Datapoint 2200 8 bit computer update by Jack Frassanito

Bugbooks

Jack Frassanito and group the old days.

I have published several blog post about Datapoint and the Datapoint 2200 8 bit computer.  Jack  Frassanito the coinventor of the Datapoint 2200 has sent this update information and I am posting his comments below.

Dear David, (November 9,2015)

I have listened to your recording on your blog and several corrections are in order.

Datapoint 2200 terminal - audio description of the terminal/ computer and the Datapoint Corporationa and the 8008 microprocessor by David Larsen.




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"Festival News" Vintage Computer Festival SE April 2016

Datapoint 2200 atThe Computer Museum of America

Here is a photo of the Datapoint 2200 at the
Computer Museum of America in Roswell Georgia.

Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 2016
         At the Computer Museum of America
When: Saturday April 2, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday April 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Kings Market Center, 1425 Market Blvd., Suite 200, Roswell, GA, 30076
Admission: Adults, $10 for one day and $15 for two days. Children ages 17 and younger are admitted free.
___________________________________________________________________
Jack  Frassanito:
There is a generally perceive myth that Gus Roach, Phil Ray and I accidentally invented the personal computer. This myth is probably based on the fact that VIC POOR was a technical expert and had no idea at the time about the business plan to raise capital and to develop a desk-top computer so hence the myth about the Pillsbury chicken farm.

Datapoint 2200 early design drawing

Enclosed is a copy of the design illustration I produced that was used to raise the development capital in early 1969, a full six months before Vic knew what we were up to. (We needed funding first before we could hire anyone or begin development). You will note the set of register switches on the front of the PDP-8 Minicomputer unit.

PDP- 8 minicomputer

I was looking at this enclosed photo of a PDP-8 as reference to assure our potential investors it would be a desk-top computer (Personal Computer). We realized we didn’t need the switches so we eliminated them in the final design.

Datapoint 1970 annual report

Also included is our 1970 annual report (year ended July 26,1970) cover and page that clearly states that the Datapoint 2200 would include “a general purpose digital computer”.

Description of Datapoint 2200 as computer

 I have also included several pages of the 1971 Annual Report (Year ended July 1971).

The only explanation I have for Vic’s surprise at the Pillsbury epiphany of observing someone using the Datapoint 2200 as it was originally intended and described in the business plan is that he never read the business plan, preliminary specification, or the 1970 Annual report.

No disrespect intended as Vic and his team did a fantastic job.

Patent - Jack Frassanito as co-inventor
Datapoint 2200

I have first hand knowledge as I designed, co-invented, patented the Datapoint 2200 and co-authored the business plan and wrote both enclosed Annual reports.

Thank you for your continued interest in the Datapoint story,

Jack Frassanito
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More photographs furnished by Jack.

Datapoint Corporate Headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.

Datapoint brochure.

Book cover - "The Lost story of the Texans who invented the Personal Computer Revolution"

By Lamont Wood.

Great story and a good read. I have read this book 2 times and enjoyed it both times.
Get the Book Here "CLICK"

Jack Frassanito as co-inventor
Datapoint 2200

Jack Frassanito as co-inventor Datapoint 2200 - Datapoint vs Apple-1 and Apple-2









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David Larsen

Thank you Jack for sending this information. It is always fascinating to hear from the pioneers in the computer field. Dave

.^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian}   
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Computer Museum Web sites -Where all the old computers live & play

Where all the old computers live and play. 

Bugbooks

Here is a big list of computer museum and blog web sites. I have been adding new ones at the bottom. See and use full list 100+ sites at bottom of blog. 

Go to this site "CLICK"

I just found this one about computers in Japan and this interesting comment. "In foreign countries, particularly in U.S., exist several museums for computers, in which historical computers and related objects have been carefully kept and displayed. In Japan, we have no museum dedicated for computers, though the National Science Museum plays a part of such a role."

Looks like only virtual museums exist in Japan - This web site gives a lot of information about the history of computers in Japan . I found it very interesting. I hope you do and their are more than 100 additional museums and museum blogs in the list below.

Good Source of Information - Have fun exploring.

Computer History - Web sites & Blog's

                                

David makes a few comments about this page. 

                               Send Message CLICK   Like us Click

Bugbooks "CLICK"

Click Name to go to blog or web page.  

These are not in order - New sites are added at the bottom of the list.

Great History Resource - Computer History MuseumCollector of Classic Computers Rich Cini

Mark 8 Microcomputers

History of Computing in Learning and Education Project Wiki!

