Re: (Off Topic): Jack Tramiel Passes Away

[Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca>]

On Tue, 10 Apr 2012, Don wrote:

> Not Apple II related but even us Apple II users have to appreciate
> Tramiel:
>
> http://www.pcworld.com/article/253473/computer_pioneer_commodore_founder_jack_tramiel_dies_at_83.html
You can relate it to the Apple II.

Mos Technology came out with the 6502, in 1975.  I guess it was the 2nd or 
3rd issue of Byte, October or November, that ran that article introducing 
the 6500, making the point that it was available for $20 in single 
quantity (when the 8080 was still a few hundred dollars in single 
quantity).

But it wasn't that before Commodore bought Mos Technology, so they had the 
means to make the CPU and the semiconductors as they moved into the small 
computer field.  I wasn't sure of the exact date, one source says the end 
of 1976, which is kind of later than I had thought, but still predates the 
all in one computers that came out in the summer of 1977, including the 
Apple II and the Commodore PET.

Hence, unless Apple was buying from second sources, they bought their 
6502s from Commodore, as run by Jack Tramiel.

  Michael