Computer World. Матросова Т.А. - 13 стр.

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12
It is impossible to predict the invention that, like the Altair, crystallize new
approaches in a way that captures people's imagination.
TEXT 5
Look through the text. Point out the introductory part and the main part.
Characterize each computer system.
TOP 20 COMPUTER SYSTEMS
From soldering irons to SparcStations, from MITS to Macintosh, personal
computers have evolved from do-it-yourself kits for electronic hobbyists into
machines that practically leap out of the box and set themselves up. What enabled
them to get from there to here? Innovation and determination. Here are top 20
systems that made that rapid evolution possible.
MI TS Altair 8800
There once was a time when you could buy a top-of-the-line computer for $395.
The only catch was that you had to build it yourself. Although the Altair 8800 wasn't
actually the first personal computer (Scelbi Computer Consulting 8008-based Scelbi-
8H kit probably took that honor in 1973), it grabbed attention. MITS sold 2000 of
them in 1975 – more than any single computer before it.
Based on Inters 8-bit 8080 processor, the Altair 8800 kit inc luded 256 bytes of
memory (upgradable, of course) and a toggle-switch-and-LED front panel. For
amenities such as keyboard, video terminals, and storage devices, you had to go to
one of the companies that sprang up to support the Altair with expansion cards. In
1975, MITS offered 4- and 8-KB Altair versions of BASIC, the first product
developed by Bill Gates' and Paul Allen's new company, Microsoft.
If the personal computer hobbyists movement was simmering, 1975 saw it come
to a boil with the introduction of the Altair 8800.
Apple II
Those of you who think of the IBM PC as the quintessential business computers
may be in for a surprise: The Apple II (together with VisiCalc) was what really made
people to look at personal computers as business tools, not just toys.
The Apple II debuted at the first West Coast Computer Fair in San Francisco in
1977. With built-in keyboard, graphics display, eight readily accessible expansion
slots, and BASIC built-into ROM, the Apple II was actually easy to use. Some of its
innovations, like built-in high-resolution color graphics and a high-level language
with graphics commands, are still extraordinary features in desk top machines.
Commondore PET
Also introduced at the first West Coast Computer Fair, Commondore's PET
(Personal Electronic Transactor) started a long line of expensive personal computers
that brought computers to the masses. (The VIC-20 that followed was the first
computer to sell 1 million units, and the Commondore 64 after that was the first to

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