When announced and sold new, were the SIMON, LINC and G-15 sold and described
as, in the exact words, "personal computer"? Did the guy with multiple
supercomputers in his basement buy them NEW, to use them for their designed
purpose? If not they are just memorabilia, like a victrola.
Somebody claimed the altair was the first time the actual words "personal
computer" were used.
If so, I would say that is the correct definition. Period. Final Answer,
Regis.
I cannot redefine my 8-core gaming machine with 3 NVIDIA cards as a
"supercomputer" just because I want to and it has more memory and megaflops
than some other device that historically was defined as a supercomputer. I
cannot take 250 Radio Shack Color Computers and network them to cooperatively
solve a single problem, and then call that a supercomputer, unless somebody did
that when the computer was still being sold new (yes, I know there were
"networks" for radio shack computers, but AFAIK they only let some number of
students share resources from the central teacher's computer and in most or all
cases could not talk directly to each other).
specifically, like the altair, which seems to fit common usages of the words
"personal" and "computer":
"something sold NEW to private citizens, for personal enjoyment and not
for gain"
Granted some buyers hoped to develop software or hardware they could sell.
Some may have had a day job in computers, but almost as likely might have been
cooks or door-to-door bible salesmen (statistically not absolutely).
Because ONE *developer* of the LINC used his position to take one home and use
it the way we currently use "personal computers" does not mean EVERY OTHER LINC
was also a personal computer. Did he pay the full street price? I'm guessing
not. If you want to put a plaque on that single unit, fine, but I am sure
other one-off home brew machines need to be included too. I think here were
are talking about production machines available for sale to all.
I remember seeing the original development unit for the Amdahl V6, made with
descreet components and much larger (and slower) than the production models,
which although it was nicknamed "Gene's machine", but that was NOT a personal
computer, sorry.
The ISA cards that anybody could buy to run S/370 operating systems in a PC
should qualify, IMHO, but not 4331 level units. That is getting iffy, i'd like
to see statistics on how many were purchased by schools and business for their
employees to use AS LONG AS THEY REMAINED EMPLOYED, verses how many were
purchased by individuals and run in their place of resident. I'm guessing at
least 5% were sold to private individuals, and if anybody quibbles that is not
enough, I am willing to not include them. I at least thought about buying one,
perhaps there were ongoing license charges that ended that dream?
I believe some obsolete warships (certainly ICBM silos) have been sold to
private individuals. Does that retroactively mean the original warships and
ICBMs are "personal yachts and weapons"? I'll bet one rich guy bought a
Mississippi riverboat for personal use, does that make them *ALL* into
"personal pleasure craft"? That is a slippery slope.
<pre>--Carey</pre>
> On 05/25/2024 10:20 AM CDT Sellam Abraham via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
>
>
> On Sat, May 25, 2024, 8:14 AM Jon Elson via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
>
> > On 5/24/24 11:49, Mike Katz via cctalk wrote:
> > > The problem with this debate is that the definition of
> > > Personal Computer is totally fluid and can be written so
> > > that the writers opinion is fact.
> >
> > Yes, the Bendix G-15 was said to be the first personal
> > computer. It was as big as a refrigerator, and weighed a LOT
> > more, and drew much more power. (300 vacuum tubes, 3000
> > Germanium diodes, drum memory.) but, one guy could program
> > it and run it.
> >
> > The LINC comes in a close second.
> >
> > Jon
> >
>
> I know a guy in a basement in Germany that has three supercomputers up and
> running, that he installed and maintains himself. Except for when he
> invites guests over, they're very personal.
>
> That being said, I don't know that the Bendix G-15 fits the bill, but the
> LINC very much does, especially considering it was kinda of intended to be
> a single user machine, and at least one of the team that put it together
> brought one home and used it there.
>
> If I were writing the definitive history of personal computing, I'd maybe
> start with SIMON, then the LINC, then eventually the Altair.
>
> Sellam
>
> >
