Curt's Computer Collection

The Altair 8800
The original Personal Computer. This is the machine that starts the hobby personal computer trend for most. See Wikipedia article. One of the top 5 collectible computers by most accounts. The first of the S100 bus computers. The machine has several upgrade boards, but the original MITS CPU board is included.

Poly 88
Another S100 bus computer dating from about 1976. Originally billed as the mini Altair, but this name was changed due to copyright infringement. Much more compact than the Altair, it furthers the personal computer trend.

Apple
Several Apple IIs and accessories. This includes the II Plus, IIe, IIc, IIgs as well as disk drives and software. The first of the manufactured machines that was widely used. The popularity of this machine forced IBM to hurriedly enter the market. Prior to the Apple II, IBM thought it owned the computer market.

Apple MacIntoshes
Several Apple MacIntoshes and accessories. The row on the floor includes a Color Classic, Color Display, some documentation sitting on a MacCrate(a third party hard drive), the black carrying case contains an SE 30. The table has a Plus, underneath a Power Book, the stack from bottom to top is a II, LC III, LC II, LC, II CX. On the right is a Classic II underneath a Power Book 170.
Behind and mostly obscured by the hardware are three sales posters in frames.

The Apple Lisa.
This was an expensive computer that sold poorly. The innovations in it were scavenged to create the MacIntosh.

Family of IBMs
The bottom of the stack is the original IBM PC, on top of it are PC XT and PC AT. These are flanked by a Personal System 1 and Personal System 2. This is not all of the original manuals.

IBM AS/400
A commercial minicomputer from IBM to replace its System 36 and System 38 lines. See Wikipedia article. This was assembled in 1997.

MicroSystems Inc Micro 800 Computer
This may be the most unique item of this collection. This is a trainer from about 1968. There are two, but only one is shown. This is the only machine without a single chip CPU, since it predates the Intel 8008 and 8080. Instead it has TTL logic to make up the CPU. Most of the components are TTL chips with just two to four logic gates, such as ANDs and ORs. It is also the only one that uses the old style core memory, instead of semiconductor memory of every modern computer. (Core memory was common on 1960s computers, but soon gave way to solid state memory.) It comes with extensive documentation, some of which is opened up for view in the photo. This includes schematics and logic diagrams.

NextStation
Next was founded by Steve Jobs after leaving Apple. This is the hard drive version of a NextStation instead of the rewritable CD version

TI 99/4
Two TI 99/4 computers and a TI/994a in original boxes.

HeathKit
This is a computer terminal produced by Heath.

Zenith
Zenith purchased HeathKit and made several computers. This one has a single 5 1/4 inch floppy drive.
This is a Zenith laptop with two floppy drives.

Panasonic
An early and unusual laptop where the keyboard hinges up exposing a CD drive and storage slot.

A collection of luggables. The luggables hold an important but brief position in history. Most of the machines contained in the collection are hobby or personal computers, but the luggables are business machines. A representative could take one of these to a potential client's home and enter the important data, transmit this to home base using a modem, and finalize the deal without leaving the house. Several of these have small CRT displays. This makes them the forerunner of the clamshell style laptop, which requires a flat panel display. From there the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is developed. Finally, the ultimate (so far) PDA is the smart phone. The luggables are at the beginning of this evolutionary sequence. On the floor starting at left is Kaypro II, Osbourne, Panasonic, Compaq. on the table is an IBM (in fabric case), Commodore and second Kaypro II.

Tandy Radio Shack.
On the table is from left to right a Model III, an original TRS 80, a model 4, with a model 1000 on top. On the floor is a Model 100 Portable, a box containing a DMP 130 Dot Matrix Printer and a Cassete Recorder. Behind these are the boxes for the Model 100, Model III and Model 1000 and on top of these are 6 original manuals.

Terminals.
The three on the table are all RS 232 terminals, suitable for connecting to a time-sharing system. On the right is a Tektronix Model 4051 Storage Scope. See the Wikipedia article. This could be used for both text and graphics. In the middle is a desktop Teletype Model 33. See the Wikipedia article. This is a printing terminal present at most non-IBM mainframe sites. It also had a paper tape reader. On the left is a Lear Siegler Inc. ADM terminal. See the Wikipedia article. This was often called a glass teletype since it was not a printing terminal On the floor is a simple video monitor, such as might be used with an Apple II. Not pictured is a DecWriter, another very common printing terminal that was faster than the Teletype. See the Wikipedia article.