Proud Canadian :)

[Andrettigto]

I was browsing "Chronology of Personal Computers" at http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/comphist/index.htm and found this...

1974
September 8

* In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Mers Kutt of Micro Computer Machines officially introduces the MCM-70 personal computer. It features Intel 8008 processor, plasma screen, cassette drives, keyboard, 2 to 8 kB RAM, 14 kB ROM. Weight is 20 pounds; price is CDN$4500. [1558.12] [1783.77]

His system has been recognized as the first personal computer by "IEEE Annals of the History of Computing"
http://www.ideacityonline.com/presenters/mers-kutt

Canada, Eh?

 

[paul]

It seems to be under the 1973 heading. Presumably that's an error.

At $4500 I wonder how many he sold.

 

[Ole Juul]

paul: It seems to be under the 1973 heading. Presumably that's an error.

I am not sure about the quality of Ken Polsson's time lines, eg. the "Chronology of Personal Computers", but Wikipedia says Sept. 1973 with official launch in '74. Old-Computers.com has a good entry on the MCM 70 / 700 http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=346

 

[Erik]

His system has been recognized as the first personal computer by "IEEE Annals of the History of Computing"
http://www.ideacityonline.com/presenters/mers-kutt

Canada, Eh?

It's a great early machine but it's pre-dated by the Kenbak-1 (not microprocessor based) and the Micral (8008 based.)

IMO, IEEE is wrong.

 

[Andrettigto]

Erik, how could this be wrong??? I read it on the internet!

 

[Chuck(G)]

Erik, how could this be wrong??? I read it on the internet!

Answer: Too much poutine. It clogs the arteries and destroys brain matter.

 

[Micom 2000]

You could check out the York University collection at http://www.cse.yorku.ca/museum/collections/MCM/MCM.htm

I sent a bunch of my documentation and programs of the Micom 2000 but they have yet to work up a reference to the Micom which was in production with 1000 sales, preceding the Apple by at least a year and whose capabilities blew the Apple away. Paulson has a reference in his timeline. The canadian electronic manufacturers were generally years ahead of their US counterparts. The first word-processor was also made by the canadian AES corp. IEEE was pretty astute, I'd go with them. And of course a microcomputer not based on a microprocesser is somewhat questionable. There was a professor at the University of Saskatchewan who developed a tube-based computer around 1939. Perhaps the canadian Alexander Graham Bell also benefitted from the canadian poutine and REAL beer.

Lawrence

 

[Erik]

IEEE was pretty astute, I'd go with them.

The Computer History Museum is at least as astute and is dedicated to this particular niche.

They have each of these machines in their collection and they still consider the Kenbak-1 the world's first production PC.

I'm going with them.

 

[wmmullaney]

Haha, what about the 1950's Simon?

 

[Andrettigto]

Perhaps the canadian Alexander Graham Bell also benefitted from the canadian poutine and REAL beer.

I think it's our 'real' beer

 

[pontus]

this is a pretty nice write up about "the first pc"

http://www.blinkenlights.com/pc.shtml

I'm sure it has been posted before.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Perhaps the canadian Alexander Graham Bell also benefitted from the canadian poutine and REAL beer.

You mean the Scotsman, Alexander Graham Bell, born in Edinburgh, March 3, 1847? He didn't move to Canada until he was 23; was there less than 2 years and moved to Boston and invented the telephone (or not, if you believe Elisha Gray's claims). He became a US citizen in 1882. Basically, he was in and out of Canada a lot.

"I am not one of those hyphenated Americans who claim allegiance to two countries." - A. G. Bell, 1915

So it wasn't the poutine; maybe it was the haggis.