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What was the first personal computer?

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Click here for further information on our rarity scale RARITY: Exceedingly Rare Information on the rarity of this item is unknown.

 YEAR: 1970
 COMPANY: AMF
 COUNTRY: USA
 IN OUR COLLECTION: Yes
 

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AMF Educational Computer Model 775A

 

We had been unsuccessful in finding information on this machine until David Liebers wrote us and referred us to a series of articles. (Thanks, David!)

This is a gigantic computer...one of the largest in our collection. The American Machine & Foundry Company (commonly known as AMF) made a personalized student version of this computer (Model 665/D) which allowed individual students to develop their computer skills; this personal sized computer measures roughly 12" by 12". However, if a teacher wanted to demonstrate computing methods he/she was out of luck...until AMF built the Model 775 computer which measures 37.5" wide by 28" tall. I can picture it sitting on a desk in the front of a classroom where every student can see clearly it.

Originally the only way we had to date the computer was a small sticker on the inside that says, "Accepted 1/24/72". We don't know if this was accepted right after purchasing it or if it was years later.

The voltage meter has the AMF logo followed by "Alexandria". There is a record of an American Machine & Foundry Company located at 1101 N. Royal Street which was torn down around 1999 and the Wall Street Journal quotes the Dept. of Energy, "This site handled (or was contaminated by) thorium and uranium, according to government records. The Department of Energy initially considered cleaning up this site under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, but determined that it didn't have the authority to do so."

We received a note from David Liebers in April of 2020 that pointed us to several very informative articles about this computer. David was actually in a special high school class for budding engineers that used this Demonstration Computer.

The High school was Wausau East High school in Wausau WI. The year I took the course was the first full year the course was offered, 1969/70 school year. Part of the year we worked with the 665/D analog computer on such experiments as the falling ball experiments and projectile experiments. The rest of the year we worked with the 800 to build digital logic circuits such as binary adders. Since this was a new course, we only did some of the experiments in lab manual plus the official text book had not been published at this time
The course was called "Man Made World" and was part of an effort by the EECP. One of the articles describes the addition of the Model 775 Demonstration Computer to the "Man Made World" curriculum. The article helps us date the computer. The article is dated September 1970 so we know the computer is at least that old and likely older. I suspect it is a 1969 computer and we will continue to investigate its origin. Below is a section from the newsletter.

"LABORATORY DEMONSTRATION ANALOG COMPUTER

As noted in the last issue of the Newsletter, a major addition to the ECCP laboratory package is the Model 775 Demonstration Analog Computer. As some schools start the ECCP program with only one analog computer because of budget limitations, the provision of a unit designed for demonstration use in the classroom was considered essential. Even in schools having a number of the student model computers, the visibility of the Demonstration unit panel greatly simplifies class instruction. The Demonstration computer is shown in the picture below. The panel layout is an enlarged version of the student computer panel with only a few small differences. The background is white and the circuit connections are black to give optimum visibility. Two knobs are provided for the variable outputs of the power supply. The plus and minus voltage outputs can be independently varied thereby providing an additional independent voltage output. Finally, the Remote Operation connection has been eliminated since it seems unlikely that the Demonstration unit will be used with another computer.

The timer used on the Demonstration unit is the same as is used on the Model C student unit, having three time intervals as well as the manual or continuous integrator position. A projection meter is provided at no extra cost as a part of the Demonstration computer. As can be seen in the picture, this meter, used with an overhead projector, provides an easily visible output that is identical with the meter scales used in the student model computer. The meter connects to the Demonstration unit by a special cable and receptable [sic] so that there is no need to run a separate COMMON lead to the meter. However, the meter can be easily disconnected from cable if other output devices such as an oscilloscope or chart recorder are to be used. Storage space is provided in a compartment in the base of the unit, accessible from the back. All leads and the meter can be carried in this space. A handle is also provided to simplify transport of the unit.

