I would hazard the guess that the first microprocessor was the Intel 4004.
I would say it was the TMS1000. But, I've also heard it might have been a handful of others. RCA or Fairchild, I don't recall.
I would hazard the guess that the first microprocessor was the Intel 4004.
"The first home computer" I think is still up to debate although different entities and museums have stated various opinions. The blurriness ranges from ideas that were dated before others on paper, actual products released, and actual number of products released are all in the endless debate on who was first.
The first true home computer was the Commodore VIC-20. It was the first computer sold at mass-market retailers like department stores and toy stores, rather than only being sold by computer dealers and electronics stores, like the Apple II, TRS-80, and PET.
That's a very good point. But, where were the Atari machines being sold? I don't recall seeing them for sale anywhere.
That's a very good point. But, where were the Atari machines being sold? I don't recall seeing them for sale anywhere.
CDC had consumer retail stores in 1979-80 and sold Atari among other "consumer" computer products. I spent much of 1980 being the Atari repair tech in one of their stores, it was in a shopping center not an office building.That's a very good point. But, where were the Atari machines being sold? I don't recall seeing them for sale anywhere.
The first true home computer was the Commodore VIC-20. It was the first computer sold at mass-market retailers like department stores and toy stores, rather than only being sold by computer dealers and electronics stores, like the Apple II, TRS-80, and PET.
You are probably right about the VIC-20 having a broader marketing range, but I don't buy the argument that it was the "first true" home computer. I'm voting for the Model I which was around about 3 years earlier. Heck, we were using that thing in the lab doing chemical formulation work-ups in 1980.
The Model I was marketed for business use with the focus on business software which could also be used for education and maybe even have a game or two. The VIC-20 was marketed as a games machine that could also do other things.
The Model I was marketed for business use with the focus on business software which could also be used for education and maybe even have a game or two. The VIC-20 was marketed as a games machine that could also do other things.
But, what I remember about the TRS-80 was either you were supposed to use it for 'business' or you were going to start a business out of your home with it.
Radio Shack did mention home use of the TRS-80 Model I, but it never was emphasized in their marketing, especially once the Color Computer was introduced, since that was the model they aimed squarely at the home market.
TRS-80 model II was primarily a business machine introduced in 1979. It was not S-100 and they sold a LOT of them. It did run CP/M and TRS-DOS. We used TRS-DOS here.No, the first home computer was the Imsai 8080 introduced in 1974, the PC was introduced in 1981, up till then business machines were S100 CP/M machines.
I must disagree. The first computer I ever bought for my home was a PDP-11/73 (I kept it in the kitchen with the other appliances). It sure seemed like a home computer to me.I had a PDP-11 in my home but no one will count the PDP-11 in the category of home computers.