[Elecraft] ELEPRODUCT POLL - Apple (OT)

[Mike Morrow]

Bill wrote:

>Apple has certainly changed their "offensive philosophy" since they
>ship full development tools!


I'll admit I lost interest in the personal computer hobby about 15 years
ago, so I've not kept up with any recent developments by Apple.   Now I'm
just an appliance user, but I still remember how much I looked forward to
each monthly "Byte" magazine issue more than 25 years ago.

>One of the reasons I bought a SWTPc 6800 system in 1977, a 4K RAM card
>kit was only $100, versus $250 for an 8K RAM card kit for the S-100
>bus.


And that at a time when the US dollar was worth about four times what it is
today!

I remember Southwest Technical Products.  A famous name from the past.  If
you still have it, it's likely got some collector value.  It doesn't appear
that many examples of hobby computers made before 1978 have survived.  Does
anyone have any Altair, Polymorphic Systems, Imsai, Processor Technology, or
even the Heath H-8/H-11 gear?  I lusted mightily for the Processor
Technology gear in 1976, decided to settle for the "low cost" introductory
board KIM-1, but found ultimately that my lieutenant(jg) pay in the US Navy
wouldn't even support the $280 that unit cost.  I'd love to find an old
KIM-1 board for nostalgia purposes.

73,
Mike / KK5F