These Demonstration units were available for use at all the ECCP summer institutes and now a number are in use in the schools. They are available at $430.00 each, from the AMF Alexandria Division, 1025 N. Royal Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
by D. C. Miller" 1

We had been quite perplexed by a clear plastic meter that was attached to the end of a long cord out the back of the Model 775 Demonstration Computer. The article that d1_liebers pointed us to showed us how that meter was used. It was actually placed on an overhead projector (which, like chalk, has disappeared... students, ask your parents or maybe grandparents) next to the Demonstration Computer so that the reading could be seen by the whole class.



1D. C. Miller. (1970). ECCP Newsletter Vol IV, No. 2 (ED046718). ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED046718.pdf

Related Items
      Related Item 1: AMF Educational Computer Model 665/D





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IMAGES
Click on any of the images below to see the slideshow.
COMPUTER COLLECTION LIST (PRE-1981)
(Analogs in blue)
  1. AIM-65 (single board)
  2. AIM-65 (factory case)
  3. AIM-65 (Jon Titus)
  4. ALICE micro-ordinateur
  5. Altair 680
  6. Altair 8800
  7. Altair 8800A
  8. Altair 8800b
  9. Altair 8800b Turnkey (see Pertec below)
  10. Altair 8800b (see Pertec below)
  11. Altair 8800b w/ Hardisk Controller & Datakeeper
  12. Altos ACS-8000
  13. American Basic Science Club Analog Computer
  14. AMF Educational Computer
  15. Apple II Plus
  16. ASCI SystemX
  17. ASR 33 Teletype
  18. Automatic Teaching Computer Kit
  19. Beckman ElectroComp Electric Heating Computer
  20. Beckman ElectroComp Energy Savings Computer
  21. Beckman Solid State Fuel Cost Computer
  22. Brainiac K-30
  23. Calif. Computer Systems 2200
  24. CES Ed-Lab 650
  25. Commodore 8032
  26. Commodore 64
  27. Commodore PET 2001
  28. Commodore Super Pet
  29. Compucolor II
  30. Compukit 1
  31. Compukit 1 Deluxe Model
  32. Compukit 2
  33. Compukit UK101
  34. Comspace CT-650
  35. Cosmac Elf (RCA1802)
  36. Cosmac Microtutor
  37. Cosmac Netronics ELF II
  38. Cosmac VIP
  39. Cromemco System I
  40. Cromemco System III
  41. Cromemco Z-2D
  42. Datapoint 2200
  43. Digi-Comp I (flat box)
  44. Digi-Comp I (square box)
  45. Digital Computer Lab
  46. Donner 3500
  47. Durango F-85
  48. Dynabyte
  49. E & L Inst MMD-1
  50. E & L Inst MMD-2
  51. Eagle II
  52. Electric Tabulating Machine (one original counter, 1889)
  53. Electronic Associates TR-10
  54. Electronic Associates TR-10 Model II
  55. Electronic Associates TR-20
  56. Electronic Associates TR-48
  57. Electronic Associates Model 180
  58. Electronic Associates Model 380 Hybrid
  59. Geniac
  60. Google Glass (definitely not vintage)
  61. Heath EC-1 (factory assembled by Heath)
  62. Heathkit EC-1 (kit)
  63. Heathkit ET 3100 trainer
  64. Heathkit H8
  65. Heathkit H9 Video Terminal
  66. Hickok Logic Teaching Sys.
  67. Hickok Servo Teaching Sys.
  68. HP 2115A
  69. HP 85
  70. HP 5036A
  71. HP 9825A
  72. HP 9825B
  73. HP 9830A
  74. Iasis 7301
  75. I-COR MAC-1
  76. ICS Microcomputer Training System
  77. IMSAI 108 (prototype)
  78. IMSAI 8048 Control Computer
  79. IMSAI 8048 (The Dollhouse Computer)
