9 Mar
2023
9 Mar
'23
6:01 p.m.
It seems to come down to agreement (or lack thereof) on the definition of
"personal computer".
Somehow I feel like this debate has been had before. Probably here.
Probably several times.
Sellam
On Thu, Mar 9, 2023, 9:31 AM Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
No doubt it was capable of being operated by a single user, but that to me
does not make it a personal computer. The LGP-30 was used in schools and
offices not targeted for industrial use. There is really no reason why any
computer could not be a personal computer, if you know everything about it
and use independently and operate for personal use. It's really impossible
to claim any computer was the "first personal computer", but I like the
LGP-30 as one of the first. I bet someone used the BENDIX for fun once in
a while, too.
BIll
> John,
> I have the manuals for both systems. I don't get the impression that
the
> G-15 was sold as a "personal
computer" in the same way as the Royal
McBee
LGP-23/30
were. The Bendix has an analog computing aspect as well so
it's
a different beast. I am sure people used them
for some degree of
personal
computing, but I never read about them that way
There was an add-on analog element, (I've never seen one),
but the G-15 was definitely a digital machine with drum
memory and serial arithmetic. It was used a LOT by highway
departments to plan "cut and fill" highway building
projects. The difference may have been due to marketing
people, but my understanding was that the G-15 was often
used by one operator, and not shared like a corporate mainframe.
Jon