8 questions · 6 almanac · 0 findings

Personal Computing History

The rise of home and personal computers.

Almanac Blinking Lights, No Keyboard, Everything Changed
  • Why did MITS receive four thousand orders for the Altair 8800 when they expected only a few hundred?
  • Why did the Altair 8800 episode prove that software mattered more than hardware in personal computing?
Almanac No Soldering Iron Required
  • What distinguished the Apple II from earlier personal computers that were sold as hobbyist kits?
Almanac A Beige Box Says Hello
  • How did the Macintosh's price and specifications compare to its competitors when it launched in 1984?
Almanac A Computer Imagined for Children
  • What was Alan Kay's Dynabook concept, and who was it designed for?
  • Why was Alan Kay sardonic about how his ideas were eventually adopted?