in 1975.

At almost the same time, Jonathan Titus produced a widely marketed personal computer kit, named the Mark-8. The world of personal computing was growing. Intel introduced the 8080 for the purposes of controlling traffic lights, but it was to find fame later as the processor for the Altair. (31)

Motorola introduces the 6800 CPU, an early 8 bits microprocessor that will be embedded in a lot of industrial devices. The chip is designed by Chuck Peddle ad Charlie Melear.⁽²⁷⁾

Creative Computing a computer hobby magazine is published for the first time. For many it will be a source of inspiration, hours of programming into the small hours and experimenting^(27).

The first magazine dedicated to a specific computer was the Micro-8 newsletter.

John Cocke designs first RISC machine for IBM Research.

In the Netherlands Philips in cooperation with the state phone company (PTT) are experimenting with video telephony, an early form of video conferencing(ed). THe devices are developed by Philips at Waalre laboratories and in Leiden at the Dr. Neher labs. The experimental net has 67 users. On the picture is missing the Codal. A big cabinet with electronics to manage the video / telephone connection.

In December this year Zilog Inc. is founded by Federico Faggin, he was a top employee of Intel. Zilog is going to compete with Intel in the production of microprocessors on a chip. (Z80)

First Use of term "Internet" appears in a conference paper by Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn.

1975

Ed Roberts (USA) starts to ship the ALTAIR 8800. The company is called MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA). In this year 2000 pieces will be sold, more than any other model.
The Altair is build around the Intel 8080 chip and contains a memory of 256 bytes, a row switches in stead of a keyboard and led that serves as a read out in stead of a monitor. Over 2000 are sold by end of the year. It cost $395 but up to $2000 worth of peripherals were needed to make it go.

The first video terminal VT52l from Digital Equipment.

Digital introduces DIGITAL's Network Architecture (DECnet)

Sphere 1 microcomputer used a Motorola 6800, with 4 Kb RAM, a keyboard, video interface and ROM based monitoring, all for 650 $

First computer store opens in California.

The digital watch boom began.

Texas Instruments introduces their scientific calculator.

Micro-Soft is founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. (35)

Their first product is a version of BASIC that they sell to MITS who used it in their Altair microcomputers. It is a ROM based interpreted BASIC which will become known as Microsoft BASIC.(24)
In just about twenty years Microsoft will be the software company that will have installed their operating system on 90% of all Personal Computers

(35)

The SCAMP is redesigned into the IBM 5100 but the price label of 20.000 US$ and the heavy reliance on APL and BASIC did not give it a long commercial life³⁰

The first fractal is published by professor Mandelbrot. Below you will find an example of a fractal. Typically is that a fractal is only a mathematical formulae that can be used in a program to generate a picture. (more info)
When you enlarge a fractal the pattern will always be the same. At least with the first types of fractals as you see below.
Besides they are also nice to look at. The typical thing of a fractal is that with a simple formula⁽¹⁴⁾ of maybe 100 characters you can display a graphical picture with astonishing depth and width that would normally take more than four megabytes. Most of the effect is done because of alternate mirroring and repeating patterns that seems to grow from one single point into a big rich picture. But see for yourself, admire the mathematical simplicity.

Later on scientists will discover that an entire landscape can be translated in to a series of fractals, mathematical formulas and thus it is possible to shrink the memory requirements in computers and to store images. Apart from compressing techniques that can be used in combination with fractals. Also fractals can be and are used in digital TV sets, or other display devices to optimize and speed up transmissions and display refresh rates.

Singer produces its first electronic sewing machine. This meant a saving from 350 expensive precision parts replaced by the logic of one single processor.

In this year Ian Barron get the idea that is should be possible to build a new processor that contained all the properties of a big computer. This processor should also have the ability to assemble parallel computers. The transputer is born.
But there must also be a new programming language suitable to support both machine language and the user friendliness of a higher level language . The development of a working model will take nine years!

A laser printer is marketed by IBM.

Dick Heiser opens a the first computer retail store in the USA probably in the world: Arrow Head Computer Company, subtitles "Computer Store". Selling assembled Altair boards, peripherals and magazines. (27)

 IMSAI announces the IMSAI 8080 microcomputer     

In September the first issue of Byte Magazine is published, it will be the leading IT magazine (monthly) for decades to come. In 1998 it will be bought by CMP and transformed into an electronic magazine: (www.byte.com) The earliest issues were very hardware and software centric while later issues tended more towards product reviews then down-to-the-register technical topics.(3)

This year also saw the introduction of Creative Computing magazine, founded in late 1974.(2) The first Computer stores are opened in 1975 with Arrowhead Computer Co. opening "The Computer Store" in Los Angeles in July and the Byte Shop opening in the Bay Area shortly thereafter.(2) Several computer hobbyist clubs were founded that acted as incubators for the Personal Computer revolution. The most significant of these clubs were the "Homebrew Computer Club" (see 1976)founded in the heart of silicon valley and the Southern California Computer Society founded in Los Angeles.(2) Even though IBM called it a Personal Computer, they cost around $15,000 in 1975! The model number 5100 indicates that it is indeed the forerunner of the IBM PC (model 5150) and PC XT (model 5160) and all the ones that followed. One of the most unusual features of the 5100s is that they could run BASIC or APL or both. The C01 designation on my 5100 indicates that it came with both APL and BASIC build-in and with a whopping 16K of memory! (34)

picture courtesy: vintage-computer.com

(34)

Last Updated on October 25, 2004

For suggestions please mail the editors

 

Footnotes & References