  80. IMSAI 8080
  81. IMSAI PCS-40
  82. IMSAI PCS-80
  83. IMSAI VDP-80
  84. Informer
  85. Intel Intellec MDS
  86. Intel MDS-800
  87. Intel Prompt 48
  88. Intel SBC 80/10
  89. Intel SDK-85
  90. Intel SDK-85 (unassembled)
  91. Intel SDK-86
  92. Intertec Superbrain
  93. ITT MP-EX
  94. JR-01 Computer
  95. KIM-1
  96. LAN-DEC
  97. LAN-DEC 20
  98. LAN-ALOG
  99. Lehrcomputer (Germany)
  100. Lawrence Livermore Lab
  101. Lear Siegler ADM3A
  102. Logikit LK255 (Feedback)
  103. Logix SF-5000 Electronic Computer
  104. MAC-1 Mini Analog Computer
  105. MAC Tutor (Bell Laboratories)
  106. MEK6800D2
  107. Micro 68
  108. Microtan 65
  109. Midwest Scientific Instruments 6800
  110. Minivac 601
  111. Minivac 6010
  112. Mini-Scamp Microcomputer
  113. Nascom I
  114. Nascom II
  115. National Radio Institute 832
  116. NEC TK-80
  117. NorthStar Horizon
  118. Olivetti Programma 101
  119. Olivetti Programma 203
  120. Olivetti Programma 602
  121. Open University PT501
  122. Ordinateur d'Apprentissage JR-01
  123. Osborne 1
  124. OSI 300
  125. OSI 600 (SuperBoard II)
  126. OSI C2-OEM-4
  127. OSI Challenger-1P
  128. Pastoriza Personal Analogue Computer
  129. Pertec MITS 300/25 (Altair desk business system)
  130. Pertec MITS 300/55 (Altair Turnkey business system)
  131. PolyMorphic Systems 8810
  132. PolyMorphic Poly-88
  133. Protech-83
  134. Range Keeper Mk.6 Mechanical Analog Computer, 1926
  135. Range Keeper Mk.7 Mechanical Analog Computer, 1935?
  136. Sargent-Welch Scientific Company Cat. No.7528 Analog Computer
  137. Science of Cambridge MK-14 (Sinclair)
  138. SD Systems Z80 starter kit
  139. Sharp MZ-40K
  140. Sharp MZ-80k
  141. Siemens ECB-85
  142. Signetics Instructor 50
  143. Sinclair ZX-81
  144. Smoke Signal Broadcasting
  145. Sol-20
  146. Spark16
  147. Sphere 1
  148. Sphere/SWTPC Computer System
  149. SWTP CMOS Microlab
  150. SWTP CT-82 Terminal
  151. SWTPC 6800
  152. SWTPC 6800 (w/ Smoke Signal Broadcasting drive)
  153. SWTPC CT-64 Video Terminal, SS-50
  154. SWTPC TV Typewriter II CT-1024
  155. Synertek VIM-1
  156. Synertek SYM-1
  157. Systron-Donner 3500
  158. Tei MCS-112
  159. Tektronix 4006-1
  160. Telefunken RAT 700
  161. TI LCM-1001 (Microprogrammer)
  162. TI LCM-1001 (Microprogrammer)
  163. TI Silent 700 Terminal
  164. TI TM 990/189
  165. Vector 1
  166. Vector 3
  167. Vidac 336
  168. Wang 2200
  169. Welch Scientific Company Cat. No.7528 Analog Computer
  170. Xerox 820 Mark I
OTHER COMPUTERS (LUGGABLES 1982-1986)
  1. Chameleon Plus
  2. Commodore SX64
  3. Epson HX-20
  4. Kaypro I
  5. Kaypro II
  6. Kaypro 2x
  7. Kaypro 16
  8. Osborne 1
  9. Panasonic Senior Partner
  10. Visual Commuter
RARE & NOTABLE DOCUMENTS
  1. Babbage's Calculating Engine (1834)
  2. Electric Tabulating Machine (1889, Herman Hollerith's personal copy)
  3. The Hollerith Electric Tabulating System (1890)
  4. Counting a Nation by Electricity (1891)
  5. Calculating Machines (1947)
  6. Moore School Lectures Vol. II (1947)
  7. Mathematical Theory of Communication (1948)
  8. Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems (1949)
  9. The "Moore's Law" article (Electronics, 1965)
  10. Printout from Babbage's Difference Engine #2 (London Science Museum, 2004)