I agree the 8080 which spawned the 8088 is a huge impact, however I think the 6502 and subsequent MOS processors were a huge impact.
Please note, I'm not saying you are incorrect. I just have a different perspective. The number of consumer level devices and by consumer I mean not hobbyist. The number of devices sold with that CPU or a variant was large and it helped usher in home computing as we know it. In my opinion PC really didn't do that until later, but in the beginning you had devices from the VIC-20, Apple II, BBC Micro, etc. Those machines created a real home market and it was people from that market who ended up in the industry and created new technologies. I think without the 6502 and the consumer machines based on them, that wouldn't have happened or it would have taken longer. By the way, I found your book and I am going to order it. I have many books and I will enjoy reading this https://www.amazon.com/Historical-Research-Guide-Microcomputer-2nd/dp/1411646525 On Wed, Sep 17, 2025 at 11:41 PM Murray McCullough via cctalk <[email protected]> wrote: > > "Unconfirmed stories and unreliable sources" are what mass readership is > about. I'm not saying the MOS 6502 was not important but its impact does > not match the 8080. The very early days the 6502 had its day in the sun! > The INTEL monopoly was well underway solidifying with the 8088 in the PC > World. I wrote a book about the early micro-computing days as an historian > and do confirm statements I make. I agree Chuck Guzis was the expert here > and we do truly miss him. > > Happy computing,