HCLE Virtual Museum Blog by Liza Loop

S100 Computers  John Monahan

Bugbook Computer Museum

Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum

The Calculator Reference - Rick Furr, Blacksburg , VA

Bob Denton  History - pioneers

Bill Degnan's  Vintage Computer. net     

David Greelish's Classic Computing

David Larsen'sVintage Computer Museum Video's 

Obsolute Technology Old Computers 

Bruce Damer Digibarn

Rick Crandall   a pioneer of computer timesharing services

Old-computers.com

Erick Klein's Vintage Computer

David Larsen's Apple 1 Computer Video's 

Dan Reganti's Classic Computers

Mike Willegal's Hobby Blog

Jeffery Jonas Classic Computers

Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyist

Computer History Museum  

Living Computer Museum

Rhode Island Computer Museum

Official IMSAI web site 

Inventors - computers 

SCELBI computer museum - Cameron Cooper 

Herb's S-100 stuff  Herb Johnson's Blog

Altair Kit.com

The Unofficial CP/M Web site 

PC History

SOL 20 

Vintage Calculator Museum Great Information by Nigel Tout

Apple History http://apple2history.org/ 

http://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/ 

Michel Bardel's list of calculators.

Rhode Island Computer Museum 

Photos of old computer/calculator  http://www.dvq.com/index.html

Endicott History & Heritage Center is presenting the IBM Endicott Collection 

The Museum of Information Technology at Arlington

The Personal Computer Museum       SYD BOLTON , Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Fun with Electronics and more - Tronola  by Stephen H. Lafferty 

Historical Computers and Vintage Computer Restoration   vintagecomputer.net

 Rich Cini Classic Computer Pages

Eniac a real vintage computer - great stories and photos 

Old Technology Collection     Mike Loewen collection 

Vintage CPU Computer Chips  -  Collectibles, Memorabilia & Jewelry

IBM Archives 

Classic Computer Magazine Archive

Terry Stewart's vintage computers

Early Office Museum

Antique Chip Technology Revisited

Top 40 Vintage Computers Selling on ebay weekly  

Les amis du Bolo's Computer Museum - Lausanne switzerland   More Museum    Blog

Apple Museum in Moscow, Russia 

Hewlett Packard computer museum

Alex's Apple Orchard Bill and son Alex

Carl Friends minicomputer site 

Jason Fitzpatrick - blogger / collector

I T History Society

American Computer & Robotics Museum

Vintage collection of Flat Pack IC's  VINTCHIP site

Future Bots By Dan Mathias

Virtual Display by Santo Nucifora

Computer Museum Collection of Brian L. Stuart a faculty member at Drexel

TRS-80 Revived site by Ira Goldlang

Shrine Of Apple creation of Jonathan Zuf

VintageMicros Inc. specializes in vintage and obsolete memorabilia

RetroMacCast Where old Macs live again

 Vintage Mac Museum working collection of the pre-Intel Apple Macintosh

Computer Museum of America 

Dalby Datormuseum Sweden 

American Radio History - David Gleason's 2 million pages on line includes Byte Magazine

 Computer Asylum  

New Zealand Computer Museum    Techvana      

Museum of Computing UK     history of computing and digital development     

Vintage Mac Museum   private, working collection of Adam Rosen

6502 Microprocessor resource  by Mike Naberezny

cosma.org Computer Preservation  Mary E. Hopper website

The National Museum of Computing

The Turing Digital Archive

Center for Computer History UK

Vintage Computer Festival

DECconnection dedicated to the memory of our founder and hero, Kenneth H. Olsen (20 Feb 1926 - 6 Feb 2011).

SInclair ZX 81 Museum 

Freeman PC Museum

8-bit-retro-computing.blogspot.com/  Jim Cox Lab Manager at Microsoft

Glenn’s Computer Museum - CenTaur Technology

Retro Computing News  Stuart Williams, Walsall, England

.history of personal computing in Audio & Pictures by Jeff and David

classic.technology   Stefan's Personal Collection

Welcome to the WITCH-E Project Wiki 

Computerspielemuseum Berlin 

Retro Computer Museum of UK

 RetroComputers.eu Andy near Peterborough in the East of England

 System Source Computer Museum    Hunt Valley, MD

Information Processing Technology Heritage Museum Japanese museum info

Vertual Altair  museum 

Vintagecomputer.net   Bill Degnan (billdeg)

Museum of Computing UK 
Computers and Communications Museum of Ireland 

silicium.org/site

Wikipedia's Computer Museum Page 

Computer Museum of America - Lonnie Mimms

Computer Conservation Society - UK Museums

Google Map of Museums - Work in progress by Fabrice Lété

Blog Communities - More of Ed S roll of blog communities 

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Computer communities

Retro Computing

Computer History

Vintage Computing & Computers

Vintage Computing

Unix Retrocomputing

Commodore

Computer History Book Club

Commodore 64

Commodore VIC-20II Computer Series

Apple II Computer Series

Sinclair Computer (ZX80, ZX81, Spectrum, QL, ...)

