In going though the archived ClassicCmp messages I'm getting ready to send to Jay, I ran across several that were quite interesting. This one by Doug Salot was a discussion about the "first" personal computer. ************* Hi, ClassicCmp. I haven't re-subscribed yet, but I hope to as soon as my life reaches a quiescent state (I'm done breaking eggs, and I'm now working on the omelette). I check Kevan's web archive once in a while, so I got a chance to catch the "first pc" thread. Of course, my idea of crowning a machine with the title "the first pc" was intended to be a catalyst for discussion, and to help dispel the popular myth that the Altair was the first pc, or that it started the hobbyist movement, or any such nonsense. However, I think Simon is the best candidate for that title. Yes, there were other simple machines built before Simon, such as Stibitz's relay calculator, the first version of which was built on his kitchen table. But I don't consider such one-offs to be viable contenders. Simon was built in 1950 by Edmund Berkeley for the express purpose of educating the masses and with the express hopes of fostering a computer hobbyist movement. So, who was this Berkeley guy? He was one of the lesser known players in the start of the computer revolution. He was a mathematician who worked on the Harvard Mark II, he worked with Eckert and Mauchly to help define the Univac, he founded the ACM, he started the first computer magazine, etc. How did Simon differ from other simple relay machines, like the first Stibitiz calculators? It was more general purpose, it was portable, and it was popularized in the press. 13 articles on Simon appeared in Radio-Electronics in 1950 and 1951. It was the subject of a cover story in Scientific American. It was covered in two of Berkeley's books. It was given television coverage and appeared in such mainstream magazines as Life. Berkeley was the first computer evangelist -- the first to articulate the idea of a personal computer, and the first to build one. Of course, there were others, such as Vanevar Bush, who described futuristic visions, but Berkeley dedicated a good part of his life to making computers accessible to mere mortals. I haven't stumbled upon a machine yet more deserving of "the first pc" title than Simon, and given the depth of Berkeley's work, I don't expect to. But Simon was just the first milestone towards the goal of accessible personal computers, and it doesn't diminish the importance of the PDP-8, the Mark-8, or even the lowly IBM PC. OK, I'll crawl back under my rock now. -- Doug -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blinkenlights Archaeological Institute Featuring... http://www.blinkenlights.com/ Nearly Forgotten Personal Computers