Color Computer
This is the first computer that I owned. I make that distinction because I worked with business computers for many years prior to buying my own. Mouse over the image for notes.
I bought this computer for $400. in 1980. That was the bare bones computer, 4k of memory with a "Non-extended BASIC" operating system. "Extended BASIC" was a more extensive set of commands which was at an additional cost. This was a ROM, Read Only Memory, based operating system. A TV set was used as the monitor. This photo was taken in 1983. By that time, the system had been upgraded to at least 32K, maybe 64K of memory. It had Extended Basic and several peripherals, printer, modem etc. The system eventually grew to an OS-9 by Microware system with a 40 MB hard drive. I built an interface to connect a WD1002 disk controller to the computer.
My floppy disk drive can be seen to the far right of the computer. Radio Shack catalog page featuring that drive:
www.flickr.com/photos/jmschneid/15906212516/
To the right of the TV is an Anderson Jacobson A 242 Acoustic Coupler
www.flickr.com/photos/jmschneid/15932286552
To the left of the TV is an NCR 260 thermal printer. It was previously an I/O writer on an NCR Criterion Mainframe computer. As an I/O writer it sat into a hole in the console table, that's why there is no cabinet for the printer.
Radio Shack catalog page featuring the computer:
www.flickr.com/photos/jmschneid/15906212516/
Color Computer
This is the first computer that I owned. I make that distinction because I worked with business computers for many years prior to buying my own. Mouse over the image for notes.
I bought this computer for $400. in 1980. That was the bare bones computer, 4k of memory with a "Non-extended BASIC" operating system. "Extended BASIC" was a more extensive set of commands which was at an additional cost. This was a ROM, Read Only Memory, based operating system. A TV set was used as the monitor. This photo was taken in 1983. By that time, the system had been upgraded to at least 32K, maybe 64K of memory. It had Extended Basic and several peripherals, printer, modem etc. The system eventually grew to an OS-9 by Microware system with a 40 MB hard drive. I built an interface to connect a WD1002 disk controller to the computer.
My floppy disk drive can be seen to the far right of the computer. Radio Shack catalog page featuring that drive:
www.flickr.com/photos/jmschneid/15906212516/
To the right of the TV is an Anderson Jacobson A 242 Acoustic Coupler
www.flickr.com/photos/jmschneid/15932286552
To the left of the TV is an NCR 260 thermal printer. It was previously an I/O writer on an NCR Criterion Mainframe computer. As an I/O writer it sat into a hole in the console table, that's why there is no cabinet for the printer.
Radio Shack catalog page featuring the computer:
www.flickr.com/photos/jmschneid/15906212516/