Blog Communities - More of Ed S roll of blog communities 

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Save this link to get the updated list - I add to this list when a new computer website appears. 

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David G Larsen

A computer web site you like and not here - send it to me for adding.. 

 "by David Larsen" KK4WW Computer Collector / Historian 

   

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Computer TK-80 single board 8080 microcomputer 1976

TK-80 NEC Microcomputer

Bugbooks

I find it very interesting that I am still getting offers for microcomputer memorabilia. Of course it is just great and satisfying to still be collecting however I have not been in an acquisition mode the past few years.

Update 3/7/16 - This computer like all the others in our collection are headed for the Computer Museum of America.  The truck with this computer arrived in Roswell, Georgia last Friday 3/5/16. I still have a number of people contacting me about donating and I will be accepting vintage computer systems and passing them on to the Computer Museum of America. 

Here is an email from a few days ago 11/29/15.


  Hello, My name is Jessica and I was wondering if you would be interested in buying a TK-80 microcomputer or if you could lead me in the right direction.  There isn’t much information that I have found about it but I know it is rare. I have attached some pics for you to look at.  Please let me know if you are interested or not or if you would like more pics. Thanks!

My response - Hi Jessica - Thank you for the information about your TK-80 computer. I would have an interest in purchasing the TK-80.  Please tell me the  price you hope to get for this computer.
Warmest Regards, David Larsen

Good morning David, I’m really not too familiar with vintage computers and have found little information about this one in particular. It comes with everything in the pictures.  On the inside of the box there is a written note that says “shot LED” but I see it comes with a new one. (I put that in the pics as well).  What do you think it is worth??  I trust you know about these computers way more then I do and will make me a fair offer. Thanks, Jessica

Jessica and I agreed on a price and the computer is now a part of the Bugbook Computer Museum.

To enlarge "Click on photo"

TK-80 NEC Microcomputer

TK-80 NEC Single Board Computer with NEC8080
Microprocessor 1976.

TK-80 is a training kit for 8-bit microcomputers released by NEC Corporation (NEC) in 1976. In February of the same year, the Microcomputer Sales Department was newly established within the Semiconductor Department, and began selling new microcomputer chips. With an appeal by the head of the sales department at the time – “Think of a new idea using microcomputers, anything!” – the TK-80 was born. Source ISPA Computer Museum. 

At Ueno,  in Tokyo the TK-80 shares a display with the well known Busicom calculator.

TK-80 keyboard

TK-80 keyboard -- looks like IBM used this microcomputer at one time.

ROM chips

ROM chips with BIOS.

NEC 8080 software Manual

The NEC 8080 microprocessor manual. This computer cam ready to use with power supply, operating and software manuals.

NEC 8080 microprocessor manual

The NEC 8080 microprocessor manual 1975.

TK-80 design date 1978

Design date of microcomputer 1978

TK-80 operation manual 

A nice operation manual for the TK-80.

TK-80 & Power supply 

Ready to operate - just plug in the power supply and have fun.








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Additional information about the TK-80 computers - it is reported that about 66,000 were made.

TK-80 Microcomputer

Here is the engineering and educational version with some area for breadboarding circuits.

TK-80 with Basic

Here is version of TK-80 with expansion board ready to run Basic with keyboard.

The whole system TK-80 

Here is a complete TK-80 Microcomputer system turnkey ready to operate with display , keyboard, data recorder and power supply.








More information about the TK-80 - Their were several versions. "CLICK"

___________________________________________________________________

David Larsen

Thank you Jessica for contacting me about this computer. Have a very Merry Christmas.

It was fun unpacking this computer as it is in very nice condition with manuals and original box.

