On Sun, 2004-10-24 at 11:49 -0400, Roger Merchberger wrote: Actually, you're way off :-) I just remembered that I had a 1993 Maplin catalogue kicking around, and it turns out that they happily sold them to the public back then (although only in round cases, not rectangular). But how long before then they were available to equipment manufacturers with more money than sense, I don't know! I'd guess a couple of years at most, which is still a year later than these Apollos (well, according to IC dates in the machines anyway) Heh :) Despite the dates above it'd still seem that way to me too. Shame though, I think they're the only machines that the museum have with blue LEDs fitted :-) cheers! Jules

I remember seeing them in a catalogue (Cricklewood Electronics, possibly) when I was still at school. I must have been in 4th or 5th year of high school (Americans - the UK school system is very different from the US system, and I have no idea how this relates to your high schools) so I was probably 15 or 16. So, 1989-1990 seems about right. I do remember the line in the catalogue: BLUE LEDS ....................... ?40 (yes, forty pounds) We were amazed at the time (Ooooh, blue LEDs, oooh $expletive, how much?!) Gordon.