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What was the FIRST personal computer??

I've seen that before. I'm not quite sure I'd call the Simon a computer by any real standards. . . it doesn't do much computing. . .

But, as proven time and again, the "first" of anything comes with a lot of adjectives.

Erik
 
Re: What was the FIRST personal computer??

"animekenji" wrote:

> A VERY enlightening webpage. Even some of you pre-Altair buffs may
> not REALLY know the answer to the question, even though you THINK
> you do. ;-)
> Check it out and see how right (or wrong) you are.

Probably was classed as a Personal Computer at the time it was brought
out! ;-)

Later someone came to realise the importance of the term "Personal
Computer".

CP/M User.
 
Oh my goodness - you mean there's a personal computer before the Altair !! Who would have thought it ?

And how come it was called Simon... ? Too simple to be a serious computer?

Did it have an O/S ? It obviously was too early to have a microprocessor, so it must have been a 'discrete processor' meaning made from TTL chips.

At least the early computers had personalities. Simon, Altair, Apple, Educ. Today it's just PC !

Can we go back to giving our computers names? How about girl names this time around?

Suggestions: Jane, Marilyn, Suzy ?
 
I've always liked acronyms, myself. PersonalElectronicTransactor was always one of my favorites. It sounds "techie" enough to impress the geeks, but the acronym is "cutsie" enough to appeal to simpler users.

--T
 
My answer was the Brain. In a way it's a personal computer (i.e. It's a
computer you can take around with you, do all sorts of things with it - e.g.
Program for games, Maths, anything really), but because it's been around
since the beginning of life itself hasn't been deemed as such. Cause it
might of been classed in more recent times - e.g. 1800s perhaps?

CP/M User.
 
CP/M User said:
My answer was the Brain. In a way it's a personal computer (i.e. It's a
computer you can take around with you, do all sorts of things with it - e.g.
Program for games, Maths, anything really), but because it's been around
since the beginning of life itself hasn't been deemed as such. Cause it
might of been classed in more recent times - e.g. 1800s perhaps?

CP/M User.
Click to expand...

I like the term "wetware"...

--T
 
machine said:
Can we go back to giving our computers names?
Click to expand...
I'm afraid that the de-facto computer standards that are out there will remain for a while, updated bit for bit whenever new technology comes along the way. Maybe the new Cell type of computers will open for a completely new thinking, implementation, series of products and thus naming.

However, the manufacturers could name their parts in a cute way. The CPUs and chipsets tend to have code names, but often something rather non-descript: Athlon, Duron, Sempron, Opteron, Northwood, Prescott, Banias? The first 13 nm follow-up to Itanium is named Madison, which I suppose is the closest to a girl's name we currently have.

Of course, you can give your computer a personal name. How about something like "Kate Brinkaal"?
 
About half of my computers have pet-names already (the one in my lap right now goes by the nick of "Lady" (short for Lady Liberty, since she's a Toshiba Libretto).

--T
 
As I have written before, I only find pet names on my computers useful if they are networked. Currently I own three computers which already have a network interface and two which could get networked with some extra equipment. I do have a 4+1 port hub, but I'm not planning to put together a network nor give them names right now.
 
Re: What was the FIRST personal computer??

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

A VERY enlightening webpage. Even some of you pre-Altair buffs may not REALLY know the answer to the question, even though you THINK you do. :wink: Check it out and see how right (or wrong) you are.
Click to expand...
Had to do some research but according to my school books from the late 70's
and a search through The U.S. Patent Bureau outdated patents the MITS Altair produced in 1975 was the first named as a personal computer all the others were designated as business machines or just computers
Click to expand...
 
carlsson said:
As I have written before, I only find pet names on my computers useful if they are networked. Currently I own three computers which already have a network interface and two which could get networked with some extra equipment. I do have a 4+1 port hub, but I'm not planning to put together a network nor give them names right now.
Click to expand...

My entire network is set up around the Star Wars universe. Servers are named after planets, workstations are named after people, and laptops are named after ships.
 
Flack said:
My entire network is set up around the Star Wars universe.
Click to expand...
I believe Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are the two most common themes for computer networks. In the computer club, we used to use both; LotR on servers and SW on workstations.
 
I always and still beleve that the Apple I was the first Personal Computer, or mabey the Altair, because for it to be truely personal it has to be small enough to fit on a desk.
 
thefoolonthehill said:
I always and still beleve that the Apple I was the first Personal Computer, or mabey the Altair, because for it to be truely personal it has to be small enough to fit on a desk.
Click to expand...

So the IBM Eniac didn't count?

-Vald
 
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