Difference between revisions of "Homebrew Computer Club"
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In the mid-seventies, Bob Albrecht, founder of the [[People's Computer Company]] newsletter, ran a storefront center in Menlo Park called the People's Computer Center. The People's Computer Center offered public access to a couple of minicomputers running time-shared BASIC, and was used by local youth as a game parlor. The centre served as a gathering point for computer professionals or amateur enthusiasts who were interested in alternative use of computers, such as [[Lee Felsenstein]] of the Resource One project, computer engineer Gordon French, and political activist Fred Moore. The People's Computer Center also kept a list where visitors could sign up for more information about the centre's activities. | In the mid-seventies, Bob Albrecht, founder of the [[People's Computer Company]] newsletter, ran a storefront center in Menlo Park called the People's Computer Center. The People's Computer Center offered public access to a couple of minicomputers running time-shared BASIC, and was used by local youth as a game parlor. The centre served as a gathering point for computer professionals or amateur enthusiasts who were interested in alternative use of computers, such as [[Lee Felsenstein]] of the Resource One project, computer engineer Gordon French, and political activist Fred Moore. The People's Computer Center also kept a list where visitors could sign up for more information about the centre's activities. | ||
| − | In January 1975, the [[Altair 8800]] computer kit was announced. Fred | + | In January 1975, the [[Altair 8800]] computer kit was announced. Fred Moore convinced Gordon French to make his garage in Menlo Park available for a meeting. Fred Moore compiled the PCC visitor lists, and they put out a call to all people on the list. |
Thirty-two people showed up for the meeting, including [[Lee Felsenstein]], who brought with him a version of the Altair. This version had been sent to People’s Computer Company as a review copy, and they gave it to Felsenstein, who had assembled it and taken it to his friend Efrem Lipkin’s place. Lipkin considered it useless, since there was nothing to it but switches and lights (it had no screen or keyboard). He set it up as a sculpture in his living room, on the same table with his guinea-pig cage, with its lights flashing to keep the guinea pigs company. Felsenstein retrieved it, and it turned up as the centerpiece of the meeting. | Thirty-two people showed up for the meeting, including [[Lee Felsenstein]], who brought with him a version of the Altair. This version had been sent to People’s Computer Company as a review copy, and they gave it to Felsenstein, who had assembled it and taken it to his friend Efrem Lipkin’s place. Lipkin considered it useless, since there was nothing to it but switches and lights (it had no screen or keyboard). He set it up as a sculpture in his living room, on the same table with his guinea-pig cage, with its lights flashing to keep the guinea pigs company. Felsenstein retrieved it, and it turned up as the centerpiece of the meeting. | ||
