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Games. It was for them that many bought and bought computers. Many from the computer, nothing but games, and do not need. In the late 1970s, this was difficult. Rather, video games have already come out of their cradle, but they still clearly did not reach the quality of the image and the versatility of the plot, which would make them attractive to wide circles of users. Games were a sidestream feature of the computer. But that has changed since the moment when Umtech introduced the first-of-its-kind family computer, VideoBrain . Perhaps, from this very moment we can assume that computers went to the masses.
High technology - in the family!
We will not argue about what VideoBrain was: a home computer or a game console. You can hold both opinions. And even the third, if there is one. VideoBrain appeared long before marketers had already decided what to be called and taught users how to use words correctly. Let's talk better about its technical characteristics.
So, in front of us is a family computer VideoBrain Family Computer model 101. It was introduced in December 1977, and went on sale in March 1978. Another extensive topic for discussion is whether to consider it a model for 1977 or still 1978. In any case, its Fairchild F8 processor could not boast of exorbitant power and worked with a clock frequency of only 1.79 megahertz. It was remarkable not for its performance, but for its incredibly small size. RAM (RAM, RAM) was only 1 kilobyte.
His video system supported 16 colors. The display is not supplied. Broadcasting was carried out on the TV screen (RF 3 or 4). Resolution: 400 x 160 pixels or 1 thousand text characters. Joystick ports and extensions were provided. In the role of the drive acted external cassette recorder (without it could do without). Operating system (optional): APL / S. The first gaming computer cost 499 dollars 95 cents.
Computers of that time most often represented huge “cabinets”. Umtech managed to realize a dream in his VideoBrain: to create a functional consumer computer with a size less than a typewriter and a price below $ 500 (albeit only slightly). It is possible that this was the first computer in the history of our planet, which can be classified as "household appliances". That is, focused on ordinary users who do not plan to solder, test and tune, but just want to have fun with a video game.
With a nail? Even less!
Its microprocessor became famous for the fact that 10 thousand transistors were assembled on a single silicon plate, half the size of a human nail. He performed half a million instructions per second. Unlike a man, he was not mistaken.
A few years ago, it was not even possible to dream of a technology that allows you to make such a small processor with such significant performance. And yet it was not a gaming console. His tasks included home bookkeeping and the launch of educational programs for children. Small cozy family computer.
He was called "the first home computer for beginners." VideoBrain became the first computer to use permanent memory cartridges (ROM, ROM) to load programs. These cartridges are related to gaming consoles. A cassette tape recorder was not needed. No removable parts were provided in VideoBrain. It was enough to insert the cartridge into a special slot and the program was loaded into the computer's memory.
By the way, Fairchild engineer Jerry Lawson (Jerry Lawson) is the inventor of the first permanent memory cartridges. They were designed by Jerry Lawson for the Fairchild Channel F, a home video game console.
Study, games and finance
Let's go back to VideBrain Family Computer. Not a lot of cartridges are known for it, even screenshots (or screenshots) of some of these wonderful programs have reached our days:
Games:
- EN01 - Gladiator
- EN02 - Pinball
- EN03 - Tennis
- EN04 - Checkers
- EN05 - Blackjack
- EN06 - Vice Versa
Tutorials:
- ED01 - Music Teacher 1 (Music Teacher 1)
- ED02 - Math Tutor 1 (Teacher of Mathematics 1)
- ED03 - Wordwise 1
- ED04 - Wordwise 2
- ED05 - VideoArtist (Video Artist)
- ED06 - Lemonade Stand: A Business Simulation. Business simulator
Accounting finance and programming:
- APL / S - The Computational Language (Computer Language)
- VB-81 - Financier
- VB-1000 - Money Minder
Accompanying:
- CM01 - Timeshare
- ST01 - Demonstration
Unlike most computers and game consoles, VideoBrain was turned on almost automatically. It was enough to insert a cartridge into the slot, close the door and press "MASTER CONTROL". It took two seconds to launch the cartridge. The computer did not need to be turned off, which means that its clock and alarm did not lose their values.
