Microcomputers

Introduction

In 1974 Intel introduced the 8080 CPU on a chip. In 1975 Newcastle University had the IBM System 370 Model 168 mainframe computer installed. The 8080 CPU weighed about 20g, the 370 CPU weighed 3,128,000g. The 370 was enormousely more powerful than the 8080, but this was the beginning of the end for the mainframe. Over the next fifteen years, mini and micro computers would be developed that would transform electronic computing.

We have several computers containing microprocessors in the collection.

I worked with mainframe computers and athough I used workstations and personal computers, I know little technically about them, so this is just photographs. There is masses of technical information on the web. Just Google any computer here to find out much more about it.

There are three sizes of photograph:

A thumbnail just 100 pixels wide, which when clicked on takes you somewhere.

The basic picture in each web page is 600 pixels wide, easily viewed on screen.

Clicking on a basic picture displays a fullsize photograph, which fits the screen using the Firefox/Chrome web browser. Clicking on the (+) cursor will display a portion of the fullsize photograph with a (-) cursor.

Here you can either use the scroll bars to move over the image, or click the (-) cursor and move the (+) cursor to another point of interest and click on it to see that area fullsize.

To exit fullsize, use the browser back arrow.

Click on a thumbnail below to see more.

AppleII 1979 Apple II plus. SuperBrain 1979 SuperBrain.
BBC 1981 BBC Micro. 1982 N.SWTCH2.
Sirius PC 1983 Sirius PC. 1983 EPSON QX-10.
IBM Portable 1985 IBM Portable. AmstradPPS640 1985 Amstrad PPC640.
Amstrad1512 1986 Amstrad 1512 PC. Compaq 1986 Compaq Portable.
1986 Apple Macintosh. RMNimbus 1987 RMNimbus PC.
IBM PC 1987 IBM PC. COMPAQ 1988 COMPAQ Portable.
Toshiba 1990 Toshiba Portable. 1997 Apple eMate.
iMacG3 1998 Apple iMac G3. iMac 2003 Apple iMac G4.
2015 Apple iPad Air. 1984 Fawn Box.
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