So sorry to hear. Don was a huge influence and virtual mentor for me. I have a very well worn library of all of his books still. I think I’ve worn out and replaced some like the CMOS Cookbook more than once. My library goes back to the “RTL Cookbook”, a long forgotten logic family that Fairchild made for the missile programs in the 60’s. The yield on premium mil-spec parts was about 1% so the hobby market was flooded with all these cheap “near” mil spec logic gates and flip flops. His biography says he worked for Goodyear Aero but this happened in a big consolidation of all the small and medium defense contractors after Reagan. Don worked for Raytheon or Hughes in Tuscon in the missile business. He saw all these uA900 series RTL rejects that could be bought by the barrel for pennies. His first book was the “RTL Cookbook” in ’69 to enable this- this was a pattern of his. A surplus seller called “Poly Paks” in Lynn, Mass sold RTL chips for a quarter- I was 12. They ran on 3.6v and burned current prodigiously- max clock was 5 MHz IIRC. I subscribed to Radio Electronics for many years just to keep up with his columns- the Hardware Hacker and later names like the Blatant Opportunist. I never met him, I heard he was sort of cantankerous as many of these kind of people tend to be. RIP Don Lancaster, one of the original Makers/Hackers of the first order. Google him and marvel at the breadth of his work and his light writing style. Regards, John M. Wettroth E: [email protected] M: (919) 349-9875 H: (984) 329-5420 From: TriEmbed <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Rodney Radford via TriEmbed Sent: Friday, June 30, 2023 11:35 PM To: TriEmbed Discussion <[email protected]> Subject: [TriEmbed] Fwd: Don Lancaster has passed away ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: 'Roy Bragg' via S100Computers <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Date: Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 5:29 PM Subject: Don Lancaster has passed away To: S100Computers <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Don Lancaster, a highly-revered figure in the microcomputer industry for the past six decades, peacefully passed away at age 83 on June 7, 2023, in Mesa, Arizona. Don’s contributions to the world of microcomputers were exceptional by any measure. Probably his most notable early achievement was the creation of the “TV Typewriter,” a revolutionary device that utilized transistor-transistor logic (TTL) to display text on a TV screen. The TV Typewriter first appeared in the September 1973 issue of Radio Electronics. This creation became the basis and the title for one of his earliest published books. The prototype of this groundbreaking precursor to the modern computer keyboard is showcased at the Computer History Museum. Don also holds a patent for one of the original Apple parts he developed as well as having had a hand in the design and manufacture of the Apple I keyboard, he was widely recognized as a pioneer in the technology field. His dedication to the computing and electronics industry was evident in his extensive body of work. Don authored well over 2,200 technical papers and 44 books covering a wide-range of topics related to computers and electronics, firmly solidifying his reputation as an extremely knowledgeable and prolific writer. His insightful contributions could also be found in the pages of leading electronics magazines of the 1960s through to the 2000s. His first article appeared in the April 1963 issue of Electronics World. He also was the author behind the wildly popular Hardware Hacker series in Radio-Electronics Magazine from January 1988 until June 1995. As an instructor at Eastern Arizona College, Don embraced his role as a teacher and mentor, imparting his extensive expertise in electronic microprocessing to students. Don’s commitment to knowledge dissemination extended beyond traditional channels. As the owner and operator of Synergetics and Synergetic Publishing, Don and his wife produced educational videos and actively engaged with his audience as a blogger – sharing his insights and fostering a sense of community. One of his notable accomplishments was the creation of his website, Guru’s Lair Resources (www.tinaja.com <http://www.tinaja.com> ), which served as a comprehensive repository of computer-related information. Visitors to the site could also access his seemingly endless personal research on the fascinating hanging canals of the Pinaleño Mountains, explore his extensive book collection, and discover details about numerous Gila Valley Day Hikes – a topic close to his heart. Don received an Electrical Engineering degree at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania before earning a Master’s degree in Engineering from Arizona State University while working at Goodyear Aerospace Corp. Don’s intellectual curiosity even led him to nearly complete a second Master’s degree in Archaeology at ASU, highlighting his diverse interests. Don’s contributions to the Apple community extended beyond his technical accomplishments. Among his 44 books are the Apple II-centric Assembly Language Cookbook volumes, as well as AppleWriter-in-Depth, released in 1984 by A.P.P.L.E. These and other contributions over the years to the community will be forever cherished. Left to honor Don’s memory are his beloved wife and daughter, cherished grandchildren, and his sister and brother. Their loss is shared by the microcomputer industry and the community that esteemed Don for his extensive expertise, informative writings, unwavering passion, and dedication to the industry. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "S100Computers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/s100computers/b48394d4-3db0-400e-a675-73b6b44a39aan%40googlegroups.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/s100computers/b48394d4-3db0-400e-a675-73b6b44a39aan%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> .
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