Unfriendly keyboard and clear joystick
But the keyboard is different than unfriendly to the user and can not be called. In their pursuit of minimalism, the designers have gone too far. It consisted of only 36 keys and was so close to each other that it was not very convenient to enter commands and, especially, the text.
The “MASTER CONTROL” button returned the program currently being executed to its initial position, that is, its pressing corresponded to the program restart.
If there is nothing to praise the keyboard for, then the self-calibrating joystick deserves only good words: it worked well. In addition, VideoBrain had ports that allowed connecting four joysticks at once. The question is, did programs that support more than two joysticks exist at the dawn of the microcomputer era?
What could VideoBrain without a cartridge?
VideoBrain was not so skillful. The absence of a built-in operating system and even its similarity-mirage in general raises the question of its belonging to a computer tribe. However, something could be done even without a cartridge. This menu was offered to a user who decided to play around with VideoBrain without inserting a cartridge:
- [Text] Enter text on the screen: seven lines of 16 characters each
- [Color] A color palette appeared on the screen, with which you could calibrate the color gamut of the TV. It was better not to do this if the user did not understand this.
- [Clock] Clock without battery. When the computer was turned off, they stopped showing the exact time.
- [Alarm] Alarm. The user could configure the computer so that it gave sound signals at a certain time.
Opportunities are close to those that even the simplest mobile phone possesses today (this is not about smartphones).
Baby understood the language of big cars
Amateur programmers could be pleased with the presence of a programming language for VideoBrain. But the joy spoiled the fact that it was not the BASIC that was used in most early computers.
By inserting the “Computational Language” cartridge, the user was able to write programs in the “simplified” version of the programming language APL / S, which was considered the dialect of the APL language.
This programming language was widely used by the powerful IBM corporation. Unlike BASIC, it was used on mainframes, that is, large computers, starting in the 1960s. IBM 5100's first portable computer supported both languages: BASIC and APL.
VideoBrain Family Computer was deprived of yet another sign of a “full-fledged” computer: serial and parallel ports. Four joystick ports and an expansion port for the optional Expander 1 external module.
This module was designed to make the family computer more flexible and friendly to external devices. It contained two RS-232 serial ports, as well as a cassette recorder connection that could be used as a data collector. It would be more accurate to say that the tape drives were cassettes, and the tape recorder was driven.
Has the first family computer of our planet been so closed that it did not even maintain any connection with the outside world? It was not quite like that! There was an Expander 2 extension that contained a 300 baud acoustic modem (that is, the speed reached 300 bits per second). He worked only with the cartridge "Timeshare". The Expander 2 expansion module was inserted into the main Expander 1 module. That is, it was impossible to acquire a modem without having Expander 1.
VideoBrain Family Computer quickly made its way from the device on the very crest of popularity and glory to the stale goods that are being sold cheap.
From high point to total collapse
February 10, 1978 VideoBrain in the hands of Jane Pauley (Jane Pauley) became the star of the TV show Today Show. Later that year, this computer was advertised in Popular Science magazine.
A little more than a year has passed and, in order to get rid of the stock of VideoBrain, in November 1979, it was sold at a significant discount for 164 US dollars. In May 1980, its price went down to $ 80. The first family computer in the world didn’t bring success to its developers, and the company went bankrupt, and half of the products remained in warehouses and they still needed to be sold.
VideoBrain was sold mainly by advertisements in the press, and the stores were almost not represented. An exception was the Macy stores in Northern California, which for a short time traded family computers.
In great designers
A few words about the designers of such a wonderful device, which, although it did not gain commercial success, but paved the way for home computers, showed that the computer is not only for scientists and programmers, but also for ordinary people.
It was designed by David Chan (David Chung) and Albert Yu (Albert Yu). Prior to that, David Chan worked at Fairchild Semiconductor and created the Fairchild F8 processor, on which VideoBrain was based. In 1976, he became vice president of engineering at Intel, which created the first family entertainment computer.
Albert Yu came from Intel, where he worked in the department of integrated circuits. On September 15, 2005, representatives of Stanford University spoke with Alert Yu as one of those who created the silicon history of our civilization.
Adapted from oldcomputers.net
The article is based on materials .
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