Re: Crosspost: Did the cpu influence the display?

[bv@wjv.com (Bill Vermillion)]

In article <c7%rf.10054$7S.5344@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com>,
Bill Plenge <B_Plenge@NoSpam.com> wrote:
>Bill H wrote:
>> Peter van Merkerk wrote:
>>> Bill H wrote:
>>>> ===========================================================
>>>> This message has been cross-posted to a number of revalent usenet
>>>> groups, so please do not start a "My system is better than your
>>>> system flame war".
>>>> ===========================================================
>>>>
>>>> Relying on my memory and a cursory check on a number of websites it
>>>> appears that the majority of Z80 cpu based computers had black and
>>>> white displays, where as the majority of 65xx computers had a color
>>>> display.
>>>
>>> I don't think that is true, at least not for home computers.
>>>
>>> There are plenty of (early) 6502 based system which supported only
>>> B/W display, and there are also plenty of Z80 systems which
>>> supported color (ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC, Sharp MZ series,
>>> Enterprise...etc).
>>>
>>> If we include CP/M computers (which are Z80 based) then what you are
>>> saying might be true. However those where intended for business use.
>>> In those days color was not deemed to be important for business
>>> computers.

>> I probably should have specified a time period. I was thinking more of
>> the 78 - 82 time period and computers that were available for home use
>> mainly in the US (only because that is where I am and have the most
>> experience with). During that time period the popular computers on the
>> Z80 side where the Tandy's (and clones), the zx81, ts1000 and some
>> CP/M machines. On the 65xx side where the Apple ][s, Atari's and
>> Commodores.

>Given that time period I think you'll find the major reason being
>the cost of RAM (circa '78 16K was about $80, by '82 64K-128K
>could be had for the same price) and color monitors at the time.

You are low on the RAM price.  4116 RAM was going for $200
at the local electronics wholesalers.  I know - I priced it for my
machine.  That was mid-1978, as I had gotten my system at the end
of 1977.

When I built a 32K static RAM board with 64 21L02 chips, things
were a bit cheaper - but I still had about $350 into that including
the raw board, all the sockets, the RAM and about 10 glue chips.

> Combine that with the general publics attitude that home
>computers were just a fad and you can see the resistance a
>company would have designing a color system for general use in
>those early years.

The general public didn't think they were a fad - they had no clue
that they existed.  On of my early computers books  by Dwyer and
Crutchfield had the title of "You just bought a personal what?"
I still see that over on the shelf with some other vintage books.

One of the most presceint of my books was called "The Home Computer
Revolution" - self published by Ted Nelson in 1977.  He talked
about how predicting the future in computers was pretty pointless
and everyone would be wrong - but he was persuaded to make his
guess for 10 years in the future - and he came the closest of
anybody in his predictions.

That's one of the 'collectors items' in my computer library.
He worte that book 2 years before another I have called "Literary
Machines" where he talked about computers that you could link any
word to another reference and keep following references that way.

He coined the term 'hypertext' in this book - and 4 years later
Apple implemented about 5% of his concept.

As to color I remember listening to Stan ?? [whose last name I've
forgotten] who had a computer store in NYC and he had a color
display in his window in color - was it the Dazzler - that the
police made him take down after the first day because it was
causing a crowd on the sidewalks.  He said that was the first
computer store in NYC.   He gave a talk to our local computer club
back in about 1980 - so forgive me for not remembering his last
name at the moment.


Bill
-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com