Thank you for reading my blog and have a wonderful holiday Christmas season for 2015. Dave

.^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian}   
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Computer collecting heyday for historical microcomputers 1985 - 1999

Altair 8800 microcomputer- January 1975

Bugbooks

I am fortunate to have been collecting historical microcomputers from the very first day they were available. I was not thinking at the time how nice this would be 44 years later.  Obtaining them from the original purchasers was a hayday in the years 1985 to 1999. During this hayday period many owners of these early computers had their first computer stored in the closet or basement and had not used it for years. 

These early owners were pioneers in many ways and they had their heart and sole in their first computer. They often paid what the wife considered a lot of money for a toy that could do very little or in fact nothing useful to the family. Remember prior to the microcomputers a minicomputers cost from $10,000 to $30,000 and was not possible to own one for most individuals. That was the price of a small house in the 1960s .The early users of  these machines invested a lot of time and money and wanted to have someone  preserve their computer. 

I placed a small wanted advertisement in several electronic publications for 35 or more years. hundreds or really their were thousands of responses to my request "Wanted pre1980 microcomputers for historical collection" . Most of my collection was acquired during this time including the 4 original Apple-1 computers in the collection. 

 I recorded all the phone calls in log books and kept all the letters with offers. Looking though some of these letters in the past few days I found them very interesting and decided to share several.  Most people thought I had lost my senses for collecting these unwanted computers however it was great fun for me.  A very big part of the fun was the hunt to find a new computer.

 Sometimes I would wait months or even years before working toward getting the computer offered. You will see this in the letter below taking 5 years between first contact and receiving the computer.
_____________________________________________________________________
To read CLICK on the letter to enlarge

First letter September 29,1990 about the Altair #21

This inquiry letter from Dean was received in 1990 and it was 5 years later I ask dean if he still had the computer. This resulted in my very best Altair 8800 ( Serial Number 21) . When I received the first letter in 1990 I already had a number of the Altair 8800 computers and did not think too much about adding one more.  





To read click on image 

January 10,1995 letter ready to send the Altair 8800

Five years after the first letter I began to understand that the computers with low serial numbers were much more desirable for a collector and remembered the offer for the Altair 8800 serial number 21. To my surprise and pleasure Dean still had the Altair and was glad to work out a deal for me to add it to my collection.


    The receipt for the Altair is dated December 17,1974. This is the month before the computer was announced in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics. This has to be the very first batch of  Altair computers. The CPU card in the computer is serial number 10.


I loved this part in the letter "The first program I ran was a music program which used an AM radio to pick up bus signals so that music would come out of the speaker. My wife was politely interested." I seem to remember that this music technique was one of the early programs to run on a PDP-1 minicomputer in the early 60's. 

Video of Altair 8800 SN 21 "CLICK" a real good look at this computer
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Apple-1 computer offer from Craig Solomonson

Here was a great offer in July 1996 of an Apple-1 from Craig Solomonson. The offer was for more than $15,000 but less then $40,000.  It was a bit short sited of me not to purchase this computer - here is the history of this computer.

Purchased from Frank Anderson, an electronic dealer in Great Falls, Montana by Craig Solomonson for MECC.  Craig reports that this computer was sold by Jobs and shipped from his parents address. Woz seemed a bit confused when Craig showed him the invoice and asked about it. He said "Not sold by us, although Job's may have sold it without telling me." 

• Sold by Craig to Jesse Sackman in California
• $50,000 unit sold in Ebay auction 320447681957, late in 2009
• This is the unit auctioned by Christies in London for 133,250 pounds in November of 2010 to Italian businessman and private collector Marco Boglione
• Marco continues to have this computer in his collection. 

However this was not the only offer I received for an Apple-1 computer. I had about 10 offers during this period and did purchase 4 Apple-1's - see this for the story of the four Apple-1's.
_______________________________________________________________________

Letter from Jim Trent N3EGE September 1996

Here is a letter from Jim Trent who had been seeing my advertisement in "World Radio" and other publications.

His wife was very glad he found my advertisement now he could get rid of all that old stuff and not have it tossed out in the junk. 

I seem to remember getting all his items for the historical collection.










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Post card from Tim Walker N2GIG

Sometimes I would get a simple card like this one from Tim Walker N2GIG.













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Macintosh Computer

Current Steve Jobs Movie "News": Aaron Sorkin on Steve Jobs, Facebook, and why he ignored the iPhone





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David Larsen

I am glad I saved all these letters offering computers as many of them are humorous and often include interesting stories about the owner. I think an interesting book could be written from the stories told by these letters from early microcomputer users.  Thank you for reading my blog and have a wonderful holiday season for 2015. Dave

.^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian}   
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