Enter the Siliconix CODEC Design Contest and win an Apple II — the world's best-selling personal computer — or another great prize. All you have to do is use Siliconix' CODEC to design a microprocessor-based system which responds to your spoken words (or talks back to you).
This 8-bit machine, by itself is as versatile as a lot of systems that include peripherals
Skeptical? For starters, because of its unique design the H8 is the only machine in its price class that offers full system integration yet, with just 4K of optional memory and using only its "intelligent" front panel for I/O, may be operated completely without peripherals! In addition, by using the features of its built-in Pam-8 ROM panel control program, the H8 actually allows you to dig in and examine machine level circuitry.
By Chris Morgan, Editor
San Jose was the place to be last March 3, 4 and 5 for the Second West Coast Computer Faire. The Convention Center was easily able to handle the crowd of 14,169 who came to see the latest developments in personal computing.
A quick examination of some of the hundreds of manufacturers' booths revealed some trends: floppy disks are on the increase, with new models being shown or promised by Heathkit, Apple, Radio Shack and many others; more and more personal computers are now being offered with built-in floppy disks; peripherals and add-ons are now available for a wide variety of computer buses.
Dr James M Williams
58 Trumbull St
New Haven CT 06510
My purpose in writing these articles is to remind computer enthusiasts that there is a high technology in every age, not just our own. Described herein are some of the stellar accomplishments of earlier times. The technology of electronics is merely the latest link in a continuous chain of technological developments spanning 20,000 years. Before that, there was a mechanical technology.
Part 1 of this three part series describes some highlights in the development of automata up to the 18th century. Part 2 continues with 18th and 19th century developments, and part 3 concludes with a description of Torres' 1911 chess automaton.
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Sol Libes President, Amateur Computer Group of New Jersey
995 Chimney Ridge
Springfield NJ 07081
Most people I meet are under the mistaken notion that personal computing started only two or three years ago, with the introduction of the Altair 8800 by MITS. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the amateur computing hobby was then almost ten years old.
I therefore decided to write this article to set the record straight, give credit to the early pioneers in this hobby and shed some light on the early history of microprocessors.
A few weeks ago a master's degree candidate in computer science confided, with an embarrassed laugh, that he had never seen a computer. His experience with the machines of his chosen vocation had consisted entirely of submitting punched cards through a hole in a wall and later getting printed results the same way. While his opportunities to see equipment are restricted due to his student status, there are also thousands of working programmers and analysts using large scale equipment who have no contact with existing hardware and will never have a chance to see any first or second generation computers in operation.
